Scientific Work

Hans Pretzsch researches the structure and dynamics of forests from the organ to the stand level. He integrates the laws of growth he discovers into biometric system models that give an idea of the whole and enable scenario calculations. His work serves the knowledge-based management of forests as a contribution to the sustainable well-being of society.

 

Short biography

1977 - 1982	Study of Forest Science and Biostatistics, LMU and University of Freiburg
1983 - 1985	Doctorate in Forest Science, Faculty of Forest Science, LMU
1985 - 1989	Research Assistent, Faculty of Forest Science, LMU
1992 - 1994	Head of Forest Growth at the North-West Germany Forest Research Center (NW-FVA), Göttingen.
1992 - 1994	lecturer qualification in forest growth, biometry and modeling
1994 - 2023	Director of the Chair of Forest Yield Science, LMU (1994-1999); TUM (1999-2023)
since 2022	Visiting Professor, University of Valladolid, Spain

 

Memberships and honors

Hans Pretzsch has been Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Forest Research (formerly Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt), founded in 1879, for over 30 years
Hans Pretzsch has repeatedly been one of the world's most cited scientists since 2019 (according to Clarivate Analytics). He publishes scientific results in Nature, Science, PNAS, among others, and practice-relevant results in the "Bayerisches Landwirtschaftliches Wochenblatt", "AFZ Der Wald", "Holzzentralblatt" and the "Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitung", among others.

 

Awards

• Biometrie-Preis, Biometrische Gesellschaft (1991)
• Danzer Forschungspreis, Danzer Unternehmensgruppe (1995)
• Prof. h.c., Tschechischen Universität für Lebenswissenschaften, Prag (2001)
• Wilhelm Leopold Pfeil-Preis der Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S (2004)
• Dr. h.c., Tschechische Universität für Lebenswissenschaften, Prag (2008)
• Bayerischer Staatspreis für vorbildliche Waldbewirtschaftung (2009)
• "Silvicultural Award 2015", Institute of Royal Chartered Foresters, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (2016)
• Ernst Otto Fischer-Lehrpreis für innovative Lehre an der TUM (2021)

• Dr. h.c, University Valladolid, Spain (2024)

You can download "Explanations of honors and awards" here [PDF 215 KB]

Key Publications

Gatti, R.   …Pretzsch, H…et al (2022). The number of tree species on Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(6), e2115329119.

Steidinger, B.S., …Pretzsch, H….(2019) Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses. Nature 569, 404–408

Liang J…Pretzsch H. et al. (2016) Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests, Science. 2016; 354(6309)

Pretzsch H, Biber P, Schütze G, Uhl E, Rötzer Th. (2014) Forest stand growth dynamics in Central Europe have accelerated since 1870. Nat. Commun. 2014; 5:4967.

Pretzsch, H. (2014). Canopy space filling and tree crown morphology in mixed-species stands compared with monocultures. Forest Ecology and Management, 327, 251-264.

Pretzsch H (2010) Forest dynamics, growth and yield. From measurement to model. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer

Pretzsch H, Biber P, Dursky J (2002) The single tree-based stand simulator SILVA: construction, application and evaluation. Forest Ecology and Management. 162(1): 3-21.