Ecosystem Processes and Services

Within the focus «Ecosystem Processes and Services», the researchers develop and disseminate basic knowledge and tools to ensure the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and protect the ser­vices they provide for humankind.  

Enlarged view: Jambi Province (Photo: Patrice Levang)
Tropical rain forest cleared for oil palm plantations in Sumatra. Researchers in D-USYS are evaluating alternatives for sustainable land development in oil palm and forested landscapes in Indonesia, Colombia and Cameroon. (Photo: Patrice Levang)

Ecosystem processes are vital for the survival of humanity. These proces­ses include, for example, primary production, an essential component of biogeochemical cycles, as well as soil formation and the water and nu­trient cycles. D-USYS investigates the ecological processes underpinning aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, particularly agricultural and forested landscapes. Another focus is on the socio-economic and socio-political factors that enable the provision of ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration or water purification.

The researchers explore the ways in which ter­res­trial systems interlinked by physical, chemical and biological processes func­tion and interact across different scales in time and space. Through their research, they aim to develop environmentally sound and econo­mi­cally feasible ecosystem management strategies that are institutionally and socially acceptable.

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