1.) New core area in scholarship programme: Research on natural heritage areas

Semi-natural beech forests, large areas of pinewoods and ecologically valuable open landscape habitats and waters characterize the DBU natural heritage. It includes 33 sites in Germany with a surface area of ​​about 46,000 ha. The diverse habitats and their dynamic of change is now the focus of a new core area in the scholarship programme “Research on DBU-Natural heritage areas - Ecological dynamics in open landscape and forest“.

In order to achieve maximum synergy effects in the individual works in this core area, they will focus on two sites in Saxony-Anhalt, which are close to the city of Dessau, and both located to some extent in the biosphere reserve “Middle Elbe”.

The issues to be researched on could include such as the following aspects:

• conversion of pine forest areas,
• management of open landscape areas,
• economic impact of measures
• questions of game management and hunting,
• dispersal and establishment processes of selected species along the gradients,
• initiation and acceleration of succession processes,
• analysis of neophythes management, and
• nature conservation indicators for the evaluation of pine forests.

The application for a fellowship within the stated core area can be done via online application at http://www.dbu.de/stipendien/. There is also more detailed information related to the core area. Application deadline dates are 15 June 2011, 15 January and 15 June 2012.

Contacts: Dr. Reinhard Stock (Phone +49 (0) 541 / 9633 - 331), and Dr. Hedda Schlegel-Starmann (Phone  +49 (0) 541 / 9633 - 353).