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.

  1. Published

    Effects of pesticides on community structure and ecosystem functions in agricultural streams of three biogeographical regions in Europe

    Schäfer, R. B., Caquet, T., Siimes, K., Mueller, R., Lagadic, L. & Liess, M., 01.09.2007, In: The Science of The Total Environment. 382, 2-3, p. 272-285 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Effects of pesticide application and plant sexual identity on leaf physiological traits and phyllosphere bacterial communities

    Zhu, Z., He, Y., Xu, J., Zhou, Z., Kumar, A. & Xia, Z., 01.04.2023, In: Journal of Plant Ecology. 16, 2, 12 p., rtac084.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Effects of microbial processes on the performance of a ReSponge™ zero valent iron PRB

    Birke, V., Wegner, M., Rosenthal, H. & Steiof, M., 2005, Proceedings of the 8th International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium. Elsevier B.V., p. 1671 1 p. (Proceedings of the 8th International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium; vol. 4).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksPublished abstract in conference proceedingsResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Effects of local neighbourhood diversity on crown structure and productivity of individual trees in mature mixed-species forests

    Georgi, L., Kunz, M., Fichtner, A., Reich, K. F., Bienert, A., Maas, H.-G. & von Oheimb, G., 26.04.2021, In: Forest Ecosystems. 8, 1, 12 p., 26.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Effects of lead and cadmium uptake on the metabolic rate of the woodlouse Porcellio scaber (crustacea, isopoda: Oniscidea)

    Coenen-Stass, D., 1998, In: Israel Journal of Zoology. 44, 3-4, p. 439-444 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Effects of land use on taxonomic and functional diversity: a cross-taxon analysis in a Mediterranean landscape

    Hevia, V., Carmona, C. P., Azcárate, F. M., Torralba, M., Alcorlo, P., Ariño, R., Lozano, J., Castro-Cobo, S. & González, J. A., 01.08.2016, In: Oecologia. 181, 4, p. 959-970 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Effects of habitat heterogeneity on bird communities in forests of northeastern Germany

    Sommer, R. S. & Fichtner, A., 01.12.2023, In: Baltic Forestry. 29, 2, 10 p., 699.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Effects of grassland management, endophytic fungi and predators on aphid abundance in two distinct regions

    Börschig, C., Klein, A.-M. & Krauss, J., 10.2014, In: Journal of Plant Ecology. 7, 5, p. 490-498 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Effects of global climate change on geographic distributions of vertebrates in North Queensland

    Meynecke, J. O., 01.06.2004, In: Ecological Modelling. 174, 4, p. 347-357 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Effects of free air CO2 enrichment on root growth of barley, sugar beet and wheat grown in a rotation under different nitrogen supply

    Pacholski, A., Manderscheid, R. & Weigel, H.-J., 01.02.2015, In: European Journal of Agronomy. 63, p. 36-46 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch