Vegetation is a central component of nearly every ecosystem, playing a central role in nature conservation, environmental planning, and land management. The species composition at a site allows inferring the prevailing environmental conditions, which makes vegetation an important ecological indicator that can be assessed relatively easily. The Vegetation Ecology Research Group conducts research in various habitats in Switzerland and internationally. The methods applied range from classical field botany and phytosociology to modern statistical methods and ecoinformatics.

• Teaching of vegetation analysis and field botany at basic and advanced levels as well as continuing education
• Vegetation mapping and phytosociological analyses
• Planning, implementation, and evaluation of conservation measures for species and habitats
• Set-up and utilization of vegetation-plot databases for conservation, vegetation classification, and biodiversity research
• Modern statistical analysis of ecological datasets
• Identification of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens