Humanity’s actions have resulted in severe ecological problems, which stem from the pursuit of economic growth and its establishment as the current dominant paradigm. Yet, turning away from this paradigm and exploring alternatives is limited due to the deep integration of the paradigm into all areas of global societies. It is thought that tackling the issue at its root, through the beliefs, values, and perceived consequences associated with the growth paradigm, and that help to reproduce it, could also aid in altering the discourse and creating more sustainable futures. Little research has gone into understandings such perceptions of growth within individuals in rural communities, therefore Lübker et al. (2021) attempted to fill this gap through their investigation into two rural localities in Lower Saxony, Germany.
The authors selected these localities based on their differing development trajectories, as one locality faced major landscape changes due to rapid agricultural intensification over recent…
What do the Bolivian lowlands, Ethiopian smallholder farming landscapes, and Zambian protected areas have in common? They are all complex social-ecological systems shaped by interactions between nature and people. And they are being explored by members of the Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI).
SESI is a young institute located at Leuphana University, Germany, where researchers with diverse disciplinary backgrounds investigate interconnections between nature and people and develop new approaches to gain a better understanding of social-ecological systems all around the world. Their particular foci are as multifaceted as the study areas they cover: questions on equity and justice in conservation contexts, the relations of people to their environment, studies on species and their habitats, leverage points for sustainability transformations, and many more areas are considered likewise.
One year after its foundation, the institute wants to share its work with the world and engage in a global conversation about social-ecological systems research…
Environmental conservation encompasses a range of values that are increasingly being researched and understood. The concept of relational values has gained traction due to the growing recognition that changing landscapes affect human-nature and human-human relationships. However, there is still a large research gap here, which Riechers et al. (2021) aimed to address by empirically assessing relational values through a comparison of cultural landscapes in Romania and Germany.
The authors conducted questionnaires within six agricultural landscapes in Transylvania, Romania, and Lower Saxony, Germany to analyse relational, intrinsic and instrumental values associated with these areas. These landscapes were chosen based on a land use intensity gradient, allowing for comparisons between the intensity of landscape changes.
The results maintained that relational and intrinsic values were important to all respondents from Romania and Germany, despite clear differences between the landscapes. Riechers et al. (2021) found that values were bundled into 4 groups: those concerned…
Low intensity farming practices provide valuable habitats for native wildlife to exist in regions dominated by and with long histories of farming. This land is known as high nature value (HNV) farmland which protects biodiversity and cultural values through traditional practices. Species such as the Colias myrmidonebutterfly survive in this region despite being largely extinct in large portions of their historic range. Therefore, parts of the landscape were recently designated as Natura 2000 areas by the EU to conserve this HNV farmland and tackle major threats such as landscape intensification and abandonment. Loos et al. (2021) sought to emphasise the importance of this farmland in Romania for an endangered butterfly species and assess EU agricultural and environmental policies there.
The authors considered the historical context, economic and biophysical factors that had maintained traditional subsistence and semi-subsistence agriculture in Eastern Europe compared to other EU nations. Yet also drew attention…
Update: deadline extended by two weeksfor the Ecology PhD position, even though university link may not work.
DEADLINE 20 SEPTEMBER — please help distribute this!
We have five PhD and postdoc positions to fill in the ecological and social sciences. The five job ads can be found on our university homepage. I copy and paste key details of the advertisements here. Details on the project can be found here.
1 – Postdoc
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability, has a vacancy for a full-time (100 %)
Post-Doc Project Coordination
and scientific social-ecological integration (m/f/d) (salary group EG 13 TV-L)
as soon as possible with 100% of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee (subject to approval) limited until 30.10.2024.
Background:
The position is part of the BMBF-funded third-party project Grassworks: What works and why in grassland restoration in Germany? A multi-region social-ecological assessment and pilot implementation of successful approaches. Grassworks is part of the Research Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation FEdA and is implemented as part of a research consortium on grassland restoration that includes six partner institutions. This position is one of five positions in the Grassworks project at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The Grassworks project includes the perspectives ecology, social science, economics, governance, and restoration practice to investigate how grassland restoration can be successfully implemented in Germany. Grassworks follows an inter- and transdisciplinary approach with strong disciplinary expertise and social-ecological integration and synthesis. The project works in three project regions (North, Central, South); in each project region, previously restored grassland will be studied in a post-hoc analysis (focus on ecology) and a living lab with restoration demonstration plots will be established and studied (focus on social sciences).
