Welcome to the Department of Environment & Biodiversity

The Department of Environment & Biodiversity is dedicated to highly topical issues of social relevance, such as the climate crisis, the global loss of biodiversity, and the increasing severity and frequency of natural disasters. The spectrum of topics in research and research-led teaching ranges from dynamic processes of the earth’s surface and landscape forms to the interactions of organisms with each other and with the physical environment and to the recording of biodiversity and its emergence at the cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels. Excellence in teaching of these subjects in schools is another research aspect of the department that is becoming increasingly important in today’s world. In addition to basic research with international cooperation partners, the focus is on application-oriented research in close cooperation with mostly regional non-university institutions. The focus is on the Alpine region, but is complemented by research in other climatic regions, including the tropics, the Mediterranean, and marine habitats.