Within the framework of the X Chilean Congress of Forestry Sciences recently held at the Universidad Católica del Maule (UCM), in Talca, the Chilean Society of Forestry Sciences (SOCIFOR) granted its highest recognition to Dr. Burkhard Müller-Using, Professor of Forest Policy at the Universidad Austral de Chile between 1969-1972, and member of the University of Göttingen-UACh Project for Cooperation and Strengthening of what was then called the Faculty of Forestry Sciences.
This is the Chilean Forestry Sciences Award 2026, a recognition granted to outstanding specialists in the field of forestry sciences whose contributions have left a mark on the scientific community and on the country's forestry sector.
Dr. Marco Contreras, Prodean of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences and Natural Resources of the UACh and president of SOCIFOR, was in charge of the presentation remarks for Dr. Müller-Using, in which he highlighted that "his contribution stands out for integrating solid scientific training, extensive international experience, and a deep knowledge of Chilean temperate forests. For his career, his contribution to silviculture and forest management, and his commitment to training new generations, the Chilean Society of Forestry Sciences presents him with this recognition as an expression of its gratitude and admiration."
The Forestry Engineer, silviculturist, and Doctor in Forestry Sciences from the Georg-August-Universität of Göttingen, although retired from his work in academia, still works applying sustainable silvicultural management on his own Millahue estate, in Panguipulli.
More background
Dr. Burkhard Müller-Using's career has contributed significantly to the development of forestry sciences in Chile and Germany.
He completed his university education in forestry sciences in Germany and obtained the degree of Doctor in Forestry Sciences at the Georg-August-Universität of Göttingen. His doctoral thesis, presented in 1973, addressed the regeneration of Nothofagus alpina —raulí— and its main companion species in the Andean and coastal mountain ranges of Chile, research that early on demonstrated his interest in the silviculture of Chilean native forests.
He subsequently developed a distinguished academic and institutional career in Germany. Between 1991 and 2003 he was director of the Niedersächsische Forstliche Versuchsanstalt of Göttingen, an institution dedicated to forestry research, forest growth, regeneration, biometrics, forest protection, and technical advisory in forest management.
In Chile he has served as professor of Silviculture and Forest Management at the Universidad de Concepción, where he has contributed to the training of forestry professionals and to applied research on native forest management.
His work has addressed Nothofagus forests, regeneration and management of second-growth forests, plantations of native species, forest planning, and silvicultural and economic evaluation of seminatural forests.
He is the author and co-author of numerous scientific and technical publications, among which stand out the silvicultural evaluation of seminatural oak and Douglas fir forests, and the application of forest management on public and private lands. He has also participated in training programs aimed at professionals, small landowners, and forestry workers, strengthening the technical capacities of the sector.
A forestry tradition
In 2022 and within the framework of the VIII Congress at the Universidad de Chile, SOCIFOR presented this award for the first time, which was posthumously awarded to Dr. Claudio Donoso, Prof. Emeritus of the UACh. His outstanding contribution to the conservation of the country's native forests made him worthy of this distinction. Then, in 2024, this highest recognition was obtained by Dr. Carmen Luz de la Maza, for her outstanding and pioneering scientific career in forestry sciences, a recognition that was presented during the IX Congress held at the Universidad Austral de Chile.
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