Dr. Emanuela W. A. Weidlich

With the increasing human pressure on ecosystems and cultural landscapes, one of the main challenges is to design and develop ecological restoration that supports the preservation of biodiversity, ecosystem services and livelihoods security. A central theme here is to integrate the ecological dimension with the socio-cultural dimension in order to create sustainable landscapes and equitable societies. Therefore, restoration does not only focus on ecological functions and biodiversity, but also on human communities, their knowledge and values. Indeed, restoration requires of society as agents of sustainable transformations.
During the seminar in the second module we will examine how we can restore nature, how we can engage different social actors and how we can measure the impacts of restoration strategies on human wellbeing and biodiversity.

The conservation and restoration of species, habitats, and ecosystems are central to addressing some of the most pressing sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Healthy ecosystems are essential for maintaining biodiversity, regulating climate, supporting ecosystem functioning, and providing critical services and resources for human well-being.
This course provides an interdisciplinary overview of conservation biology and ecological restoration as key approaches for enhancing biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
Students will explore the scientific foundations of ecosystem conservation and restoration, examine global patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation, and evaluate restoration strategies across diverse ecological and socio-environmental contexts.
Special emphasis is placed on the role of ecological restoration in addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation, and urban environmental challenges. Through case studies and contemporary examples, students will critically assess how restored ecosystems can function as resilient hubs that support both ecological integrity and sustainable development.

Course Topics
• Key drivers of biodiversity decline
• Conceptual Foundations of Conservation and Restoration Ecology
• Nature-based solutions: concepts, opportunities, and limitations
• Linking sustainability, conservation biology, and ecological restoration
• Principles and practices of ecological restoration
• Importance of native species in ecosystem conservation and restoration
• World biomes and their ecological characteristics
• Protected areas
• Global biodiversity hotspots
• Restoration and conservation networks
• Ecosystem-based climate mitigation and adaptation
• Urban ecosystem restoration
• Tropical restoration plantings as living labs
• Success stories and challenges in large-scale restoration
• Global Restoration Initiatives and Future Directions
• International conservation and restoration policies