The PostDoc position “Project coordination and scientific social-ecological integration” is responsible for the organisational and content-related project management, as well as for the social-ecological integration of the results with regard to potential transformation pathways for grassland restoration. The aim is to use about 50% of ones working hours for coordination and 50% for scientific work. The successful applicant will analytically integrate the empirical results from the living labs and other work packages based on the concept of leverage points. Based on these findings, the successful applicant will further develop the findings on interventions and leverage points into concrete social-ecological transformation paths that can impact future developments of grassland restoration. The successful applicant is mentored by Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton, Prof. Dr. Berta Martin-Lopez and Prof. Dr. Jörn Fischer, all of whom have many years of experience in analysing and interpreting data from a social-ecological perspective.
The coordination activities include the preparation and follow-up of the various project meetings and events, communication with the consortium partners, with the project executing organisation and colleagues of Leuphana University Lüneburg from other research groups and the administration. In addition, the activities include building and maintaining a network, and outreach in the sense of science communication.
The position is embedded in the collaboration of the entire consortium and is based in the research group of Prof. Vicky Temperton at the Institute of Ecology at Leuphana, an international team committed to basic and applied research in ecology.
Your tasks:
Organisational and content coordination of the work in the project with the consortium partners and the project executing organisation
Collaboration on project reports
Collaboration in the conceptual and organisational preparation of internal project meetings, transdisciplinary workshops and the final conference
Scientific integration of the different work packages from a social-ecological perspective and, based on this, the development of potential transformation pathways
First or co-authorship of several scientific publications
Networking and outreach, including responsible collaboration on a film on restoration success and potential transformation pathways, possibly setting up and maintaining a blog or similar formats
Your profile:
Completed academic university studies (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental sciences, geography, human ecology or related disciplines with a focus on ecology/social ecology/sustainability.
A completed PhD in natural sciences, sustainability sciences or social sciences related to ecological issues and ideally further work experience in research, e.g. in transdisciplinary projects.
Very good German and English skills both written and spoken are required and knowledge of EU agri-environmental programs (AEMs; AUKM) or local nature conservation legislation is an advantage.
Experience in publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals and general research reports.
Experience in science communication is a plus.
We offer:
A dedicated team with strong experience in biodiversity research, restoration and conservation, ecology, social ecology
Flexible and family-friendly working hours
Internal and external training courses
University sports and health-promoting measures for employees
Company pension plan
For questions regarding the content of the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton (vicky.temperton@leuphana.de).
2 – PhD position
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability at the Institute of Ecology and the Institute of Social Ecological Systems (SESI), has a vacancy for a part time (65 %)
Research Associate (m/f/d) Social Science (salary group EG 13 TV-L)
as soon as possible, with 65% of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee (subject to approval) limited until 30.10.2024. This qualification position, which is financed by third-party funds, is remunerated according to EG 13 TV-L and offers the possibility to complete a PhD.
Background:
The position is part of the BMBF-funded third-party project Grassworks: What works and why in grassland restoration in Germany? A multi-region social-ecological assessment and pilot implementation of successful approaches. Grassworks is part of the Research Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation FEdA and is implemented as part of a research consortium on grassland restoration that includes six partner institutions. This position is one of five positions in the Grassworks project at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The Grassworks project includes the perspectives ecology, social sciences, economics, governance and restoration practice to investigate how grassland restoration can be successfully implemented in Germany. Grassworks follows an inter- and transdisciplinary approach with strong disciplinary expertise and social-ecological integration and synthesis. The project works in three project regions (North, Central, South); in each project region, previously restored grassland will be studied in a post-hoc analysis (focus on ecology) and a living lab with restoration demonstration plots will be established and studied (focus on social sciences). The researchers at Leuphana will work in the project region North and the PostDocs in the team will also be responsible for the disciplinary and social-ecological integration of the results. For more information on the project, please visit https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/institute-of-ecology/team/vicky-temperton/grassworks.html and https://www.feda.bio/de/wissenschaft/projekte/grassworks/.
