Thomas Middelanis

Thomas Middelanis is a Researcher at the Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Germany, serving as Head of the agroforestry monitoring research network. His work bridges ecological research, agricultural practice, and civil society engagement within the framework of sustainable landscape planning and modern agroforestry systems.

His research focuses on the ecology of agroforest ecosystems, particularly soil respiration and decomposition dynamics, alongside innovative Citizen Science methodology development and biochar applications for soil enhancement. This interdisciplinary approach integrates field ecology with community-based monitoring to advance biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes.

Thomas has received significant recognition including dual "wissen.kommuniziert" awards for science communication (2022, 2023), a 2nd place in the "Knowledge of the Many" citizen science research award (2023), the Raiffeisen Promotion Prize (2022), and the University of Münster's Citizen Science Prize (2020), highlighting his excellence in both scientific rigor and public engagement.

He leads key initiatives such as "Trees on the fields" establishing agroforestry demonstration farms for biodiversity, "Edelholz für eine zukunftsfähige Agroforstwirtschaft" developing sustainable timber production systems, and "agroforst-monitoring on tour" scaling research networks. These projects actively connect farmers, scientists, and citizens to transform theoretical agroforestry concepts into practical landscape solutions.