Han Olff

Prof. Han Olff is a Professor of Community and Conservation Ecology at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering. His research focuses on ecosystem structure/functioning, plant-herbivore-predator interactions, and conservation strategies in marine/terrestrial ecosystems. He holds leadership roles in organizations like WWF-NL and ARK Nature, advising on biodiversity and ecosystem management.

• Education: MSc Biology (1988), PhD (1992) both from University of Groningen
• Awards: Teyler Museum Gold Medal (2006), NWO PIONIER Award (2002)
• Key affiliations: Board member of WWF-NL, Academic Advisory Board for Parc National du Banc d'Arguin, and Scientific Board of Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

Research emphasizes savanna ecosystems (e.g., Serengeti-Mara), intertidal/marine systems (e.g., Banc d'Arguin), and human-wildlife interactions. His work integrates ecological theory with applied conservation, addressing biodiversity loss, climate impacts, and sustainable land/sea use.

Notable contributions include demonstrating how large herbivores drive ecosystem processes and linking food web dynamics to habitat engineering. He leads large-scale projects like the WaddenMosaic initiative and AfricanBioServices collaboration.

Supervised 26 PhD students and 58 master's students, with ongoing mentorship of 9 PhD candidates. Teaches Conservation Biology and Ecological Research Skills at the University of Groningen.