ERA-Chair: Striving for excellence in forest ecosystem research

The objective of the project ERA-Chair: Striving for excellence in forest ecosystem research (EXCELLENTIA) is to create an excellent interdisciplinary research group engaged in Forest Ecosystem Research (FER), under outstanding scientist Professor Douglas L. Godbold at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology (FFWT) Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU).

He will be a scientific leader guiding FFWT structural changes and transferring the faculty into a modern and accountable institution.

The structural changes include, i.e. implementation of sustainable research & innovation, accountability in intellectual property rights and research data management, and codification of scientific morality in practice and career guidance.

The FER researchers will focus on climate-driven change in European forests, the sustainability of their functions, methods to ensure forest stability in the following decades, and the tree predisposition to death. In addition, the FER group will study the effects of predicted future climatic scenarios on Central European forests.

EXCELLENTIA will use the enormous potential of the Training Forest Enterprise (UFE) Masaryk Forest in Ktiny, a long-term research site.

Some of the research plots at UFTE were established in 1973, and tree growth data has been measured continuously, which has led to unique datasets.Prof. Godbold will be head of the FER Research Group which will have the same status as the other Departments at the FFWT. This enables high autonomy in defining scientific themes and approaches in research.

EXCELLENTIA will be built on the data availability, previous research investments and the research programme developed at the FFWT.