Josef Settele

Prof. Dr. Josef Settele is a leading academic and researcher in conservation biology and social-ecological systems. He is the Head of the Department of Conservation Biology & Social-Ecological Systems at the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Halle, Germany. He also holds the academic rank of Professor of Ecology (apl.) at Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg and has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. His work is deeply interdisciplinary, bridging ecology, policy, and societal engagement.

His primary research interests lie in the ecology of insects in cultural landscapes, the interplay between biodiversity, land use, and social-ecological systems, and the critical interface between science, society, and policy. A central theme of his career has been understanding and mitigating the impacts of human activities on biodiversity, with a particular focus on pollinators. He has led major international projects such as ALARM, LEGATO, CLIMIT, and the current SPRING project, which is preparing the EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU PoMS).

His recent publications (2020–2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on long-term biodiversity monitoring, the impacts of climate change and land use, and the development of policy-relevant science. He is a prolific author on topics including butterfly population trends in Europe, the assessment of Natura 2000 sites, the genetic diversity of insect populations, and the role of science in environmental policy debates, particularly concerning the EU’s Nature Restoration Law. His work heavily utilizes large datasets and citizen science, exemplified by the 'Tagfalter-Monitoring Deutschland' (Butterfly Monitoring Germany).

• Member, German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) (since 2020)
• Member, Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) of IPBES (since 2022)
• Co-Chair, Global Assessment of IPBES (2016-2019)
• Scientific Coordinator, SPRING Project (2021-2024)
• Member, Senate Committee Competition (SAW) of the Leibniz Association (since 2020)
• Review Board Member, German Research Foundation (DFG) (2016-2024)

Prof. Settele is a highly active advisor and grant coordinator, having led numerous large-scale, multi-national research projects funded by the EU (FP5, FP6), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and other national and international bodies. His leadership in projects like ALARM, LEGATO, and SPRING, which involve dozens of partner institutions and hundreds of scientists, underscores his role as a principal investigator and scientific coordinator of the highest caliber. He is deeply involved in the governance of science, serving on prestigious review boards and advisory councils.

He leads the research team on 'Animal Ecology and Social-Ecological Systems' at the UFZ and is the driving force behind the 'Tagfalter-Monitoring Deutschland' (Butterfly Monitoring Germany) project. His work is also connected to larger research units and platforms at the UFZ, including the 'Community Ecology' department and the 'Research Ecosystems of the Future' initiative. His research is fundamentally collaborative, involving extensive national and international networks of scientists, stakeholders, and policy-makers.