On Friday of the GfÖ (Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland) Annual Meeting 2025, participants set off for a full-day excursion to the University Forest of Sailershausen. Travelling by coach from Würzburg, which today serves as an important research site.
In the morning, the group explored some patches of the DFG-funded project BETA-FOR. Jörg Müller and Daniel Kraus explained the experimental design, described the silvicultural treatments, and presented first results. The project investigates how β-diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality are linked in formerly homogeneous forests and how silvicultural concepts can be adapted to enhance biodiversity.
At midday, the group gathered at the Schnackenlochhütte for a barbecue with wild boar sausages from the University Forest as well as vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Coffee and cake completed the break and provided space for informal exchange.
In the afternoon, attention shifted to the LIFE SPAN project. Together with Michael Juninger and Ruth Pickert, participants walked the educational trail, where project goals and interventions were introduced. LIFE SPAN focuses on actively creating structures such as deadwood, tree cavities, and small habitat sites to support saproxylic species in managed forests. A highlight was the live demonstration by Kruhme Baumpflege, with tree climbers showing how cavities and microhabitats can be created directly in trees – a technique applied at larger scale within the project. The practical demonstration sparked vivid discussions and many questions from the group.
Afterwards, the group visited the new “chaos demonstration site”, designed to bundle a variety of habitat structures and microhabitats. Here, Daniel Kraus presented further examples of LIFE SPAN interventions. The excursion concluded with an open scientific discussion between participants, LIFE SPAN staff, and Jörg Müller.
This excursion thus provided not only insights into current forest research, but above all a hands-on introduction to the LIFE SPAN project’s measures and aims – directly in the forest, accessible to experts, and open for dialogue.
