Rodolphe Schlaepfer

Rodolphe Schlaepfer is an Honorary Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC). He holds the academic rank of Professor and has been associated with EPFL since 1997 as a Professor and Director of Ecosystem Management. His career includes leadership roles at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ).

• Joined EPFL in 1997 as Professor and Director of Ecosystem Management
• Previously held roles as Director of WSL (1987-1996) and Professor of Forest Science at ETHZ (1982-1987)
• Formerly a Research Scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Research (1967-1976)

Professional Highlights:

• President of the Swiss Biometrical Society
• Board member of IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations)
• Editor for Europe of the Journal Urban and Landscape Planning
• President of the Lemanic Forest Forum

Research Interests: Focus on sustainable forestry, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change impacts. Key areas include forest inventory, landscape ecology, and participatory environmental governance. His work integrates quantitative methods (e.g., GIS, remote sensing) and stakeholder engagement in environmental projects. Recent studies explore topics like snow-farming impacts on alpine ecosystems and climate-driven shifts in tree phenology.

Publications & Advocacy: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles and theses supervised, with contributions to journals like Global Change Biology and Science of the Total Environment. Advocated for deadwood conservation, sustainable floodplain management, and participatory landscape planning frameworks.

Awards & Recognition: While no explicit awards are listed, his leadership roles in international organizations (IUFRO) and sustained academic contributions reflect significant recognition in forest science and environmental policy.

Advising & Grants: Supervised over 100 master’s and PhD students in forest management, ecology, and landscape studies. His research has addressed critical issues like forest fire prevention in Ticino (Switzerland) and biodiversity hotspots in Madagascar.

Labs & Teams: Active within EPFL’s ENAC-DEC department and collaborates with institutions like WSL and international groups on projects spanning forest ecology, climate adaptation, and environmental systems analysis.