Nature conservation involves the planning and implementation of measures to preserve and promote various components and functions of an ecosystem. Natural or protected goods are soil, water, climate and air, species and biotopes as well as the landscape. The corresponding legal foundations can be found in the nature conservation laws of the federal and state governments.

Knowledge is needed for successful maintenance and protection measures in Germany - for forest ecosystems, the Thünen Institute regularly provides comprehensive knowledge contributions. The data basis is formed by the national surveys in the forest entrusted to us and the intensive research facility in Britz. In additional research projects, detailed aspects are answered, such as currently on the water balance or forest fire.

Biodiversity describes the variety of life in its different forms - from genetic diversity to the diversity of species and habitats and their interactions.

Massive interventions in nature and landscape are leading to a rapidly increasing loss of biodiversity worldwide and endangering the functioning of ecosystems and their services. In order to analyse how environmental changes as well as different management practices affect biodiversity in forests, we support, among other things, the development of a national biodiversity monitoring in forests.