The focus of the AFE Group is to generate knowledge and develop state-of-the-art modeling tools to advance the scientific community and support policies that enable better understanding and management of global and regional agriculture, forestry, and natural land ecosystems.

The basis for improved assessment and management of natural resources is a deep understanding of complex and interacting biophysical processes within terrestrial ecosystems. The AFE Group aims to achieve a leading position in addressing research questions requiring integrated analyses of agriculture, forestry, and natural land ecosystems at global and regional levels.

The group’s strategic ambition of biophysical tool integration for, among others, the assessment of nature-based/climate solutions, landscape restoration options, agro-forestry, or future cropland management, is at the core of the IIASA research domain on biodiversity and ecosystem services. With sustainability and biodiversity aspects as cross-cutting environmental safeguards, the group is closely aligned with the strategic direction of its host program on Biodiversity and Natural Resources. This structural and strategic setup will ensure that AFE becomes a valuable research pillar and contributor to the overarching IIASA strategy.

Models, tools, datasets

Pine tree forest

Russian Forests and Forestry Database

Forest burning

Wildfire climate impacts and adaptation model (FLAM)

Forestry and logging

Global Forest Model (G4M)

Fields

The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate-based global gridded crop model (EPIC-IIASA)

Projects

Lamasus

Land Management for Sustainability (LAMASUS)

Forest Fire in the summer season

Integrated Future Wildfire Hot Spot Mapping for Austria (Austria Fire Futures )

Extreme events

The Human-Tech Nexus - Building a Safe Haven to Cope with Climate Extremes (HuT)

Tropical Forest and deforested area

RESTORE+: Addressing Landscape Restoration on Degraded Land in Indonesia and Brazil

Staff

No image available

Edmar Teixeira

Guest Research Scholar (AFE)

Bintang Yuwono profile picture

Bintang Yuwono

Researcher (AFE)

Kentaro Aoki profile picture

Kentaro Aoki

Guest Research Scholar (AFE)

No image available

Anders Lunnan

Guest Senior Research Scholar (AFE)

News

Concept of reducing CO2 emissions and carbon footprint to limit global warming and climate change on green nature background

18 January 2023

A new approach to sharing the burden of carbon dioxide removal

Carbon dioxide removal is key to meeting the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. A new study analyzes what fair and equitable burden-sharing means for nature-based carbon dioxide removal in developing countries.
Forest fire at night

13 October 2022

Dealing with higher fire frequencies in the alpine region

Dealing with increasing fire frequencies in domestic mountain-dominated forest systems requires assessment and anticipation of fire risks at local scales, as well as a better understanding of its effects on the ecosystem and recreational activities. The Austria Fire Futures Project aims to address this critical situation.

Focus

Amazon forest

24 February 2022

The number of tree species on Earth

Since humans have walked this planet, we have loved categorizing things and ecology is no exception. One of the most basic ecological questions has always been the simple question of “how many?”

29 November 2021

An analysis of forest management in the Republic of Korea

Options Winter 2021: While urbanization is a common cause of biodiversity decline, the Republic of Korea has managed to maintain its biodiversity during its rapid economic development. IIASA researcher Florian Kraxner and colleagues analyzed the persistence of plants in the country and constructed future scenarios to better prepare for the pressures of climate change.
Cityscape of Seoul

29 November 2021

Improving fertilizer and water management practices in South Africa

Options Winter 2021: Water scarcity and rising fertilizer prices are causing complications for sustainable agriculture in South Africa. IIASA researchers have validated and calibrated models to help address the issue. 
Workers on a field in South Africa

Publications