School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
Organisation profile
Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.
Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.
Main research areas
Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.
Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.
Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.
We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.
Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.
Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.
With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.
Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses
In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.
- 2015
- Published
Through the eye of a butterfly: Assessing biodiversity impacts of cashew expansion in West Africa
Vasconcelos, S., Rodrigues, P., Palma, L., Mendes, L. F., Palminha, A., Catarino, L. & Beja, P., 01.11.2015, In: Biological Conservation. 191, p. 779-786 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Allocation patterns of airborne nitrogen in mountainous heathlands – A 15N tracer study in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain)
Calvo-Fernández, J., Marcos, E., Calvo, L. & Härdtle, W., 11.2015, In: Ecological Engineering. 84, p. 128-135 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Application of feedforward artificial neural network in Muskingum flood routing: A black-box forecasting approach for a natural river system
Latt, Z. Z., 11.2015, In: Water Resources Management. 29, 14, p. 4995-5014 20 p., a006.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Effects of prenatal environment on phenotype are revealed by postnatal challenges: embryonic hormone exposure, adrenocortical function, and food in seabird chicks
Benowitz-Fredericks, Z. M., Schultner, J. & Kitaysky, A. S., 11.2015, In: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 88, 6, p. 607-623 17 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in the aquatic environment: A case study of the Elbe River, Germany
Wolschke, H., Sühring, R., Xie, Z. & Ebinghaus, R., 11.2015, In: Environmental Pollution. 206, p. 488-493 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Red mason bees cannot compete with honey bees for floral resources in a cage experiment
Hudewenz, A. & Klein, A. M., 11.2015, In: Ecology and Evolution. 5, 21, p. 5049-5056 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Does tree architectural complexity influence the accuracy of wood volume estimates of single young trees by terrestrial laser scanning?
Hess, C., Bienert, A., Härdtle, W. & von Oheimb, G., 30.10.2015, In: Forests. 6, 11, p. 3847-3867 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer
- Published
Operationalising Competencies in Higher Education for Sustainable Development
Wiek, A., Bernstein, M. J., Foley, R. W., Cohen, M., Forrest, N., Kuzdas, C., Kay, B. & Withycombe Keeler, L., 26.10.2015, Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development. Barth, M., Michelsen, G., Rieckmann, M. & Thomas, I. (eds.). London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, p. 241-260 20 p. 16. (Routledge International Handbooks Series).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Education
- Published
Does CSR Matter for Nonprofit Organizations? Testing the Link Between CSR Performance and Trustworthiness in the Nonprofit Versus For-Profit Domain
Lin-Hi, N., Hörisch, J. & Blumberg, I., 22.10.2015, In: Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. 26, 5, p. 1944-1974 31 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Landscape simplification filters species traits and drives biotic homogenization
Gámez-Virués, S., Perović, D. J., Gossner, M. M., Börschig, C., Blüthgen, N., de Jong, H., Simons, N. K., Klein, A.-M., Krauss, J., Maier, G., Scherber, C., Steckel, J., Rothenwöhrer, C., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Weiner, C. N., Weisser, W., Werner, M., Tscharntke, T. & Westphal, C., 20.10.2015, In: Nature Communications. 6, 8 p., 8568.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review