Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

Vision & Mission

We envision a fair world where the benefits generated within social-ecological systems are shared sustainably with other species, both within and across generations. Solutions to sustainability challenges are developed collaboratively across diverse scientific disciplines, knowledge systems, and social interests. To realise our vision, we recognise the need for transformative change. In pursuit of such change we:

  • use place-based social-ecological systems thinking to understand and resolve sustainability challenges such as biodiversity loss and environmental injustice;
  • bring together insights and approaches from the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities in genuinely collaborative endeavours;
  • integrate experiences, practices, and understandings from diverse knowledge systems;
  • embed tools for transformative change into the social-ecological systems thinking via a leverage points perspective;
  • develop and apply methods to bridge multiple scales and governance levels; and
  • provide spaces for people sharing our vision to meet and exchange ideas.

Main research areas

We primarily conduct integrative and transdisciplinary research. In particular, the following topics are central to the Institute's research work:

  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Biocultural diversity
  • Cross-scale governance
  • Leverage points & transformation
  • Ecosystem services
  • Relational values
  • Environmental justice
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  1. A biodiversity hotspot faces intensification of viticulture: the role of Fynbos remnants for the conservation of plants and butterflies

    Loos, J. (Project manager, academic), Topp, E. (Project staff), Burghardt, S. (Project staff), Talanow, K. (Project staff), Martín-López, B. (Partner), Underhill, L. (Partner) & Edge, D. (Partner, non-academic)

    01.04.1830.06.20

    Project: Research

  2. Aufbau eines nationalen Weiterbildungszentrums für Fach- und Führungskräfte in Schutzgebieten Bulgariens im geplanten Umweltbildungszentrum "Kloster Rila"

    Evers, M. (Project manager, academic), Lütkemöller, D. (Project manager, academic) & Pashova, R. (Partner)

    01.05.1101.12.12

    Project: Transfer (professional training)

  3. NaGe: Befördern Nachhaltigkeitskompetenzen Frauen an die Spitze?

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Thiem, A. (Project staff), Katz, C. (Project staff), Moths, K. (Project staff) & Heilmann, S. (Project staff)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.03.1131.12.14

    Project: Research

  4. BioKultDiv: Biocultural Diversity in Farming Landscapes of the Global South

    Hanspach, J. (Project manager, academic), Díaz Reviriego, I. (Project staff), Benavides Frias, C. (Project staff), Ortiz-Przychodzka, S. (Project staff) & Drews-Shambroom, A. (Project staff)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.06.1931.05.25

    Project: Research

  5. Biomass - A renewable energy source? Sustainable biomass (re)production through Landscape Quality Management

    Brüll, A. (Project manager, academic)

    01.01.0810.06.15

    Project: Dissertation project

  6. 04OE045: BioRegal

    Burandt, A. (Project staff)

    01.07.0631.07.07

    Project: Transfer (R&D project)

  7. CfN: Caring for natures? Geschlechterperspektiven auf (Vor)Sorge im Umgang mit ,Natur/en‘

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Mölders, T. (Project manager, academic), Kapitza, K. (Project staff), Deininger, M. (Project staff) & Katz, C. (Partner)

    01.02.1730.09.20

    Project: Research

  8. College Studien in der Praxis- KLIMAWERK Energieagentur GmbH & Co. KG

    Hellmann, K. (Project manager, academic), Lang, F. J. (Project staff) & Schrader, R. (Project staff)

    01.04.1230.09.12

    Project: Practical Project

  9. DFG Research Unit 5064: The role of nature for human well-being in the Kilimanjaro Social-Ecological System (Kili-SES) - Sub project 7: Synthesis

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Böhning-Gaese, K. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, M. (Project manager, academic) & Zeuss, D. (Project manager, academic)

    12.12.2412.12.28

    Project: Research

  10. ESuDis: Effects of land management on the Supply and Distribution of ecosystem services

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Felipe-Lucia, M. R. (Project manager, academic) & Isaac, R. (Project staff)

    13.07.2031.12.23

    Project: Research

  11. Ethiopia’s sustainable land management practices: lessons for ecosystem restoration

    Duguma, D. W. (Project manager, academic)

    01.01.2631.12.29

    Project: Research

  12. Forschungszuschuss Beatriz Vizuete

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)

    01.01.2631.12.27

    Project: Research

  13. FRA.ME: Wissenschaftlerinnen Mentoring an der Universität Lüneburg

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic) & Thiem, A. (Project manager, academic)

    01.07.0418.06.07

    Project: Research

  14. Humboldt-Forschungsstipendium für Frau Dr. Lauren Lambert

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)

    01.06.2631.05.28

    Project: Research

  15. IBA Sloth Bears

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic)

    International Association for Bear Research and Management

    15.04.1515.04.16

    Project: Other

  16. SESyP: Identifying social-ecological System Properties benefiting Biodiversity and Food Security

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Hanspach, J. (Coordination), Schultner, J. (Coordination), Dorresteijn, I. (Coordination), Collier, N. (Coordination), Dugo, G. S. (Project staff), Rodrigues, P. (Project staff), Jiren, T. S. (Project staff) & Manlosa, A. O. (Project staff)

    01.06.1431.05.19

    Project: Research

  17. Interactions of Regenerative Dynamics in Social-Ecological Systems

    Wolters, M. (Project manager, academic)

    01.10.2530.09.29

    Project: Dissertation project

  18. "Invasive" Arten im Prozessschutz

    Kapitza, K. (Project manager, academic) & Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic)

    01.05.1730.04.20

    Project: Dissertation project

  19. Kleinforschungsprojekt: Transformationsfeld Energiewende im Raum - Impulse aus der Genderforschung

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Henkel, A. (Project staff) & Stumpe, F. (Project staff)

    16.02.1530.09.15

    Project: Research

  20. Kollektiv-privater Landbesitz und die Krise des (Re)Produktiven

    Dannenberg, J. (Project manager, academic)

    01.06.13 → …

    Project: Dissertation project

  21. Language for Sustainability: Sustaining Biodiversity and Biocultures

    Manuel-Navarrete, D. (Project manager, academic), Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Lam, D. (Project staff), Swanson, T. D. (Project manager, academic), Gerber, L. (Project staff), Mwampamba, T. H. (Project manager, academic), Escalante, A. E. (Project staff) & Camou Guerreroe, A. (Project staff)

    01.07.1830.06.19

    Project: Research

  22. Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge

    Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Newig, J. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Sieveking, A. (Project staff), Klaniecki, K. T. (Project staff), Dorninger, C. (Project staff), Clarke, E. A. (Project staff), Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Project staff), Lam, D. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Jager, N. W. (Project staff), Derwort, P. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Apetrei, C.-I. (Project staff), Freeth, R. C. (Project staff), Engbers, M. (Project staff), Peukert, D. (Project staff), Berkau, A. J. (Project staff), Lutz, L. M. (Coordination), Leventon, J. (Project manager, academic) & Abson, D. (Project manager, academic)

    01.04.1531.03.21

    Project: Research

  23. Nachhaltige Raumentwicklung - Wirtschaften in Netzen: Regionalvermarktung und Akteursnetzwerke von der Elbe bis zur Heide

    Schrader, R. (Project staff), Lang, F. J. (Project staff), Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic) & Burandt, A. (Project staff)

    15.10.1228.02.13

    Project: Teaching

  24. Nachhaltige Raum- und Regionalentwicklung in der "Energiewende"

    Heilmann, S. (Project manager, academic) & Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic)

    01.10.1330.09.18

    Project: Dissertation project

  25. EQUIVAL: Nurturing a Shift towards Equitable Valuation of Nature in the Anthropocene

    Pascual, U. (Coordination), Balvanera, P. (Project manager, academic) & Martín-López, B. (Partner)

    11.11.17 → …

    Project: Research

  26. OpenNESS: OPERATIONALISATION OF NATURAL CAPITAL AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)

    01.10.1331.05.17

    Project: Research

  27. tdAcademy: Platform for Transdisciplinary Research and Studies

    Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Grauer, C. (Project staff) & Lam, D. (Project manager, academic)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.06.2031.08.23

    Project: Research

  28. PRIME Stipendium: Postdoctoral Researchers International Mobility Experience

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)

    01.12.2031.05.22

    Project: Other

  29. Project “Soils in the Media: Soil Topics on Youtube”

    Lütkemöller, D. (Project manager, academic), Luenststaeden, B. (Project staff), Skubowius, K. M. (Project staff) & Beier, A. (Project staff)

    01.03.1301.12.13

    Project: Other

  30. Ressourcenpolitik und Geschlechtergerechtigkeit in der Globalisierung

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic) & Bauhardt, C. (Partner)

    01.04.1031.03.13

    Project: Research

  31. Move'n'Sense: Sense of place and mobility in cross-border contexts – essentialist and progressive perspectives

    Gottwald, S. (Project manager, academic) & Kołodyńska, I. (Project manager, academic)

    05.11.2102.01.25

    Project: Research

  32. PoNa: Shaping nature: Policy, Policies and Polity. Rural Development and Biotechnology in Agriculture between Criticism and Vision

    Mölders, T. (Project manager, academic), Gottschlich, D. (Project manager, academic), Paszkowska, J. (Coordination), Friedrich, B. (Project staff), Sulmowski, J. A. (Project staff), Burandt, A. (Project staff), Szumelda, A. U. (Project staff) & Roth, S. (Coordination)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.11.0931.10.14

    Project: Research

  33. SENet: Social and ecological networks supporting biodiversity and food security

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic) & Bergsten, A. (Project manager, academic)

    Europäische Union

    15.01.1617.03.18

    Project: Research

  34. SoCoFarm: SoCoFarm: Soil Communication by Farmers; Study on Farmer´s Perception of and Communication about Soils

    Lütkemöller, D. (Project manager, academic) & Tischbierek, M. (Project manager, academic)

    01.12.14 → …

    Project: Other

  35. tdAcademy: Modul Gäste und Fellows

    Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Grauer, C. (Project staff) & Lam, D. (Project staff)

    01.05.2031.05.25

    Project: Research

  36. sTeleBES : Telecoupled use of biodiversity and ecosystem services: synthesis of concepts, methods and evidence

    Schröter, M. (Project manager, academic), Bonn, A. (Coordination), Koellner, T. (Project manager, academic) & Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)

    01.11.1601.11.17

    Project: Research

  37. The future of brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Transylvania

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic) & Dorresteijn, I. (Project manager, academic)

    International Association for Bear Research and Management

    01.04.1227.04.15

    Project: Research

  38. ETH-Coffee: Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy: A Scenario Analysis for the Jimma Coffee Landscape in Ethiopia

    Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schultner, J. (Project manager, academic), Abson, D. (Project manager, academic), Duguma, D. W. (Project manager, academic), Jiren, T. S. (Project staff) & Brück, M. (Project staff)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.11.1931.08.23

    Project: Research

  39. TraVo: Transformation in Ökonomie und Politik: Teilvorhaben 2: Nachhaltigkeitswissenschafliche Ansätze und Geschlechterverhältnisse in der Transformationsdebatte

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Moths, K. (Project staff), Amri-Henkel, A. (Project staff) & Lenz, C. (Project staff)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.08.1530.10.16

    Project: Research

  40. Understanding human-carnivore relationships: from social conflicts to ecosystem services

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Lozano Mendoza, J. (Project staff), von Wehrden, H. (Partner), Dorresteijn, I. (Partner) & Fischer, J. (Partner)

    01.11.1631.10.17

    Project: Research

  41. Unraveling patterns of ecosystem services supply: a case study in Southern Chile

    Benra, F. (Project manager, academic)

    01.09.1831.08.22

    Project: Dissertation project

  42. VaNaTe: Unravelling the relation between Values of Nature and Telecoupling

    Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Isaac, R. (Project staff) & Mayer, A. (Project staff)

    01.05.2331.03.27

    Project: Research

  43. Von Weltbürger_innen und Anderen. Subjektivation im entwicklungspolitischen Freiwilligendienst weltwärts

    Kontzi, K. (Project manager, academic)

    01.04.0905.02.14

    Project: Dissertation project

  44. BiodiWert: Was sind erfolgreiche Konzepte zur Wiederherstellung artenreichen Grünlandes in Deutschland? Eine multiregionale Bewertung sozial-ökologischer Systeme und pilothafte Umsetzung (Grassworks)

    Temperton, V. (Project manager, academic), Leventon, J. (Project staff), Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Martín-López, B. (Project staff), May, F. (Project staff), Tischew, S. (Partner), Kirmer, A. (Partner), Kollmann, J. (Partner), Beckmann, V. (Partner), Dieker, P. (Partner), Thiele, J. (Partner) & Metzner, J. (Partner)

    Federal Ministry of Education and Research

    01.10.2030.09.21

    Project: Research

  45. Wildnis und nachhaltige Entwicklung

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic)

    01.01.07 → …

    Project: Research

  46. WiN: Wirtschaften in Netzen – Stärkung regionaler Absatzmärkte für KMU als Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung der Region

    Hofmeister, S. (Project manager, academic), Lang, F. J. (Project staff), Burandt, A. (Project staff), Schrader, R. (Project staff), Thiem, A. (Project staff) & Japsen, A. (Project staff)

    Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank

    01.08.1031.12.15

    Project: Transfer (R&D project)