Biodiversity in urban ecosystems

We focus on urban and agricultural systems and mainly study pollinating insects and the ecosystem services they provide, combining traditional field sampling and experiments with citizen science campaigns and historical samples from biological museum specimens.

We use analyses of species’ ecological and morphological traits, such as size, dispersal capacity, habitat specificity and activity period, to gain insights into why species respond differently to land use and climate change. The aim is to contribute to a scientific and evidence-based foundation for the planning of (ecologically) sustainable landscapes and cities where biodiversity of plants and pollinators, as well as important ecosystem services, are maintained. The main project is currently ‘Saved by the city’ (Formas, 2020-2023).

In collaborative projects we study how people interact with biodiversity in their gardens (Operation: Saved the bees) and school grounds (Natural Nations), and how the concept ‘Green Infrastructure’ is understood and used by conservation authorities (The making of green infrastructure as a policy tool for biodiversity conservation).