Tobias Plieninger

Prof. Tobias Plieninger holds dual appointments as Professor of Social-Ecological Interactions at the Universities of Kassel and Göttingen, Germany, and currently serves as Dean of Research at Kassel’s Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences. He specializes in sustainability science focusing on rural landscape dynamics, ecosystem services, and transformative change processes. His work examines intersections between agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, and natural resource management.

Education: PhD in Forest and Environmental Sciences (2004, University of Freiburg), Habilitation in Landscape Ecology (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin). Prior roles include Associate Professorships at the University of Copenhagen and leadership at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences.

Research focuses on biocultural landscapes, agroforestry systems, and participatory methods. Notable projects include coordination of the EU’s HERCULES initiative and leadership in IPBES’ Transformative Change Assessment. Recognitions include Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researcher (2019–2022) and the Henriette Herz Fellowship (2022).

Editorial roles: Lead Author for IPBES, Associate Editor at Landscape and Urban Planning and People and Nature. Over 200 publications span topics like ecosystem service synergies, high nature value farming, and rewilding strategies. Active in policy engagement through Germany’s Leopoldina Academy and the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage.

• Research Themes: Landscape sustainability, participatory governance, biodiversity in agricultural systems
• Key Projects: SINCERE (forest ecosystem services), AGFORWARD (agroforestry innovation)
• Awards: Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researcher, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowship

Current initiatives emphasize transdisciplinary approaches, integrating local knowledge with scientific frameworks to address global sustainability challenges.