This PhD student (supervised by Prof. Dr. Berta Martín-López, Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos) will work under the guidance of the PostDoc Social Science mainly in the living lab of the project region North. Empirical work will include, among others, interviews on the status of grassland restoration in the living lab, online surveys, network analysis, interviews on relational values of nature/biodiversity and definitions of restoration success. The successful applicant will also support making and maintaining contacts with transdisciplinary partners and support workshops in the living lab. The PhD student will maintain close contact with other PhD students in the project, especially other social scientists.
The position is embedded in the collaboration of the entire consortium and is based in the working groups of Prof. Berta Martín-López in the Social-Ecological Systems Institute and Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos in the Institute of Ecology, two international teams committed to social-ecological research.
Your tasks:
Conduct social science field work (including interviews, questionnaire surveys) in the living lab North
Data analysis, also with regard to the role of relational values for restoration measures and transformation towards stronger nature protection activities
Research within the framework of and participation in the transdisciplinary cooperation in the living-lab North
Cooperation within the project, especially with the parallel positions in the project regions Central and South, also with regard to a social-ecological development of grassland restoration.
Co-supervision of B.Sc. and M.Sc. final theses
Your profile:
Completed scientific university studies (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, political sciences, human ecology or geography or related disciplines with a focus on sustainability.
Very good German and English skills, both written and spoken, are required.
Experience in transdisciplinary research is an advantage.
We offer:
A dedicated team with a lot of experience in the field of biodiversity, nature conservation, and social-ecological systems.
Flexible and family-friendly working hours
Internal and external training courses
University sports and health-promoting measures for employees
Company pension plan
For questions regarding the content of the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Berta Martín-López (martinlo@leuphana.de) and Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos (jacqueline.loos@leuphana.de).
3 – Postdoc
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability in the Institute of Ecology at the professorship “Ecosystem Functioning and Services”, has a vacancy for a full-time (100 %)
Post-Doc Social Science (m/f/d) Social Ecology (PostDoc) (salary group EG 13 TV-L)
as soon as possible with 100% of the regular weekly working time of a full time employee (subject to approval) limited until 30.10.2024.
Background:
The position is part of the BMBF-funded third-party project Grassworks: What works and why in grassland restoration in Germany? A multi-region social-ecological assessment and pilot implementation of successful approaches. Grassworks is part of the Research Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation FEdA and is implemented as part of a research consortium on grassland restoration that includes six partner institutions. This position is one of five positions in the Grassworks project at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The Grassworks project includes the perspectives ecology, social science, economics, governance and restoration practice to investigate how grassland restoration can be successfully implemented in Germany. Grassworks follows an inter- and transdisciplinary approach with strong disciplinary expertise and social-ecological integration and synthesis. The project works in three project regions (North, Central, South); in each project region, previously restored grassland will be studied in a post-hoc analysis (focus on ecology) and a living lab with restoration demonstration plots will be established and studied (focus on social sciences). The researchers at Leuphana will work in the project region North and the PostDocs in the team will also be responsible for the disciplinary and social-ecological integration of the results. For more information on the project, please visit https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/institute-of-ecology/team/vicky-temperton/grassworks.html and https://www.feda.bio/de/wissenschaft/projekte/grassworks/.
The PostDoc position Social Science (accompanied by Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton, Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos) will lead the social science surveys in the three living labs and coordinates the social science PhDs in the three living labs with regard to publications. The successful applicant will be responsible for the lead management of the transdisciplinary collaboration in the living Lab North and for ensuring the social-ecological perspective on the processes in the living lab as well as their analytical design and implementation. In addition, the successful applicant will integrate and synthesize the work and results across all three living labs with respect to ecosystem services. The synthesis of results will capture intervention points or leverage points at different systemic levels as well as their interactions and compare site-specific aspects of the living labs.
The position is embedded in the collaboration of the entire consortium and is based in the research groups of Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton and Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos at the Institute of Ecology at Leuphana, two dynamic international teams committed to basic and applied research in ecology and social ecology.
Your tasks:
Co-supervision and guidance of social science fieldwork (including interviews, questionnaire surveys) in the North, Central, and South living labs.
