Juniorprofessor
Applied Biodiversity Sciences
ORCID: 0000-0002-2718-7050

I am interested in the influence of land use practices on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with a focus on arthropods. On the one hand, I am interested in how management decisions affect the functional diversity of communities at different spatial and temporal scales and how this translates into changes in the provision of ecosystem functions. On the other hand, I am also interested in how biodiversity and ecosystem services are considered in management decisions and planning, and how they can be integrated into decision-making processes. In my group, we focus on forest and grassland systems because both systems face similar conflicts between management and conservation. Grasslands and forests have great potential for integrative management strategies because they are relatively stable systems, even under management, and are therefore important refugia for biodiversity. Managers of forests and grasslands face increased public sensitivity and demands for insect conservation in these systems. By applying basic ecological methods and experiments in contexts relevant to managers and decision makers, my research contributes to making informed management decisions and communicating them effectively to the public.