Research group GRID

The group is headed by Apl. Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Schaldach and pursues basic and applied research on the spatial-temporal dynamics of land-use systems. Research goals are to gain a better scientific understanding of the functioning of land-use systems under global change conditions, to assess impacts of land-use change on environmental processes and to contribute to the development of sustainable land management strategies. A strong focus lies on the development of spatially explicit computer models to simulate land-use change and its environmental impacts on the regional and global scale (e.g. the LandSHIFT model).

For assessing potential future development trajectories (“forecasting”) the group is also active in the construction of scenarios that combine qualitative and quantitative elements by integrating storylines and computer simulation, using the Story and Simulation Approach (SAS). Recent research projects are concerned with the effects of land-use change on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity in Brazil as well as with trade-offs between biomass production in agriculture and forestry, and the protection of natural resources in the light of a developing bioeconomy.