WSL Landscape Centre ¶

The WSL has a great deal of expertise in the area of landscape research. The Landscape Centre pools this expertise and ensures that the research results are available to all interested parties.

Our landscape research covers a wide range of topics, from landscape history, to landscape ecology, to social and economic issues. The Landscape Centre was founded in 2012 in order to pool expertise, raise awareness of landscape research both nationally and internationally, and make the results available to our partners in the field.

The Landscape Centre is primarily active in the following three areas:

1) Research: The Landscape Centre coordinates the WSL's research activities on landscape topics and suggests new projects. Among other things, it supports management with strategic issues relevant to landscape research. It particularly supports young research scientists, for example, by organising the JULAFO Junior Scientist Conference. This is a platform where young research scientists can present their results and exchange ideas.

2) Teaching: Representatives of the Landscape Centre give numerous lectures at universities where they disseminate the findings of their landscape research. At an international level, for example, they offer a Summer School.

3) Transfer of Knowledge: Landscape research is relevant to both society and government; therefore the Landscape Centre ensures that the results are put into practice. For example, it organizes conferences, such as the Forum für Wissen, as well as other events such as workshops, with and for practitioners. It also publishes regularly in practically-oriented journals and issues reports.

The WSL is conducting research projects on the following landscape topics:

• Landscape Development and Monitoring
• Urban Development
• Land Use
• Quality and Value of the Landscape
• Energy and Landscape
• Management and Participation
• Landscapes for health and recreation
• Landscape ecology
• Landscape and climate change

The WSL Landscape Centre is part of the following network:

• IALE (International Association for Landscape Ecology)
• Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks (FoLAP)
• SAGUF (Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology)
• KBNL (Conférence des délégués à la protection de la nature et du paysage)
• EUCALAND (European Culture expressed in Agricultural Landscapes)
• ArboCityNet

• more on landscape research at WSL
• International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE)
• Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks (FoLAP)
• Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology (SAGUF)
• Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP)