Professorship for Sustainable Landscapes

Organisational unit: Professoship

Organisation profile

The working group "Sustainable Landscapes" was established in November 2010 by Prof. Joern Fischer and is affiliated to the School of Sustainabilty at Leuphana University.

We are an interdisciplinary team working on human-environment relationships. Much of our work focuses on the landscape scale. We are particularly interested in how people use landscapes, and how land use, in turn, affects biodiversity and ecosystem services. We see people and nature as interdependent.

Main research areas

In addition to our work at the landscape scale, we are interested in the conceptual development of sustainability science at a global scale. Here, too, we are influenced by an ecosystems approach, but we also draw on the insights from the social sciences as appropriate.

Our goal is to contribute to sustainable development through solution-oriented research.

  1. 2024
  2. Published

    The social–ecological ladder of restoration ambition

    Frietsch, M., Pacheco-Romero, M., Temperton, V. M., Kaplin, B. A. & Fischer, J., 09.2024, In: Ambio. 53, 9, p. 1251-1261 11 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Navigating social–ecological changes: A mixed-method analysis of extensive livestock systems in southern Patagonian forests, Argentina

    Rodríguez, P., Benra, F., Fischer, J., Romano, S. & Soler, R., 10.2024, In: Ambio. 53, 10, p. 1541-1555 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Participatory co-learning for human–wildlife coexistence: Reflections on a novel program applying systems thinking, nonviolent communication, and learning-based approaches

    Kansky, R., Maassarani, T. & Fischer, J., 10.2024, In: Ambio. 53, 10, p. 1479-1491 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Ecosystem Services Justice: The Emergence of a Critical Research Field

    Langemeyer, J., Benra, F., Nahuelhual, L. & Zoderer, B. M., 01.10.2024, In: Ecosystem Services. 69, 11 p., 101655.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Geodesign as a boundary management process: Co-creating and negotiating sustainable landscape futures. Participatory research methods for sustainability – toolkit #11

    Gottwald, S., Albert, C., Arciniegas, G., Ducci, M., Jajeh, S., Janssen, R. & Taylor, R., 29.10.2024, In: GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society. 33, 3, p. 282-285 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  7. Published

    A social-ecological approach to support equitable land use decision-making

    Brück, M., Benra, F., Duguma, D. W., Fischer, J., Jiren, T. S., Law, E. A., Pacheco-Romero, M., Schultner, J. & Abson, D. J., 12.2024, In: Ambio. 53, 12, p. 1752-1767 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Land use intensification causes the spatial contraction of woody-plant based ecosystem services in southwestern Ethiopia

    Duguma, D. W., Law, E., Shumi, G., Schultner, J., Abson, D. J. & Fischer, J., 12.2024, In: Communications Earth and Environment. 5, 1, 10 p., 263.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Lessons from Ethiopian coffee landscapes for global conservation in a post-wild world

    Hylander, K., Nemomissa, S., Fischer, J., Zewdie, B., Ayalew, B. & Tack, A. J. M., 12.2024, In: Communications Biology. 7, 1, 13 p., 714.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    National ecosystem restoration pledges are mismatched with social-ecological enabling conditions

    Benra, F., Brück, M., Sigman, E., Pacheco-Romero, M., Shumi, G., Abson, D. J., Frietsch, M. & Fischer, J., 12.2024, In: Communications Earth and Environment. 5, 1, 10 p., 731.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    “We cannot escape this”: discussing leverage points for sustainability across scales with the example of Ouvéa, Kanaky New Caledonia

    Riechers, M., Baumann, L., Braun, M., Ganachaud, A., Heeg, P. & Sabinot, C., 12.2024, In: Regional Environmental Change. 24, 4, 15 p., 146.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review