Biodiversity and Ecosystem ­Restoration

(1) Biodiversity—the variety of all life on Earth—is rapidly declining and ecosystems are degrading due to human activities such as land use changes, pollution, and climate change (IPBES 2019). Healthy, biodiverse ecosystems provide many essential services we often take for granted. For example, plants convert solar energy, supporting other life forms. Bacteria and other organisms break down organic matter into nutrients, enriching the soil for plant growth. Pollinators are critical for plant reproduction, ensuring food production. Plants and oceans also act as major carbon sinks, helping mitigate climate change. In short, biodiversity delivers clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, and crop pollination. It enables us to adapt to climate change and natural hazards.

(2) The decline in biodiversity, however, disrupts ecosystem functions and services that humans rely on. Since living organisms interact within dynamic ecosystems, the loss of one species can have cascading effects throughout the food chain. While we cannot predict all the consequences of mass extinctions, we know that nature's diversity is essential to our survival.

(3) Our research aims to help reverse this trend by focusing on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. We address biodiversity dynamics from different theoretical and applied key perspectives, primarily focusing on plants—Earth’s primary food producers—but also including insects and soil organisms that often interact with plants.