Head: Dr. Anna Hersperger

The land-use systems group studies landscape patterns and processes and their changes over time. We focus on cultural landscapes and their multifunctionality while conducting research in the following topics:

Development of models for simulating future landscape dynamics and for estimating the resulting landscape services;
Application and further development of landscape genetic methods and theories;
Analysis of historical changes in ecosystems and landscapes (focus on the past 100 to 250 years);
Analysis of ecological implications of landscape and ecosystem changes in the context of the field of historical ecology;
Analysis of actors, driving forces, and land change and their interaction to understand the causes of landscape change
Contributing to the further development of landscape planning, based, for example, on conflict analysis and the evaluation of planning instruments.

The landscape ecology group combines methods and theories from natural sciences and social sciences on spatial scales from single ecosystems to continents. We are equally committed to theory development and innovative applications.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Simulating dynamics and spread of vegetation and interacting species

The spatio-temporal DGVM LPJ-GM is extended with modules for dynamics and spread of interacting species and tested in case studies with different interactors

What is Sustainable Intensification?

Sustainable Intensification of agriculture (SI) is advocated by both, scientists and policy makers, as a solution for the dilemma between the need to increase agricultural production and the need to reduce the environmental burden which intensification historically entailed.

Spezialfälle und Fruchtfolgeflächen

Können Böden unter Gewächshäusern, in Gewässerräumen etc. auch ins kantonale Inventar an Fruchtfolgeflächen aufgenommen werden?

Sustainable urban forms transformation for Austin, Texas

The overall goal of this research is to deliver an empirical study to test how useful the theoretical model built by the CONCUR project is for explaining the contribution of planning to the urban form transformation of Austin Metropolitan Statistical (AMS) area (Texas, USA). The central hypothesis is

CLIMASTEPPE - Solutions for climate-smart land use in the dry steppes of Russia

In the CLIMASTEPPE project, we will investigate with partners from Russia, Germany, Slovakia how to optimise the land use of Russian steppe under changing climate conditions.

Landschaftsbeobachtungsprogramm Schweiz LABES

Ziel dieses Projektes ist, das LABES Monitoring-Instrument, das zwischen 2009 und 2017 entwickelt wurde, bis 2020 konzeptionell zu überprüfen.

Future consumption of prime cropland

Land use scenarios suggest that prime cropland, according to the sectorial plan of cropland protection, may come under even greater urbanisation pressure in some cantons in the following period of comprehensive plans.

Tools for integrating planning in land change models

The overall objective of this project is to reduce the technical gap between spatial planning and land change science. Specifically, this project aims to develop tools and methods to translate data and features from strategic spatial planning into inputs for land change models. We focus on two obser

Assessment of strategic spatial plan making and plan implementation processes

The overall objective of this project is to develop an analytical framework grounded in an analysis of strategic spatial planning processes, i.e. plan making and plan implementation. Cities worldwide are increasingly engaging in strategic spatial planning processes to address economic, social and en

Evaluation of strategic spatial plans

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the scholarship on plan evaluation. Current evaluation studies focus on plan performance and planning process performance, rather than actual material outcomes that are of pertinent interest to land-change science. Specifically, the project r

Spatial planning and cropland protection

Deep agricultural soils are a vital resource. Spatial planning must protect them. The project examines the various instruments of European countries.

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Staff

Land-use systems

Dr. Anna Hersperger	member of directors board, teamleader
Roshanak Afrakhteh	PhD student guest
Simona Bacau	PhD student
Mahsa Bazrafshan	PhD student guest
PD Dr. Janine Bolliger	scientific staff member
Dr. Thomas Niklaus Dalang	visiting scientist
Maria Garcia Martin	visiting scientist
Selina Gosteli	temporary employee
Dr. Simona Raluca Gradinaru	visiting scientist
Prof. Dr. Felix Kienast	senior scientist
Franziska Komossa	visiting scientist
Stephan Kyek	bachelor student
Juraj Lieskovsky	visiting scientist
Federico Martellozzo	visiting scientist
Gregor Martius	temporary employee
Franziska Mohr	PhD student
Dr. Sofia Pagliarin	Postdoc
Dr. Gaëtan Palka	Postdoc
Dr. Robert Pazur	Postdoc
Franziska Schmid	PhD student
Robin Studer	trainee
Dr. Silvia Tobias	Head of WSL Landscape Centre
Prof. Peter H. Verburg	senior scientist
Chunhong Zhao	Postdoc

Services and Products

Scenarios of land-use change for download

The results of the scenario modelling are available in raster format for non-commercial use by interested parties. PDF versions of maps for each scenario are available here for download.

Person in charge: Bronwyn Price