Bosbiologie

Bosbiologie, or forest biology, is the scientific study of living organisms in forest ecosystems and the processes that structure those ecosystems. It covers the biology of trees and other vegetation, soils, microorganisms, fungi, and animal life, and how these components interact with each other and with abiotic factors such as climate, moisture, and topography. The field examines growth, reproduction, phenology, disease, pest dynamics, nutrient cycling, decomposition, symbiotic relationships such as mycorrhizae, and the mechanisms of biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Forest biology investigates forest dynamics over time, including succession and disturbances such as windthrow, fire, drought, and responses to environmental change. Key methods include field observations, long-term monitoring, dendrochronology, soil and microbial analyses, remote sensing, ecological experiments, and modeling.

Applications of bosbiologie include informing conservation, restoration, and sustainable forest management, as well as climate change adaptation, pest and disease management, and the maintenance of ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water regulation, and habitat provision for fauna. In practice, the field overlaps with forest ecology, silviculture, and conservation biology, emphasizing understanding processes at multiple scales—from cellular physiology to landscape dynamics—and often employing interdisciplinary approaches.

The term is used in Dutch contexts; English equivalents include forest biology or forest ecology.