Biodiversity and ecosystem services
We study how biodiversity and ecosystem services are affected by changes in land use and the climate. The knowledge we gain contributes to sustainable solutions for nature and people.
A diversity of animals, plants, and other organisms, many of which are threatened by human activity, is valuable not only for its own sake but also for our survival. We would not be able to live without the important ecosystem services that nature provides, such as pollination, carbon sequestration and water purification.
World-leading research environment
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate (BECC) is a world-leading research environment. Researchers from the universities in Lund and Gothenburg collaborate within and across research fields in economics, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Researchers study the connections between climate change, land use, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. This work improves our understanding of how these factors may interact and contributes to solutions that can protect our planet.
Research areas include:
- ecosystem restoration and species recovery in a world impacted by climate change and changes in land use
- integration of nature conservation into agriculture and forestry
- ecosystem services such as pollination, soil carbon storage and natural pest control
- the carbon cycle
- national and international policy processes
- economic instruments.
Application areas
Working closely with organisations inside and outside academia, researchers are developing new solutions in areas such as:
Researchers are providing more detailed insights for decision-makers in the public and private sectors through their analysis of patterns, trends and variations in biodiversity. This also applies to the resilience of ecosystems to climate change.
We need to learn more about how species respond to environmental stressors if we are to manage the combined effects of climate change, habitat degradation and habitat loss. Species may change their range, adapt or go extinct. It is therefore important that we improve our understanding of how these factors affect ecosystems in the long term.
Researchers can support the development of affordable and reliable biodiversity conservation strategies by filling these gaps in our knowledge.
Understanding the carbon balance and how it interacts with other biogeochemical cycles, including those of nitrogen and phosphorus, can help us better comprehend how climate change affects ecosystems and biodiversity.
Researchers are combining this knowledge with analyses of human behaviour and decision-making, empirical ecology and modelling based on studies of past ecosystems.
Research environments
Strategic research area
BECC – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate is a world-leading research environment and a strategic research area (SRA) in Sweden.
BECC contributes to knowledge about the connection between climate, land use, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
BECC is led by Lund University in close collaboration with the University of Gothenburg.
Coordinator
Henrik Smith
Professor
Phone: +46 (0)46 222 9379
henrik [dot] smith [at] biol [dot] lu [dot] se (henrik[dot]smith[at]biol[dot]lu[dot]se)
Research coordinator
Josefin Madjidian
Phone: +46 (0)46 222 9815
josefin [dot] madjidian [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se (josefin[dot]madjidian[at]cec[dot]lu[dot]se)
Website
Research database
Related researchers, projects and publications.
Latest news in biodiversity and ecosystems
Vacuum cleaner-effect in fungi can hold nanoplastics at bay
Four Lund researchers receive ERC Starting Grants
