Landscape and Biodiversity
Department of Landscape and Biodiversity has its main expertise in ecology and landscape research. The department is responsible for research on effects of land-use and landscape change on species and ecosystems, mapping and monitoring of biodiversity, ecological impact and management of invasive species, modelling of ecological interactions and spatial distributions of species, and development and implementation of programs and schemes for adaptive environmental management.
Our research focuses particularly on agricultural and man-made landscapes. The often long history of human land use have shaped these landscapes and an important part of our research revolves around understanding how historical and present human activity influence biodiversity and ecosystems. The objective for our research is to develop knowledge and tools to aid sustainable management of landscapes, ecosystems and biodiversity. Our approach is often multi- or transdisciplinary and our project portfolio includes both research on historical land-use and projects on statistical modelling of complex ecological interactions.
Some key words for our research are:
- Landscape and vegetation ecology
- Multifunctional agriculture
- Land-use change in agricultural landscapes
- Methodology for mapping and monitoring biodiversity
- Adaptive management and nature conservation
- Ecosystem services (in particular related to agricultural land-use)
- Terroir and connections between landscape and agricultural products
- Cultural heritage and traditional agricultural practices
