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

    Sphodrini

    Aßmann, T., 2004, Die Käfer Mitteleuropas: Bd. 2: Adephaga ; 1. Carabidae (Laufkäfer). Müller-Motzfeld, G. (ed.). 2 ed. München: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, p. 283-297 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  2. Published

    Sphodrini

    Aßmann, T., 2006, Die Käfer Mitteleuropas; Bd. 2: Adephaga ; 1. Carabidae (Laufkäfer). Freude, H., Klausnitzer, B. & Müller-Motzfeld, G. (eds.). 2., Nachdr. ed. Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, p. 284-297 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  3. Published

    Spent mushroom substrate and sawdust to produce mycelium-based thermal insulation composites

    Schritt, H., Vidi, S. & Pleissner, D., 01.09.2021, In: Journal of Cleaner Production. 313, 8 p., 127910.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Specific SBR population behaviour as revealed by comparative dynamic simulation analysis of three full-scale municipal SBR wastewater treatment plants

    Roenner-Holm, S. G. E., Mennerich, A. & Holm, N. C., 01.07.2006, In: Water Science and Technology. 54, 1, p. 71-80 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Species-Specific Effects on Throughfall Kinetic Energy in Subtropical Forest Plantations Are Related to Leaf Traits and Tree Architecture

    Goebes, P., Bruelheide, H., Haerdtle, W., Kröber, W., Kuehn, P., Li, Y., Seitz, S., von Oheimb, G. & Scholten, T., 16.06.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 6, 13 p., e0128084.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Species richness stabilizes productivity via asynchrony and drought-tolerance diversity in a large-scale tree biodiversity experiment

    Schnabel, F., Liu, X., Kunz, M., Barry, K., Bongers, F. J., Bruelheide, H., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Li, S., Pfaff, C.-T., Schmid, B., Schwarz, J. A., Tang, Z., Yang, B., Bauhus, J., von Oheimb, G., Ma, K. & Wirth, C., 17.12.2021, In: Science Advances. 7, 51, 13 p., eabk1643.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens in dry grasslands: The effects of environment, landscape structure and competition

    Lobel, S., Dengler, J. & Hobohm, C., 01.12.2006, In: Folia Geobotanica. 41, 4, p. 377-393 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Species Identification of Bacteria and Fungi from Solid and Liquid Culture Media by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

    Reich, M., Bosshard, P. P., Stark, M., Beyser, K. & Borgmann, S., 22.01.2013, In: Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology. 4, S5, 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Species diversity and species composition of epiphytic bryophytes and lichens: a comparison of managed and unmanaged beech forests in NE Germany

    Friedel, A., Oheimb, G., Dengler, J. & Härdtle, W., 01.05.2006, In: Feddes Repertorium. 117, 1/2, p. 172-185 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Species constancy depends on plot size - A problem for vegetation classification and how it can be solved

    Dengler, J., Löbel, S. & Dolnik, C., 08.2009, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 20, 4, p. 754-766 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review