Ralf Seppelt

Ralf Seppelt serves as the Founding Director of the Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental Systems (LCSES) at the University of Luxembourg since March 2025, where he also holds the Chair in Landscape Ecology and Renewable Resource Economics. Previously, he led the Department of Computational Landscape Ecology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) from 2004 to 2022 and the research unit Ecosystem of the Future from 2024 to 2025. His academic journey began with a diploma in Applied Mathematics from the University of Clausthal (1994), followed by a doctorate in Agroecology and System Analysis from TU Braunschweig (1997).

Seppelt's research explores the complex relationships between human societies and the environment, with focus areas including land use, ecosystem services, global sustainability, and biodiversity conservation. He developed the concept of 'peak-rate years' for renewable resources and has demonstrated how increasing crop diversity contributes to more stable agricultural systems. His work reveals non-linear trade-offs between land use, biodiversity, and agricultural productivity.

As an influential voice in environmental policy, Seppelt has served as coordinating lead author for IPBES assessments and contributed to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina's special report on biodiversity loss. He has supervised 20 doctoral students and 18 postdoctoral researchers, with six of his former students achieving professorial positions.

• Fellow of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (2023)
• Helmholtz Centre science communication prize (2020)
• Biennial medal from International Society for Environmental Modelling and Software (2010)

Seppelt is actively engaged in public education through LandYOUs, an online simulation game for students, and regular contributions to MINT-Zirkel magazine. His research and insights have been featured in major media outlets including The Economist, The Independent, and German public broadcasters ARD.