Leading the transdisciplinary collaboration in the living lab North
Analysis of the social and social-ecological fieldwork data across the three project regions, especially with regard to the analysis of leverage points and their interactions
Cooperation with the other PostDoc positions in the project, also with regard to a social-ecological, transdisciplinary further development of grassland restoration
Your profile:
Completed academic university studies (Master or equivalent) in social sciences, political sciences, human ecology or geography or related disciplines with a focus on sustainability.
Completed PhD in social sciences, preferably with a focus on sustainability and ideally further work experience in research, e.g. in transdisciplinary projects.
Research background in social ecology, including experience in quantitative and qualitative empirical social research and transdisciplinary methods and processes.
Very good German and English skills both written and spoken are required.
Knowledge of EU agri-environmental programs (AEMs; AUKM), local conservation legislation and renaturation is a plus.
Experience in publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals and general research reports.
We offer:
A dedicated team with strong experience in research and collaboration on social-ecological systems, restoration ecology, and biodiversity.
Flexible and family-friendly working hours
Internal and external training courses
University sports and health-promoting measures for employees
Company pension plan
For questions regarding the content of the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton (vicky.temperton@leuphana.de) or Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos (jacqueline.loos@leuphana.de).
4 – PhD position
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability, has a vacancy for a part time (65 %)
Research Associate (m/f/d) Restoration Ecology (salary group EG 13 TV-L)
as soon as possible with 65% of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee (subject to approval), limited until 30.10.2024. This qualification position, which is financed by third-party funds, is remunerated according to EG 13 TV-L and offers the possibility of a doctorate.
Background:
The position is part of the BMBF-funded third-party project Grassworks: What works and why in grassland restoration in Germany? A multi-region social-ecological assessment and pilot implementation of successful approaches. Grassworks is part of the Research Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation FEdA and is implemented as part of a research consortium on grassland restoration that includes six partner institutions. This position is one of five positions in the Grassworks project at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The Grassworks project includes the perspectives ecology, social science, economics, governance and restoration practice to investigate how grassland restoration can be successfully implemented in Germany. Grassworks follows an inter- and transdisciplinary approach with strong disciplinary expertise and social-ecological integration and synthesis. The project works in three project regions (North, Central, South); in each project region, previously restored grassland will be studied in a post-hoc analysis (focus on ecology) and a living lab with restoration demonstration plots will be established and studied (focus on social sciences). The researchers at Leuphana will work in the project region North and the PostDocs in the team will also be responsible for the disciplinary and social-ecological integration of the results. For more information on the project, please visit https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/institute-of-ecology/team/vicky-temperton/grassworks.html and https://www.feda.bio/de/wissenschaft/projekte/grassworks/.
This PhD position in the field of restoration ecology (supervised by Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton, Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos) will perform extensive field work as well as subsequent data analysis. The PhD student will work closely with the PostDoc Ecology and will be responsible for site selection of negative and positive references, field surveys of vegetation and butterflies, as well as for trapping, dissecting, and predetermining wild bees. The collected data will be statistically analysed and the results published in appropriate journals. The PhD student will maintain close contact with the other PhD students of the project, especially with the other ecologists conducting parallel surveys in the project regions Central and South.
The position is embedded in the collaboration of the entire consortium and is based in the working groups of Prof. Vicky Temperton and Prof. Jacqueline Loos in the Institute of Ecology, in two international dynamic teams committed to basic and applied research in ecology and social ecology.
Your tasks:
Conduct ecological field work (record vegetation, wild bees, butterflies on 70 plots in the North; participate in restoration research in the living lab North)
Statistical analysis of the ecological results from the project region North and close cooperation with the Postdoc Ecology in the synthesis of the data from the three regions (North, Central, South)
Cooperation within the project, especially with the parallel positions in the project regions Central and South, also with regard to a social ecological, transdisciplinary further development of grassland restoration
Co-supervision of B.Sc. and M.Sc. final theses
Your profile:
Completed scientific university studies (Master’s degree or equivalent) in ecology, environmental science, geographic ecology, geography or related disciplines with a focus on ecology/ environmental science/sustainability
Good species knowledge in grassland vegetation and/or butterflies and wild bees. If possible, good knowledge of one of the zoological groups is an advantage. A wild bee expert will help with detailed determinations of wild bees.
