Forestry Collection and Xylotheque

The Forestry Collection is composed of exhibits representing Switzerland's wild animals and a public collection featuring pictures of wood pests. The collection also includes a xylotheque, which contains macroscopic wood samples and microscopic sections from coniferous and deciduous trees.  

Extent

Xylotheque: Around 5,750 macroscopic wood samples (around 2600 woody species) and corresponding microscopic specimens.

Holdings

  • Collection of Kurt Eiberle (1930 to 1993): stuffed Swiss small mammals and birds
  • Exhibits on wild animal pathology
  • Animal skulls and skeletons
  • Ceramic cap fungi
  • Teaching aids: geobotanical maps and wall charts
  • Microscopic specimens of wood samples
  • Books on wood and wood samples
  • Occasionally entire trunk and branch sections
  • Public exhibition of pictures of wood pests

Relevance of research and Public

The Forestry Collection contains objects that provide visual material for silviculture, forest use, forest technology, forest management, forest protection and forest pests.

The xylotheque is especially important as an interdisciplinary tool. On the one hand, it documents knowledge on the diversity and fascination of the biomaterial wood. On the other hand, the collection is of particular academic relevance as the natural variability between the woody species can be used specifically for research. Moreover, the specimens are a key reference for determining woody species, which is crucial in many branches of industry, art (musical instruments, paintings) and crafts.  

Current activities, projects

  • Digital indexing of the xylotheque by digitising existing wood sample information
  • Digitisation of microscopic sections of collected wood with different magnifications
  • Creation of a freely accessible online catalogue

Use of the archive / online presence

A project scheduled to run until the end of 2019 is currently underway to create a freely accessible online catalogue.


Contact

Prof. Dr. Harald Bugmann
Forestry Collection

Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems
Universit?tstrasse 16
8092 Zurich

Prof. Dr. Ingo Burgert
Xylotheque

Institute for Building Materials (IfB)
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 3
HIF E 23.2
8093 Zurich

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