Janine Oettel erhält den Stefan M. Gergely-Preis 2024 für ihre Dissertation Evaluation of deadwood characteristics, its dynamics, and feeding traces of saproxylic insects in the context of forest management and conservation.
Deadwood is an important structural component of forest ecosystems. It contributes to ecosystem functioning by improving microclimate and facilitating natural tree regeneration. The characteristics and dynamics of deadwood influence carbon fluxes and the habitat for many related species. Altogether, about 25% of forest-dwelling species depend on deadwood. The volume of deadwood has often been used for assessing the conservation value of natural and managed forests. While in natural European temperate forests, the volume of deadwood is impressive, in managed forests it is severely reduced. Accordingly, in Europe many saproxylic species have greatly declined in managed forests. A better understanding of the relationship between deadwood characteristics and a variety of tree- and forest stand-related factors, macroclimatic conditions and silvicultural forest management is needed. This doctoral thesis therefore seeks to examine how tree-, forest stand- and landscape-factors, forest management, and changing climate influence deadwood characteristics and dynamics in unmanaged and managed forests. Additionally, the research aims to advance our knowledge of saproxylic insect’s habitat requirements and their responses to changes.
Janine Oettel is a forest ecologist with a background in biodiversity, deadwood ecology, tree microhabitats, sustainable forest management, and habitat connectivity. She holds a PhD from the University of Vienna, where her doctoral research focused on the dynamics of deadwood, its characteristics, and the feeding traces of saproxylic insects in managed and unmanaged forests. Previously, she earned a Master's degree in Mountain Forestry from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna.
Dr. Oettel is currently the Head of the Forest Biodiversity Subdivision at the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW), where she leads interdisciplinary research and development projects related to forest biodiversity and conservation. She previously worked as a researcher at BFW.
Her scientific work has been published in journals such as Journal of Applied Ecology, Ecological Indicators, and Forest Ecology and Management. Her research focuses on deadwood characteristics, forest connectivity, and the development of indicators for biodiversity monitoring in forest ecosystems.