Institute of

Environmental Systems Research


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Institute of Env. Systems Research

Welcome to the Institute of Environmental Systems Research

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In Focus

DFG Funds New Research Training Group!

Starting in October 2024, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) will fund the Research Training Group "Ecological Regime Shifts and Systemic Risks in Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems (ECORISK)" for an initial period of five years. This will create a total of twenty doctoral positions and two postdoctoral positions at the university. Many of the participating scientists are members of the IUSF Research Center.

Open house day of Environmental Systems Science

On June 18, 2024, Environmental Systems Science invites you to an Open House Day! Prospective students and current students of environmental systems science programs are warmly welcome to attend real lectures, get to know the institute, discuss possible thesis topics, and learn more about the various disciplines within the programs. We look forward to seeing you there!

IUSF Workshop: Systems Science - More than just the sum of its parts!?

On February 8, 2024, an internal IUSF workshop took place at Universum in Bremen. Strategies for strengthening the research center were developed, common research interests were discussed, and connections to systems science were identified.

Osnabrück Scientific Society honors systems scientist

In January 2023, the scientific prize, endowed with 2000 euros, was awarded to Dr. Therese Neuffer and systems scientist Dr. Gunnar Niebaum. The awards were presented for their outstanding dissertations at the headquarters of Sievert SE. Congratulations on these coveted accolades!

New funding awards from the University of Osnabrück go to systems scientists

The awards from the University of Osnabrück recognize the excellent achievements of students. In the academic year 2022/23, two systems scientists were successful. Domnik Lammers was awarded the scholarship prize by Intevation GmbH, and Venja Schoenke received the study prize from Felix Schoeller Holding GmbH & Co. KG! Congratulations on these prestigious honors!

Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl is one of the most cited researchers worldwide

It is a great honor for Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl and also a sign of the interdisciplinary research orientation at Osnabrück University: The environmental systems scientist is represented in the annual scientific ranking "Highly Cited Researchers" in the category "Cross Field (across disciplines)". See also the article in the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German language).

Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl twice as guest on the Second German Television

Prof. Dr. Claudia Pahl-Wostl is currently enjoying an increased media presence. On July 21 and July 28, she was a guest on Markus Lanz's evening TV show on ZDF.

Current Publications:

Lämmchen V, Klasmeier J, Hernandez-Leal L, Berlekamp J (2021) Spatial Modelling of Micro-pollutants in a Strongly Regulated Cross-border Lowland Catchment. Environmental Processes, 8, 973-992. DOI

Lämmchen V, Niebaum G, Berlekamp J, Klasmeier J (2021) Geo-referenced simulation of pharmaceuticals in whole watersheds: application of GREAT-ER 4.1 in Germany. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, DOI.

Lliso, B., Pascual, U., Engel, S. (2021) On the role of social equity in payments for ecosystem services in Latin America: A practitioner perspective.Ecological Economics 182 (April 2021). Link

Peters R, Berlekamp J, Lucía A, Stefani V, Tockner K, Zarfl C (2021) Integrated impact assessment for sustainable hydropower planning in the Vjosa catchment (Greece, Albania). Sustainability 13, 1514.DOI

Sun AT, Hilker FM (2021) Comparison between best-response dynamics and replicator dynamics in a social-ecological model of lake eutrophication. Journal of Theoretical Biology 509, 110491

Improving biodiversity in agriculture: IUSF participates in large-scale EU project.

Dramatic losses of biodiversity are also attributable to the way land is managed and the extent to which it is managed. The EU-funded project "FRAMEwork" aims to develop an approach in which farmers work together to improve biodiversity on European farmland in the long term. The environmental economists Prof. Dr. Stefanie Engel and Dr. Fabian Thomas, both from the Research Center Institute for Environmental Systems Research at the University of Osnabrück, are taking on an important sub-project to design incentives for farmers to participate in collaborative activities to increase biodiversity.

Research groups

Environmental Systems Modelling

Geographic Human-Environment-Research

European integration and governance of sustainability in Europe and in the global transboundary space

Remote Sensing and Digital Image Analysis

Projects in Environmental Systems Modelling