The concept of interdisciplinary research causes conflicts with the progres
s of forestry sciences, which have gained quality by deepening the cooperat
ion with basic disciplines during the last decades. A strategy which only t
emporarily integrates selected, basically separated, strong forestry discip
lines can take up this challenge. This cannot be done by a specific forestr
y discipline and in no way by discipline forest policy. Suitable are center
s which tie selected disciplines in specified interdisciplinary knots toget
her making use of management procedures. Despite big expectations interdisc
iplinary projects do not solve the problems in practice, because the confli
cts in the use of the forest cannot be solved by scientific information onl
y. Cooperation with the field can mainly be achieved by different partly in
terdisciplinary projects building up flexible coalitions with various inter
est groups crossing the border of the traditional clients within the forest
sector.