Climatic impacts on ecosystems and climatic adaptation strategies

FORKAST_coordination

Information in general

Within the research cooperation „FORKAST - Auswirkungen des Klimas auf Ökosysteme und klimatische Anpassungsstrategien“, supported by the „Klimaprogramm Bayern 2020“ (initiated by the state of Bavaria), the bavarian ministry of science, research and art aspirates the support and establishment of interdisciplinary research cooperations, in order to bundle skills across the different departments and institutes. Concerning the contents, the main goal is to deepen the knowledge of (extreme) responses of local ecosystems to climate change. Since long-lived ecosystems of great spatial importance (forests, greenland, inshore waters) need early actions of adjustment in order to prevent negative developments, the association will focus on such areas across Bavaria. Furthermore, positive developments should be induced as soon as possible and advantages of emerging chances for the development should be taken. Hence, the aim is to analyze functional reactions under changing climatic conditions. The improvement of scientific insight into “strength” and resilience of ecosystems is aspired. The research cooperation FORKAST examines the ecological effects of climate change from the level of organisms up to the ecosystem. Due to the novelty of these developments, the indirect effects of climate change through the reactions of nature on the society are particularly uncertain. Though, the ability to gauge those effects needs to be improved in order to design efficient actions of adaption.

Science and research management of the joint research center FORKAST

The coordination office has the task to manage the joint research of the whole FORKAST group. The group was established due to the “Bavarian Climate Programme 2020” as one of three interdisciplinary research centers. More than 50 scientists within 16 subprojects pursue research on the impact of climate phenomena (such as drought, warming, torrential rain, freeze-thaw-cycles and combinations thereof) on ecosystems. The subprojects are coordinated regarding their content and method of research. The coordination office helps to facilitate the communication between the subprojects, manages the data exchange and organizes project spanning meetings and conferences. It also answers requests from external scientists, administrative organizations and interested persons and coordinates public relations (e.g. websites, press releases, presence on events).

The synthesis of research over the whole FORKAST group such as analyses and meta-analyses as well as joint publications is pursued by the coordination office in close collaboration with the subprojects. Another major goal is the deduction of implications of research results on possible adaptation strategies.

The coordination office also develops contacts to other Bavarian, national and international research centers and networks (e.g. TERACC).