Knowledge of EU agri-environmental programs (AEMs; AUKM) or local nature conservation legislation is an advantage
Good English skills both written and spoken are required; if possible, a good knowledge of German (or a willingness to learn German, as the work involves exchanges with local actors).
We offer:
A dedicated team with a lot of experience in biodiversity research, restoration ecology, ecology and social ecological systems.
Flexible and family-friendly working hours
Internal and external training courses
University sports and health-promoting measures for employees
Company pension plan
For questions regarding the content of the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton (vicky.temperton@leuphana.de) or Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos (jacqueline.loos@leuphana.de).
5 – Postdoc
Leuphana University of Lüneburg (foundation under public law), Faculty of Sustainability, has a vacancy for a full-time (100 %)
Post-Doc Ecology (m/f/d) (salary group EG 13 TV-L)
as soon as possible with 100% of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee (subject to approval), limited until 30.10.2024.
Background:
The position is part of the BMBF-funded third-party project Grassworks: What works and why in grassland restoration in Germany? A multi-region social-ecological assessment and pilot implementation of successful approaches. Grassworks is part of the Research Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation FEdA and is implemented as part of a research consortium on grassland restoration that includes six partner institutions. This position is one of five positions in the Grassworks project at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
The Grassworks project includes the perspectives ecology, social science, economics, governance and restoration practice to investigate how grassland restoration can be successfully implemented in Germany. Grassworks follows an inter- and transdisciplinary approach with strong disciplinary expertise and social-ecological integration and synthesis. The project works in three project regions (North, Central, South); in each project region, previously restored grassland will be studied in a post-hoc analysis (focus on ecology) and a living lab with restoration demonstration plots will be established and studied (focus on social sciences). The researchers at Leuphana will work in the project region North and the PostDocs in the team will also be responsible for the disciplinary and social-ecological integration of the results. For more information on the project, please visit https://www.leuphana.de/en/institutes/institute-of-ecology/team/vicky-temperton/grassworks.html and https://www.feda.bio/de/wissenschaft/projekte/grassworks/.
The successful applicant (mentored by Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton and Prof. Dr. Jörn Fischer) will lead the ecological fieldwork in the project region North and will analyse the ecological results from all three project regions, especially with regard to multifunctionality of grassland and variance/variability of biodiversity and multifunctionality within the dataset. In addition, the successful applicant will analyse and evaluate the approach using negative and positive reference sites chosen for the project. Within this position, the successful candidate will also support restoration in the living lab North (design, implementation, monitoring of demonstration plots throughout the project).
The position is embedded in the collaboration of the entire consortium and is based in the working groups of Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton at the Institute of Ecology and Prof. Dr. Jörn Fischer at the Social-Ecological Systems Institute at Leuphana, two international teams committed to basic and applied research in ecology and social ecology.
Your tasks:
Co-supervision and guidance of ecological fieldwork (vegetation, butterflies, wild bees).
Analyse ecological results across the three project regions, especially with regard to multifunctionality and variability in success outcomes within and between the three regions.
Establishment, supervision and evaluation of demonstration plots of grassland restoration in the living lab North and co-supervision of the work in the project region South.
Collaboration with the other PostDoc positions in the project, also with regard to social-ecological transformation paths that can impact future developments of grassland restoration.
Synthesis work and writing of scientific publications on the topics of ecological restoration success and multifunctionality.
Your profile:
Completed scientific university studies (Master’s degree or equivalent) in biology, ecology, environmental science, geographic ecology, geography or related disciplines with a focus on ecology/environmental science/sustainability.
A completed PhD in natural sciences, preferably ecology, is desirable; a position shortly before submission of the thesis may be possible.
Research background in ecology, including experience in either experimental (field and/or lab) or more applied approaches to conservation and restoration in ecological research
Species knowledge, for grassland vegetation and preferably also wild bees or butterflies, is desirable, whereby a specialist is available to assist with wild bee identification.
Experience in analysing large ecological datasets and/or databases is an asset.
Very good knowledge of English, both written and spoken. Ability to speak German is an advantage as we work with many local stakeholders.
Knowledge of EU agri-environmental programs (AEMs; AUKM) or local conservation legislation is an advantage.
