Prof. Dr. Andreas Rigling
Prof. Dr. Andreas Rigling
Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Systems Science
Additional information
Research area
Personal Research Focus - Keywords
Climate change impact; forest dynamics, forest management, dendroecology; disturbance ecology; germination, growth and mortality of trees; integrated forest management; forest biodiversity; interdisciplinarity; mountain forests; site ecology; transdisciplinarity; mortality ecology.
Research Activities
I am studying the dynamics of forest ecosystems as affected by abiotic and biotic factors and its impacts on forest management. The main focus lies on ecosystems' adaptation to, resistance against and resilience after environmental changes with a special focus on climate change. Specifically, also the legacy effects of past land use on today’s forest dynamics are studied.
System analyses in forest ecosystem research need to consider different disciplines on varying spatial and temporal scales. Hence, they are never single-disciplinary and require integrative approaches combining the advantages of different research concepts. I am interested in bridging natural sciences with socio-economy and integrate stakeholder knowledge into research concepts. Inter- and transdisciplinary research is challenging and effortful but solving nowadays problems in the context of environmental change requires holistic initiatives.
I am experienced in leading and co-ordinating inter- and transdisciplinary research projects:
- Scots pine decline Valais (funded by BAFU, Velux Foundation, canton Valais): 2001-2005, 30 scientific collaborators from 9 WSL-Departments worked on 15 projects
- Treeline upward shift Ural (funded by EU-INTAS): 2002-2005, 40 scientific collaborators from 6 research institutions from Switzerland, Germany and Russia
- Scots pine decline Switzerland-Italy (funded by EU-INTERREG, Regions Valais, Aosta, Piedmont): 2004-2007, 15 scientific collaborators from 3 research institutions from Switzerland and Italy
- MOUNTLAND 1 – Climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems and implication on socio-economy and land-use policy (funded by the Competence Center for Environment and Sustainability CCES, ETH domain): 2008-2012, 50 scientific collaborators from 9 research groups from WSL, ETH and EPFL
- MOUNTLAND 2 – Prioritization for adaption to climate and socio-economic changes – Backcasting tolerable future states to match supply and demand for ecosystem services in mountainous areas. (funded by the Competence Center for Environment and Sustainability CCES, ETH domain): 2013-2016, 40 scientific collaborators from 8 research groups from WSL, ETH and EPFL
International expeditions
Since 1993 I am regularly contributing to and leading field campaigns on international, interdisciplinary expeditions:
- Altai and Sajan, RU: North-hemispheric tree-ring network. F.H. Schweingruber (PI), A. Rigling (PhD student) (July 1996)
- Baikal, RU: North-hemispheric tree-ring network. F.H. Schweingruber (PI), A. Rigling (PhD student) (July 1998)
- South Ural, RU: Early response areas for climate change in Eurasia. A. Rigling (PI) (July 2002)
- South Ural, RU: Early response areas for climate change in Eurasia. A. Rigling (PI) (July 2004)
- Polar Ural, Salekhard, RU: Early response areas for climate change in Eurasia. A. Rigling (PI) (July 2010)
- Soria, E: Truffle monitoring and tree growth response, U. Büntgen (PI), A. Rigling (Co-PI) (April 2012)
- North-East Siberia, Bilibino, RU: Vulcano Anyui – fossil wood and treeline dynamics. U. Büntgen (PI), A. Rigling (Co-PI) (Aug. 2019)
Academic Education
1987-1993: Study of Forest Sciences, ETH Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Focus on mountain forest ecology
Practice in Switzerland (FR, VS – 11 months) and Canada (BC – 4 months)
1996-2000: Dissertation, University of Basel, Institute of Botany, Basel
„Wood anatomical characteristics as indicators of biotic and abiotic stress factors:
a dendroecological study in the Scots pine forest-steppe ecotone of Europe & Siberia“
1998-1999: Diploma in applied statistics, ETH Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Post-graduate diploma course in applied statistics
Professional Experience
since 2022: Adjunct Professor and group leader Forest Growth and Global Change ETH Zurich
since 2016: Adjunct Professor Forest Dynamics ETH Zurich
2009-2022: Member of the Board of Directors, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
2006-2022: Head Research Unit Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
2000-2006: Project leader (tree-forest-climate), Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
1993-2000: Scientist (soil monitoring), Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
