Dipl.-Forstwirt Dr. Philipp Gerhardt / Postdoctoral Fellow

Research interests

In my research and teaching on agroforestry, I aim to combine foundational scientific research with my experience in applied systems design and my network within the agricultural sector. My work focuses primarily on fundamental questions in agroforestry, particularly regarding yields, planting and maintenance techniques, ecosystem functions, and function-oriented systems design.

A particular focus of my work is the water-related design of agroforestry systems. This includes erosion control, decentralized flood protection, and drought prevention using water management systems and the Keyline Design approach. I am interested in how tree and shrub structures, soil conditions, water flow, and cultivation practices can be designed to yield measurable benefits for agriculture, landscape water management, and climate adaptation.

My research is interdisciplinary in nature and is conducted in close collaboration with various academic and industry-oriented institutions. At the same time, I have a background in practical agroforestry development and have a broad network of contacts in agriculture, consulting, planning, and implementation. This exchange between science and practice is central to my work because agroforestry systems can only be sustainable if they are ecologically effective, technically feasible, and operationally viable.

In my teaching, I lead the course “Fundamentals of Agroforestry,” the master’s module “Agroforestry Design,” and the Agroforestry lecture series. The goal of my teaching is to provide students with a systemic understanding of agroforestry: What structures can be designed, what processes result from them, and what benefits can be achieved for farms, the landscape, and society?

My professional background is in forestry. I studied forestry at the Technical University of Dresden in Tharandt, with a particular focus on function-oriented silviculture, water balance, and water protection. Further steps in my career took me to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Alnarp and to the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, where I earned my Ph.D. at the Institute of Silviculture. This combination of silviculture, landscape water balance, and agricultural practice continues to shape my work in function-oriented agroforestry to this day.

You can find an overview of my practical projects at: http://baumfeldwirtschaft.de/projekte