Forests | Getting started
Understanding and valuing our forests
JUST HOW IMPORTANT forests are for regulating global temperatures, storing carbon and providing a habitat for fauna and flora has become increasingly evident in recent decades. DAAD alumni and alumnae around the world are involved in various ways with woodland protection and reforestation, while some also study the forest’s self-healing powers – in conflict regions, for example. As a firefighter and forest fire expert, DAAD alumnus Lindon Pronto works at the interface between nature and technology. One of his jobs is to introduce different perspectives into political debates, such as the idea that wildfires, though dangerous, are sometimes also necessary – they play a vital role for example in the reproduction of redwoods in the USA, whose cones can be seen in the photograph above. Viable solutions for the future can only be developed if people around the world collaborate, form networks and embrace different viewpoints. Discover how former DAAD scholarship holders are contributing to this discourse! —
Forests | Interview
“Fire destroys – and creates space for new life”
Firefighter, forest fire expert and DAAD alumnus Lindon Pronto talks about international differences in the way fire is managed in places as diverse as Europe, Indonesia and the Congo – and stresses the vital role cross-border exchange plays in finding sustainable solutions.
Forests | Close up
“The tree outside my door”
Contributors to this issue reveal which trees have a special significance for them.
Forests | Overview
The importance of protecting our forests
From ethnomedicine to ecosystems: how the DAAD’s programmes help ensure the protection and sustainable use of forests.
Forests | Engaging in exchange
Between forest and desert: savannas suffer climate stress
Africa’s savannas are a wildlife habitat, economic factor and climate regulator – and currently under threat. A master’s programme links students from East and West Africa and provides ways of translating scientific ideas into practice.
Forests | Engaging in exchange
Supporting nature’s powers of self-healing
Post-crisis forest restoration: the DAAD-funded project Fields of Conflict brings young researchers and students together with experts.
Forests | Food for thought
Protecting forests – a job for us all
The importance of forests long failed to be recognised – but is now becoming increasingly evident. How can global deforestation be stopped? This is the question being addressed by Ralph Mitlöhner, professor of tropical silviculture at the University of Göttingen.
Forests | In action
Planting the future together
Professor Iskandar Siregar, an Indonesian expert in forest genetics, believes in interdisciplinary collaboration – both in research and in exchange with stakeholders in politics and business.
Forests | In action
The sound of the trees
The composer Susie Ibarra translates the sounds of nature into music – creating a novel way to experience our environment.
Forests | In action
Opening our ears and minds to nature
The composer Ludger Kisters creates compositions based on the sounds of nature and electroacoustic music – and translates them into visual art.
Forests | In action
Researching forests – on the ground and from space
Professor Cornelius Senf uses satellite images, laser technology and his scientific foresight to study changes in European forests. Learn more about his work in this article and in the DAAD’s series of “Science in a Nutshell” videos.
Forests | In action
“Forests are at the heart of a solution to the climate crisis”
In her role as Executive Manager of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture, Carolle Alarcon wants to preserve forests – and believes dialogue is the best way forward.
Forests | In action
A life devoted to science
Dr Laura Salazar studies the impact of climate change on ferns in Ecuador’s Amazon region.
Forests | Keeping in touch
“Brazil has a lot to offer in terms of higher education”
The UN Climate Change Conference COP30 will be taking place in Brazil in 2025. How the DAAD Regional Office Rio de Janeiro is taking advantage of the global attention being focused on climate and sustainability topics.