1984-1987: High-school (second educational pathway, KME, Zürich, Switzerland)
1980-1983: Apprenticeship as forester (Forstwart), Forest Service Schaffhausen
CV PDFMembership
Honours
| Year | Distinction |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Scientific Image Competition of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): Distinction in the category “Locations and instruments” for the photograph “Siberian trees witness 1000 years of climate change” taken on an expedition to North-Eastern Siberia in Summer 2019. |
| 2013 | td-Award of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences for outstanding inter- and transdisciplinary research for the project MOUNTLAND - A. Rigling (PI) et al. Price money Fr. 50'000.- |
| 2011 | Honorary professor; Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| 1993 | ETH medal for outstanding diploma thesis |
Additional information
Teaching
- Lecturer in „Growth of Trees and Forests – from Germination to Tree Death “, ETH-Zurich, Dep. Environmental Systems Science (since 2020)
- Lecturer in „Mountain Forest Ecology“, ETH-Zurich, Dep. Environmental Science (2007-2011; since 2018)
- Lecturer in „Dendroecology“, ETH-Zurich, Dep. Environmental Systems Science (2007-2019)
- Lecturer in „Dendroecology“, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences (2001-2005)
- Lectures in “Applied Dendroecology for Foresters”, Center of Forest Formation Maienfeld (Bildungszentrum Wald) (2001, 2003, 2006)
- Lectures on “Dendroecology” and “Tree-line dynamics”, ETH-Zurich, Dep. Forest Sciences (2001, 2002, 2003)
Organisation of Conferences/Summer Schools
- International Summer School “PROMOWOOD - Promotion of wood as key element for achieving net zero" (2023) Member organizing committee, supported by the SwissForestLab, the forest network nfz.forest.net, the projects MainWood and SCENE. 25 participants.
- 19th Swiss Climate Summer School “Vegetation, Land Surface and Climate Interactions” (2021) Co-applicant and member organizing committee. Jointly organized by C2SM (ETH) and the Oeschger Centre (University of Berne), Monte Verita, Switzerland.
- International Webinar “How to balance forestry and biodiversity conservation – a view across Europe (2020) Initiator and member Congress Organizing Committee COC. Jointly organized by WSL and the European Forest Institute EFI Bonn Office and supported by the Federal Office for the Environment Switzerland FOEN, the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture BMEL, the Cantons of both Basel and the Integrate Network; >700 participants.
- International IUFRO Congress “Interconnecting Forests, Science and People” (2017) Member Congress Organizing Committee COC. Freiburg iB D; 2200 participants.
- International Summer School “FORESCALE - Climate change impacts on forest ecosystems: Disciplinary and interdisciplinary challenges across spatial scales” (2015) Main organizer, supported by WSL, CCES, ETH, PSI, Uni Freiburg D, INRA Nancy F. 20 participants.
- International Conference “Climate Change and Tree Responses in central European Forests” CLIMTREE (2013) Member Congress Organizing Committee COC, Zürich CH, 250 participants.
- International Dendroecological Fieldweek (2001-2004), Main organizer, supported by WSL. 30 participants.
Scientific Networks - Board Memberships
- Bundesforschungs- & Ausbildungszentrum für Wald, Naturgefahren und Landschaft BFW, Wien, A – Member strategic advisory board (Strategiebeirat) (since 2024): https://www.bfw.gv.at/
- Forest Research Institute FVA, Freiburg, D – Member advisory board (Kuratorium) (since 2018): http://www.fva-bw.de/indexjs.html?http://www.fva-bw.de/fva/abt_dirkurat.html
- Forest Research Partnership NFZ Nancy-Freiburg-Zürich (since 2009) – member since 2006, chairman (2014-16 & 2022-2025): http://www.nfz-forestnet.eu/
- Bern University of Applied Sciences, Member advisory board of the Division of Forest sciences (since 2014). https://www.hafl.bfh.ch/forschung-dienstleistungen/waldwissenschaften.html
- Waldwissen.net - member steering board (2009-2022): http://www.waldwissen.net/
- Board of directors of the Forest Research Organizations of Germany, Austria and Switzerland – representative of WSL (2009-2022).
- International Union of Forest Research Organizations IUFRO – member International Council, representative of Switzerland (2010-2014; 2020-2024): http://www.iufro.org/iufro/
- European Forest Institute EFI, Central European Regional Office EFICENT- member advisory board (until 2016): https://efi.int/
Course Catalogue
Spring Semester 2025
| Number | Unit |
|---|---|
| 701-1616-00L | Growth of Trees and Forests – From Germination to Tree Death |
| 701-1638-00L | Mountain Forest Ecology (Block course) |
| 701-1692-00L | Applied Forest and Landscape Management Lab (Block Course with Preparation Days) |