Baerbel Pachinger

Baerbel Pachinger serves as a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Integrative Nature Conservation Research within the Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Her career at BOKU spans since 1998, evolving from University Assistant to her current leadership role in wild bee conservation. She operates from Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33 in Vienna, maintaining active research through 2025 projects including Wilde Nationalpark-Bienen and Erfassung der Schwebfliegen in Österreich.

• PhD (Promotion) at BOKU Vienna (2002)
• Master's equivalent (Sponsion) at BOKU Vienna (1996)

Her research centers on wild bee conservation across urban and agricultural landscapes, with specific focus on invasive species dynamics, climate warming impacts, and habitat management efficacy. She pioneered Austria's national wild bee monitoring protocols and investigates how vineyard practices, photovoltaic installations, and urban green infrastructure affect pollinator communities. Her work integrates citizen science with advanced genetic methods like DNA metabarcoding to assess biodiversity loss drivers.

Recent publications reveal three critical trends: (1) growing emphasis on invasive bee species (particularly Megachile sculpturalis) using transcontinental comparisons; (2) climate change as a primary driver of bee community composition through functional trait analysis; (3) renewable energy infrastructure (photovoltaic plants) as unexpected biodiversity hotspots requiring tailored management. She consistently bridges empirical fieldwork with policy-relevant conservation strategies across European and South African landscapes.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Förderpreis der Stadt Wien für wissenschaftliche Arbeiten im Umweltschutz (2003)

Pachinger supervises university theses and secures substantial grants from Austrian federal ministries (Bund), Vienna city authorities, and private enterprises. Her project leadership includes the decade-long BINATS biodiversity monitoring program, EU agricultural policy evaluations, and the climBEE initiative assessing climate warming effects. She collaborates extensively with the Institute of Zoology, Institute of Botany, and South African institutions on vineyard ecosystem services.

Embedded within BOKU's Institute of Integrative Nature Conservation Research, she co-leads the climBEE project team using transdisciplinary approaches that merge ecology with social sciences. Her group implements Austria's national wild bee monitoring network and partners with Wiener Linien (Vienna's transport authority) to transform urban corridors into biodiversity reservoirs, while actively engaging citizen scientists through platforms like naturbeobachtung.at.