Course Schedule

Veranstaltungen von B. Sc. Maria Wolters


Lehrveranstaltungen

Social-ecological systems approach to ecosystem restoration (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Rowan Alden Hull, Maria Wolters

Termin:
 wöchentlich | Donnerstag | 09:15 - 12:00 | 06.04.2026 - 10.07.2026 | C 11.307 Seminarraum

Inhalt: Ecological restoration is set to be one of the cornerstones to counteract the current climate and biodiversity crisis. With countries pledging to restore millions of hectares worldwide, the United Nations declared 2021-2030 the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”. However, on a planet where human influence reaches almost every location, “ecosystem restoration” actions actually take place in complex social-ecological settings. To address this complexity, we can no longer plan or report on restoration actions using only biophysical approaches. Global change challenges push us to make ecosystem restoration a social-ecological endeavour, where restoration goals also consider the effects on human benefits, landscape multifunctionality and resilience, and are underpinned by diverse knowledge systems, worldviews and values. In this seminar, students will (1) be introduced to ecosystem restoration, (2) get to know basics of social-ecological systems thinking, and (3) apply a social-ecological systems perspective to restoration case studies. This seminar will follow a project-based learning approach. The learning process will revolve around the assessment of a real-world ecosystem restoration project, through different case studies that are selected by the students (in groups). The instructor’s role will focus on providing a series of knowledge inputs (conceptual and methodological) at the beginning of each class that allow the students to move forward in the development of their group and individual assignments. At the same time, the partial outcomes of the students' work will enable the instructor to provide new inputs and to guide the students towards the next steps until the completion of their assignments. Invited speakers will bring dynamism to the course and enrich its content by providing key expert knowledge on key topics for ecosystem restoratio for the development of the students’ work.