We work on organisms that can be harmful for forest ecosystems, and which may be native, established or immigrating in the course of climate change. Insect pests and fungal diseases cause damage to forests, but also abiotic and anthropogenic factors can play a crucial role. This can impair the multitude of forest ecosystem services, on which humanity depends. For the management of forest pests and diseases, various approaches must be available, and preferably preventive actions be taken. The guiding principle here is the concept of integrated plant protection, which is based on a combination of approaches, as defined in the Plant Protection Act of Germany (PflSchG).

Our focus is:

• Research on biology, diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, monitoring and control of pests and diseases in forests;
• Analyses of the causes of insect damage and complex diseases and their effects on forest ecosystem services;
• Promotion of antagonists and development of new strategies within the framework of integrated pest management;
• Research on risk assessment and protection of non-target organisms in forest ecosystems from unintended effects of integrated forest protection actions.