Molnár Zsolt

Zsolt Molnár is a Research Professor and leader of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research Group at the Centre for Ecological Research (Hungarian Academy of Sciences). His work focuses on integrating indigenous and local ecological knowledge into conservation strategies, with fieldwork across Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Mongolia, Iran, and Kenya. He holds a Doctor of Science degree in ethnoecology and has served as Coordinating Lead Author of the IPBES Global Assessment.

Education:

• PhD in Biology (Pécs University, 2007)
• Habilitation (Pécs University, 2013)
• Doctor of Science (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 2015)
• BSc/MSc in Biology/Ecology (Szeged University, 1990)

Research Interests: Ethnoecology of herders/farmers, traditional land management systems, knowledge co-production for conservation, and vegetation history. He bridges ecological science with local practices to address biodiversity loss and landscape transformation.

Key Contributions: Pioneered methodologies using oral histories to trace land-use legacies, developed frameworks for incorporating indigenous knowledge into global ecological assessments (e.g., IPBES), and authored over 100 publications with a Google Scholar h-index of 43.

Awards:

• Pro Natura Award (2013)
• Best Rural Developer (2013)
• Boros Ádám Award (2008)

Labs/Teams: Leads the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research Group, collaborating internationally on projects involving indigenous communities and conservation agencies.