Atte Moilanen

Atte Moilanen is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Geography at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Science. He leads the Conservation Informatics Research Group and has been actively publishing since 1995, with 184 publications to his name. His research is primarily focused on conservation biology, spatial planning, and ecological compensation.

Moilanen's research interests center on spatial conservation planning, biodiversity offsetting, and ecological compensation. His work develops systematic approaches for conservation prioritization, with applications in terrestrial and marine environments. He has pioneered methods for evaluating trade-offs between species targets and coverage in conservation planning, and has developed frameworks for biodiversity offsetting that account for time discounting and additionality. His research bridges theoretical conservation biology with practical applications for environmental policy and land-use planning.

His recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on integrating biodiversity conservation with other societal needs. Key themes include urban green space planning, marine spatial planning, forest conservation in boreal regions, and the development of robust metrics for biodiversity offsetting. His work increasingly addresses the integration of carbon sequestration with biodiversity conservation, reflecting growing concerns about climate change.

• Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (2017)
• Society for Conservation Biology, Distinguished Service Award (2018)

Moilanen has supervised doctoral students including Peter Kullberg since 2013 and has been involved in numerous research projects totaling over 203 academic activities. His grant portfolio includes significant projects like BOOST II (2024-2027), MetZo SYKE (2023-2024), and IBC CARBON (2021-2023), funded by the Finnish Academy of Science and the Finnish Environment Centre. His work has substantial practical impact, informing environmental policy and conservation practice in Finland and internationally.

He actively participates in academic networks, having hosted numerous academic visitors at the University of Helsinki and participated in international conferences including the 27th International Congress for Conservation Biology in 2015. His research group develops the Zonation software for spatial conservation prioritization, which has become a standard tool in systematic conservation planning worldwide.