The “Core Project Social Ecology” is one of eleven core projects in the DFG's Priority Program “Biodiversity Exploratories.” The aim of the project is to establish a high-quality research infrastructure for social-ecological research within the biodiversity exploratories (a long-term ecological research site) and to develop a long-term monitoring system for the use, attitudes, and awareness of biodiversity.
Research approach
The aim of the research project is to gain a deeper understanding of the social dynamics and practices involved in the use of biological diversity in order to improve decision-making processes in land use and management. It is intended to support other research projects within the DFG Priority Program in conducting their social-ecological research on the relationships between land use, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. For the first time, social-empirical monitoring will also be established to address questions of social-ecological dynamics. This is intended to lay the foundations for long-term social-ecological monitoring in Germany. The focus is on surveys on the use, attitudes, and awareness of biodiversity.
Background
The Biodiversity Exploratories are a research platform for biodiversity and ecosystem research in Germany funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Since 2006, more than 40 individual research projects in the three study regions of Schorfheide-Chorin (Brandenburg), Hainich-Dün (Thuringia), and the Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg) have been investigating how land use influences biological diversity and ecosystem functions. The establishment of the “Core Project Social Ecology” in 2026 addresses the growing demand for support and development of social-ecological research in the DFG Priority Program “Biodiversity Exploratories.”
Funding
The “Core Project Social Ecology” is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as part of the DFG Priority Program SPP 1374 “Biodiversity Exploratories.”
Links
Biodiversitäts-Exploratorien - Forschung für biologische Vielfalt
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