Dr. Ulrike Hiltner
Research Vision & Motivation
I am an environmental scientist and ecological modeler passionate about understanding how global environmental change, particularly climate change and land use, reshapes our planet's ecosystems. My research focuses on vegetation dynamics, primarily in forest ecosystems across tropical and temperate zones, with a vision to expand towards agricultural and urban landscapes. I believe that process-based modeling is a crucial tool not only for advancing our fundamental understanding of ecosystem functioning, resilience, and biodiversity but also for bridging the gap between science and practice. My core motivation is to develop and apply quantitative methods that make complex ecological knowledge accessible and usable for decision support, empowering stakeholders to navigate environmental challenges and foster sustainable management strategies.
Key Research Areas
- Modeling ecosystem responses (structure, function, dynamics) to climate change, disturbances, and management.
- Understanding mechanisms of tree mortality, particularly drought-induced.
- Quantifying ecosystem services and analyzing trade-offs under different scenarios.
- Developing "translator functions" using data science (statistics, machine learning) to link heterogeneous data with diverse vegetation models.
- Exploring AI (esp. LLMs) and Decision Support Systems (DSS) to facilitate stakeholder interaction and knowledge application.
Methodological Expertise
My research integrates:
- Dynamic Process-Based Vegetation Modeling: Extensive experience with models like ForClim, FORMIND, TreeMig, LandClim.
- Data Science: Statistical modeling, Machine Learning (using R, Python).
- Spatial Analysis: GIS and analysis of remote sensing data.
- Decision Support Methods: Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Heuristic Optimization.
- Field Research: Including dendroecology, vegetation surveys, soil analysis.
Highlighted Projects & Achievements
- Leading Future Research: Co-PI (main responsible for proposal writing) for the recently funded VELUX Foundation project (No. 2347)"PROFOREST-DSS" (2025-2029), developing a probabilistic decision-support system for adaptive forest management. [Link to Velux Project Info/Press Release if available]
- Bridging Science & Forestry Practice: Contribution to the NCCS-Impacts program, translating dynamic climate impacts on Swiss forest ecosystem services for decision-makers. NCCS-Impacts Program
- Early Career Excellence: Recognized with an Award for outstanding Master's Thesis (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg/FGG) and secured competitive Doctoral Scholarships from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) Project: AZ 20015/398 and FAU/FFL ("Frauen in Forschung und Lehre").
- AfriMont Network & High-Impact Research: Provided crucial data from an Ethiopian montane forest (Hiltner et al., 2016) for the AfriMont Plot Network. This collaborative effort resulted in a Nature publication by Cuni-Sanchez et al., 2021 demonstrating globally significant carbon stocks with climate policy relevance, showcasing the value of such long-term data networks.
Teaching & Supervision
I am passionate about training the next generation. My teaching experience spans Bachelor, Master, and PhD levels at ETH Zürich, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, and UFZ Leipzig, focusing on quantitative vegetation dynamics, ecological modeling, and geographical field practical. I have supervised several BSc theses and currently co-supervise a PhD student, activities I aim to expand significantly.
Academic Background
- (2016–2020) Ph.D., UFZ Leipzig / FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Thesis: Dynamic Forest Modeling, Climate/Management Impacts in Tropics, French Guiana, Ethiopia, Thesis: Hiltner, 2020).
- (2011–2014) M.Sc. Physical Geography, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Thesis: Dynamic Forest Modeling, Dendrochecology, Ethiopia).
- (2007–2011) B.Sc. Physical Geography, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Thesis: Dendroecology, Caucasus).
Publications
A detailed list of my publications is available on my Google Scholar profile.
Personal Interests
In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, and dancing. I also share insights and research findings on forest science through my blog here on www.forest-science.org.
