Welcome to the Department of Environmental Sciences

The Department of Environmental Sciences is an internationally renowned research and teaching institution in the fields of environmental systems and ecosystem management. Its goal is to contribute to a rational use of resources through forward-looking, environmentally and socially compatible development. Its emphasis is on the scientific understanding of the systems involved combined with the knowledge of society’s aims (knowledge of objectives) and the know-how to progress from the actual to the target situation (transformation knowledge).

The Department of Environmental Sciences teaches and carries out research on various environmental subjects:

• Physical and chemical processes in the spheres of water, soil and air
• Biological system structures and processes from the sub-organic level to ecosystem clusters
• Interactions between a changing environment and anthropogenic processes
• The influencing and shaping of ecological and landscape systems by combining system, goal and transformation knowledge

An overview of the key areas of research and access to the web sites of the research units can be found under the headings Research and Institutes & Groups.

Information on the various educational options available can be found under the heading Education.