(Number of projects = 36)
Ecosystems are frequently subject to strong (local) utilization pressure for instance due to intensive agriculture. At the same time, ecosystems are influenced by global processes like climate change. The question arises, how conflicts that are based on different demands on the ecosystem services can be avoided or reduced. This research project investigates the dynamics of land use changes and their impacts on ecosystem services and biodiversity.
This research project investigates normative conflicts which potentially arise when using biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The research project investigates the relationship between natural and societal processes. The resulting social-ecological dynamics are considered in particular in the context of the Anthropocene discourse.
The research project develops inter- and transdisciplinary concepts and methods that enable a dialogue on biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as on the impacts of human interventions on ecosystems and on the role of climate change.
In cooperation with the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), ISOE is investigating what reduced biodiversity means for the provision of ecosystem services to society.
The international research project aims to develop a multi-level water reuse strategy for Namibia. To achieve this, the project integrates innovative technologies, adaptive governance, and capacity development at various levels. The ultimate goal is to enhance Namibia’s water security by creating the necessary framework for the nationwide implementation of water reuse.
The project Bio-O-Ton develops a new machine-learning approach to the assessment of biodiversity by combining smartphone sound recordings with satellite imagery. The results will be of equal benefit to science, society and authorities with regard to the implementation of biodiversity conservation and will contribute significantly to the involvement of citizen science in biodiversity monitoring.
The research project will develop a transfer program for Geisenheim University (HGU) that will strengthen biodiverse and multifunctional viticulture in the Rheingau. Together with regional actors, new and innovative formats of knowledge transfer will be used to develop solution strategies for a much needed system change in agriculture. Here, viticulture and the cultural landscape shaped by it is going to serve as an example.
Food packaging is one of the main sources of plastic waste; it has short utilization cycles, frequently ends up in the environment, and is rarely reused or recycled. The project “Repack-network: sustainable food packaging” monitors, supports, and evaluates fourteen research projects that deal with relevant measures in the area of food packaging. In this context, ISOE is particularly investigating the possible societal impact of the projects and is responsible for the area of consumer acceptance and behavioral change.
In the transport sector there is growing pressure for action to make substantial contributions to climate protection goals. Against this background, the research association transform-R aims to sensitize actors in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region to the mobility transition and to identify new options for action. In four large-scale real-world laboratories, social innovations and new organisational processes in the field of sustainable mobility are to be tested over several years. The basis is a guiding concept developed jointly with all actors in the region.
A new EU directive (ESRS E4) obliges companies to disclose the impact of their procurement, production and sales on biodiversity and to list associated risks and opportunities. The new regulation is particularly challenging for small to medium-sized companies. However, it also offers an opportunity to promote social-ecological change within the economic sector. Now, in order to bring about true change, companies’ employees will have to put the new legal obligations into practice. Successful learning processes are a prerequisite here, as are the development of new skills and a growing awareness of the importance of biodiversity.
The project ENABLElocal develops participatory dialog formats to promote the exchange of biodiversity monitoring data. By fostering the exchange between local actors from nature conservation and land-use management and also national, European and global monitoring initiatives, the projectaims to promote evidence-based decisions in applied biodiversity conservation.
The ChemKom research project investigates the strategic science communication of organizations on the risks of perpetuity chemicals (PFAS). In addition to the communication of selected organizations, the internal scientific assessment of these risks, media reporting and public reception are also being evaluated. In addition, a specific dialogue format will be developed and tested for communicating the risks of PFAS.
The aim of the gwTriade project is to develop an integrated assessment concept for groundwater ecosystems based on an ecotoxicological characterisation, chemical analysis and the monitoring of faunal diversity. Through the social-ecological analysis, the criteria for groundwater assessment developed in the project will be tested and prioritised with a view to to societal objectives.
This research project investigates the influence of social transformation processes – for example demographic change, digitalization or changes in values and norms – on cultural landscapes and their biodiversity. As a result, possible development paths of cultural landscapes can be identified. These paths are developed jointly with the local population.
Together with aquabench GmbH, ISOE is developing a master plan for “Future-proof Drinking Water Supply in Saarland 2040”. This will create a state-wide framework for the long-term securing of the drinking water supply in Saarland. The master plan primarily addresses the water supply companies (WVU) and water authorities in Saarland.
The aim of the project is to provide scientific and communication support for the digitization of water management in the city of Frankfurt.
How can train stations in municipalities be designed in such a way that they become attractive interfaces for sustainable multimodal mobility and at the same time can be experienced as diverse, lively places to stay? This is what ISOE is investigating on behalf of the German Centre for Rail Transport Research at the Federal Railway Authority and in cooperation with designated partners. The aim is to develop a modular catalogue of measures for the design of railway stations.
The project is aiming to improve the knowledge base with regard to municipal climate adaptation in Germany, to strengthen municipal climate adaptation activities, and to identify leverage points for municipal climate adaptation activities that can be used to advance effective transformation processes towards climate resilient municipalities.
Drought and aridity, fires and pests: Climate change is threatening Germany’s forests. To make them resilient for the future, the German government is promoting forest conversion from conifers to mixed and deciduous forests. But what exactly should this “forest of the future” look like and who will be allowed to use it? There is a great deal of controversy about this. After all, the forest plays a variety of roles: For recreation, timber production, hunting, as a place for wind power or for climate protection.
The project accompanies the development process of the “Heiliger Born” site for water extraction by Stadtwerke Marburg GmbH (SWMR). By including this site in the water extraction process, the municipal utilities aim to ease the strain on the existing groundwater extraction points. At the same time, the intent is to thus create new scope to meet peaks in demand for drinking water supply.
The research project MORE STEP investigates processes of change in the ecosystem of the Eastern Mongolian steppe and their possible consequences for nature and society. The mobility of wild and domesticated herd animals plays a major role in the integrity of the ecosystem. Therefore, the first project phase (2019–2023) focused on societal transformations and anthropogenic effects on mobility in the steppe ecosystem. From 2023 onwards, the second phase of the project has been aiming to identify the role of climate change in the mobility of wildlife and herders while also examining the forthcoming obstacles these groups in the Mongolian steppe are facing due to climate change.
