Niklaus Zimmermann

Prof. Dr. Niklaus Zimmermann is a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich. He also holds a senior scientist position at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL and has served in leadership roles including head of the "Landscape Dynamics" research unit and member of the WSL directorate.

• PhD in Plant Ecology (1996, University of Bern)
• Postdoctoral Fellow at Utah State University (1996-1999)

His research focuses on:

• Predictive species distribution modeling
• Climate change impacts on biodiversity
• Macroecological analysis of plant ecosystems
• Evolutionary processes in community ecology
• Dynamic vegetation modeling

As a highly cited researcher (h-index 55) since 2014, he has published over 180 ISI publications with significant citation metrics. His work spans interdisciplinary applications in biodiversity conservation, climate systems modeling, and ecological informatics.

Honors include:

• Highly Cited Researcher (Ecology/Environmental Sciences) - Annual recognition since 2014
• Honorary Professorship at Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011)
• Faculty Master Thesis Prize (University of Bern, 1990)

He serves on the editorial boards of Ecography and Global Ecology and Biogeography, and has been actively involved in EU project leadership (FP5-FP7 programs).