Experience in collaborating in large research groups is an advantage.
Experience in publishing research results in peer-reviewed journals and general research reports.
We offer:
A dedicated team with extensive experience in restoration ecology, biodiversity, ecology, and social-ecological systems.
Flexible and family-friendly working hours
Internal and external training courses
University sports and health-promoting measures for employees
Company pension plan
For questions regarding the content of the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton (vicky.temperton@leuphana.de) and Prof. Dr. Joern Fischer (fischer@leuphana.de).
Globally, food insecurity and biodiversity conservation are major challenges. These issues are highly interlinked, as agriculture is a prerequisite for food security, but also drives biodiversity loss. The intersection of these issues has often been tackled from a natural-science viewpoint, yet to understand the issue from a different and more comprehensive perspective, Fischer et al. (2021) set out to use a social-ecological perspective. They applied this perspective to a smallholder dominated region of southwest Ethiopia to explore relationships between food insecurity and biodiversity conservation there.
Southwest Ethiopia: Photograph by Girma Shumi
The authors applied the theoretical framework by Wittman et al. (2017), which suggested that as food security and biodiversity conservation are strongly interconnected, they cannot be meaningfully addressed in isolation from another. Further, Fischer et al. (2021) followed theoretical integration principles by “place, case and process”, to create a study design that was truly place-based and transdisciplinary. The authors…
Crises affect research in many ways. Place-based research especially is affected by many threats, such as natural hazards, global health crises, and political conflicts, which have the potential to greatly disrupt fieldwork. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, has affected social-ecological research activities significantly, due to the field’s reliance on stakeholder engagement and connections with different knowledge and natural systems. In order to produce recommendations for future place-based social-ecological research in crisis situations, Hermans et al. (2021) sought to reveal the vulnerabilities and opportunities that crisis brings to research, with the aim to create a more sustainable research landscape in the future.
The authors attempted to learn from existing experiences with crisis-related disruptions, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They reflected on examples of setbacks and opportunities in order to create strategies and guidance on constructively handling similar crisis-related disruptions to place-based research in the future. These recommendations were as follows:
2021-07-29 The Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University of Lüneburg invites applications for the following full professorship:
Ecology, in particular Vegetation Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation (W2/W3)
You are a committed researcher with an outstanding international research profile in the field of vegetation ecology and conservation. Your research mainly focuses on functional aspects of vegetation (but may span other taxonomic groups as well), and how functional biodiversity, as well as ecosystem functions and services, contribute to sustaining and creating sustainable landscapes. Your research strives to move the field of biodiversity conservation forward, thus making a key contribution to evidence-based conservation. You combine a range of biodiversity and conservation methods focusing on vegetation and its link to soils and management, ranging from replicated experiments (which can include field and controlled experiments) to observational field work in real-world landscapes. For example, to provide evidence-based solutions for sustainable land-use management decisions requires a strong grounding in functional biodiversity knowledge and experience from an ecological perspective, including knowledge of habitat and species characteristics and the interactive role of different global change drivers. In times of multiple and increasing demands on landscapes, which has brought the topic of multifunctionality into focus, a better integration of the field of Biodiversity Ecosystem Functioning (BEF) and delivery of ecosystem services and conservation outcomes is needed. The Faculty of Sustainability with its strong functional biodiversity and landscape management research in the institute of ecology and in other institutes, including the newly founded Socialecological Systems Institute (SESI), is the ideal place for you to contribute to achieving this goal.
Examples of core themes you could work on are: plant-soil interactions, global change research, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning, invasive species and/or climate change as drivers of biodiversity loss, multifuntionality of landscapes within conservation and ecological restoration, functional traits and biodiversity conservation, or linking biodiversity and community assembly.
You combine excellence in your field with a track record of developing unique ideas and theories that you strive to test for their relevance in practice, preferably including experimental approaches at plot and/or landscape scales, thus impacting your academic field as well as society and the science-policy interface. You are active in interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary research and cooperate actively with a range of different academic and non-academic stakeholders.
