SYMPOSIUM | Evolution, Ecology and Conversation of Alpine Flora
July 5 – 8, 2026
125th anniversary of the Alpine Garden on the Schachen, Wetterstein Range
High altitude ecosystems are affected by extreme environmental conditions. Yet they are important wilderness areas that harbour a considerable share of the world’s plant diversity. The symposium offers a platform to explore up-to-date research on ecology, evolution and systematics of plants at high altitudes. The focus is on the dynamics of subalpine and alpine ecosystems, to foster the understanding of their diversity mechanisms and to contribute to their conservation.
Conference Sessions
Dynamics of alpine environments
Keywords: climate change, environmental gradients, adaptation, resilience, migration, evolutionary history, refugia.
Diversity patterns in alpine ecosystems
Keywords: distribution ranges, speciation, systematics, extinction rate, ecological niches, biotic interaction.
Nature conservation at high altitudes
Keywords: in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation, human impact, nature reserves, migration corridors, indicator species.
Presentation options
Oral presentation
20 min presentation + 10 min discussion
Abstract: max. 250 words
Poster presentation
Format: A1
Abstract: max. 250 words
Brief communication / Walk up presentation
10 min free presentation in the Alpine Garden or along the way
Expenses
Conference proceedings, coffee breaks, travel and packed lunch for the day excursion will be covered by external funds. Participants need to pay their own expenses for meals, overnight accommodation and travel costs to Munich. Hotel recommendations will be sent with the next circular.
In case of any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: anmeldung-bgm@snsb.de
July 5, 2026
BOTANICAL GARDEN MUNICH-NYMPHENBURG
Welcome evening
5.00 pm
Public evening lecture (in German)
6.30 pm
„Die Welt der Alpen im Wandel“
Prof. em. Dr. Christian Körner (University of Basel)
July 6, 2026
BOTANICAL GARDEN MUNICH-NYMPHENBURG
Morning session – 5 talks
9.00 am
Keynote by Prof. Dr. Jake Alexander (ETH Zurich)
“Lags in mountain plant responses to climate
change“
Afternoon session – 4 talks
2.00 pm
Keynote by Dr. Felix Gugerli Künzle
(Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL)
“Genomic signatures of adaptation in plants in
response to environmental variation in space
and time“
July 7, 2026
SCHACHEN, WETTERSTEIN RANGE
Hiking tour to the Alpine Garden
7.00 am
Poster presentations along the way
and at the Alpine Garden
July 8, 2026
BOTANICAL GARDEN MUNICH-NYMPHENBURG
Morning session – 5 talks
9.00 am
Keynote by Dr. Lara Wootton
(Université Grenoble Alpes)
“The evolutionary origins of the Alpine sky-island
flora“
Lunch & Farewell
1.00 pm