Florian Borgwardt

Florian Borgwardt is an Assistant Professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, affiliated with the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management under the Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources. His work focuses on river ecology, freshwater biodiversity, and the impacts of climate change and human activities on aquatic systems. He leads projects on river restoration, thermal regime analysis, and sustainable water resource management across Europe, often integrating GIS and species distribution modeling.

Research Focus

• River network connectivity and fragmentation
• Climate change effects on fish populations
• Aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem interactions
• Hydropower and water temperature dynamics
• Biodiversity conservation in freshwater systems
• Meta-ecosystem frameworks for restoration

Scientific Awards

• 2020: Primus von Quack Preis - Publikationspreis Institut für Hydrobiologie und Gewässermanagement
• 2018: Reinhard Liepolt-Preis für Donauforschung

Publications and Projects

Borgwardt has published extensively on river restoration, fish ecology, and climate-water interactions, with recent work analyzing pan-European restoration needs and hydropower impacts on connectivity. He contributes to EU-funded initiatives like DANUBElifelines and NaturaConnect, addressing free-flowing rivers and ecological networks.