The research topics addressed should be integrated into the Faculty of Sustainability’s teaching programmes at both undergraduate and graduate levels. You have a strong grounding in vegetation ecology and are able to teach both undergraduate and graduate-level courses in vegetation ecology. You have experience in teaching about biodiversity, vegetation ecology and conservation. You maybe even combine research-driven teaching in innovative formats that span ecological theory as well as conservation practice. Teaching responsibilities will include courses in ecology (i.e. biogeochemistry and global change, soil ecology and landscape ecology) with a strong focus on ecology and global change as well as ecosystem functioning and services (e.g. lectures, field and lab courses) within the B.Sc. Environmental Sciences & Global Environmental Science and Sustainablity (GESS) and the M.Sc. Sustainablity Science. Applicants should have a proven experience in the supervision of students (bachelor, master and PhD) relative to career opportunity.
Requirements include extensive experience with practical ecological work and a strong track record (relative to opportunity) with respect to publications and the acquisition of third-party funding. The professorial position will be filled in accordance with pay grade W2/W3 (university professor).
Formal requirements according to § 25 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG) are: a university degree relevant to the open position for example in ecology or environmental science or others; a doctoral degree in ecology and related fields; experience and aptitude in teaching; an ability to engage in independent academic research, as demonstrated by the outstanding quality of your dissertation as well as additional academic achievements obtained (e.g. in the course of being an assistant professor, during your postdoctoral lecturer qualification or habilitation in Germany).
At Leuphana you will find an academic community that is open for many different perspectives and cultivates dialogue among different disciplines as well as between research and practice. With spirit and initiative, we address the challenges facing civil society in the 21st century. Pursuing our idea of liberal education, our students are enabled to think, question and act upon it. Our professors foster the awareness of gender and diversity aspects in teaching as well as research.
For further information, please contact the Dean of the Faculty Prof. Dr. Henrik von Wehrden (henrik.von_wehrden@leuphana.de) or the deputy head of the Institute of Ecology Prof. Dr. Vicky Temperton (vicky.temperton@leuphana.de).
Leuphana University is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from women, disabled persons, and people from other minorities who will be given priority consideration if as equally qualified as other applicants.
Please submit your application consisting of the following materials in two separate PDF files: a) motivation letter, CV, full publication list, full credentials and contact details of two academic referees, copies of academic degrees and b) five key relevant publications (combined as one pdf). Guidance on the required application materials can be found here.
Please submit your application by September 19, 2021, using the keyword Ecology, preferably electronically to beko@leuphana.de or to the President of Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Post Box 2440, 21314 Lüneburg, Germany. Please be aware that we cannot return applications sent physically.
The complete call for applications is available for download here.
By submitting your application, you consent to your data being stored and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process. Please note our Data Protection Notice for Applicants (in English or in German).
Land use change has been a major problem since the 20th century due to its contributions to biodiversity loss, as well as landscape fragmentation and degradation. These land use changes are often through agricultural intensification or abandonment, especially in calcareous grasslands (those on thin basic soil, such as chalk or limestone, with short and hardy vegetation – see image below). Due to calcareous grasslands having a high biodiversity and species richness, but also facing a severe decline due to fragmentation and land use change, conservation here is desperately needed. Therefore Loos et al. (2021) explored the local and landscape effects of calcareous grassland fragmentation on different taxonomic groups, and especially their diversity patterns, in order to understand the effects on different scales and identify future conservation options.
Photo by Jacqueline Loos
The authors surveyed 31 grassland fragments near Göttingen, Germany for vascular plants, butterflies and birds, using regression modelling to…
It has long been recognised in scientific discourse that current short-term and technological solutions to control climate change and promote sustainability are falling short of creating systemic change. To enable a sustainability transformation, we need interventions that tackle the root causes of the current un-sustainable trajectory of the Anthropocene. One way to achieve more sustainability is through reconnection with nature. Based on the individual works published in the Special Issue: Human-nature connectedness as leverage points for sustainability transformation (presented in last weeks blog post), 15 authors came together to synthesize their lessons learnt. Their newly published paper highlights the key advantages of the leverage points perspective to shape human-nature relations (Riechers et al. 2021).
Riechers et al. (2021) examines four key advantages of the leverage points perspective (LPP) in fostering human-nature relations:
(1) The LPP enables a focus on deep leverage points. The authors highlight the deep leverage…
