About our Society
The German Society for Plant Sciences (literally "German Botanical Society", Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft, DBG) is the largest organisation for plant scientists in the German speaking area. The DBG unites more than 1,100 scientific plant scientists (in August 2024), ranging from molecular and genetic biologists to vegetation sociologists and ecosystem scientists.
Purposes
The DBG represents plant sciences in the German speaking area and promotes scientific botany and plant sciences in the framework of biology on national and international grounds. DBG has only non-commercial purposes as declared in its statutes.
Activities
The main activities of the German Society for Plant Sciences are:
- Providing a strong network for plant scientists of all science disciplines and botanists
- Promotion of the plant and botanical sciences
- Bienally the DBG holds a scientific congress of about one week in duration the "Botanik-Tagung", the International Conference of our German Society for Plant Sciences, which is organized by a university in the German-speaking area. The meeting comprises oral presentations, poster-sessions, excursions and is held together with the general assembly (the "plenum") of the society. During the conference, the prizes of the society are presented to further the career of young scientists. In the years between the Botanikertagung the Sections organise conferences and workshops with topics concerning their field of science.
- The promotion of young scientists is one of the focal points our society. The DBG recognizes meritious research by presentation of awards. It also enables young scientists to attend the meetings by awarding travel funds to deserving individuals. Moreover the DBG invites erly career scientists to organize a conference – the Eduard Strasburger-Workshop on hot topics - to foster the scientific exchange of expertise and facilitate networking. The Society also awards excellent master theses with a prize.
- Scientific publications, especially the Society's science journal "Plant Biology".
- Notifications and informations of the society are published in the "Actualia".
- Congresses in specialized botanical fields are financially supported by the Society to enable young scientists to attend the meeting.
- The DBG carries out own and supports other campaigns to strengthen plant sciences, the interests of its members and society as well as the freedom of research.
- In 2012 the DBG established working group entitled „The Arabidopsis Functional Genomics Network (AFGN)". It bundles the differnet approaches in this research area.
- Five to six times a year members receive the DBG's newsletter in which the Society informs about its recent activities.
History
Our German Society for Plant Sciences (Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft e.V, DBG) was founded in 1882 at Eisenach, Germany. It is one of the oldest botanical societies worldwide, which is still active. On the occasion of its 125th anniversary it published a booklet.
Organs of the DBG
Organs of the DBG are the general assembly, the executive committee and the extended board. The four members of the executive committee and the additional six members of the board of trustees are elected by the general assembly every two years. The respective responsibilities of the individual board members are detailed in the constitution of the Society (published in Plant Biology Vol. 1, pages: N9 - N12, 1999).
Membership in Umbrella Organizations
The Society and its Sections are maintaining a vivid network with other scientific organisations: The DBG is member of national as well as international umbrella organisation, like VBIO, DNK, FESPB and EPSO. The Phycology Section also is founding member of an Europaean umbrella organisation.
International Collaboration
Members of the DBG are collaborating internationally. Many of the plant biologists who participated in DBG's survey regularly work together with scientists from abroad and many other countries.
Award
Besides the prizes for young scientists mentioned above the DBG honors persons who supported the society and / or its objectives with an honorary membership or the Simon-Schwendener Medal.
Members
The DBG unites about 1,000 individual members and persons working or interested in plant science (in April 2022). Members support plant sciences and scientific botany and enjoy several advantages.