Rewilding science

Our research team offers expertise in biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, rewilding, and experimental habitat management, with a particular focus on grasslands, open habitats, and insect communities.

In collaboration with Czech NGO Česká krajina, we investigate the ecological effects of large herbivore grazing, including wild horses and large bovines, on habitat structure, vegetation dynamics, and biodiversity. Our research focuses on understanding how natural processes and different management interventions can restore habitat heterogeneity, support threatened species, and enhance ecosystem resilience.

Our expertise includes:

• Rewilding and large herbivore grazing: Assessing the effects of grazing on vegetation structure, habitat heterogeneity, insect diversity, and ecological processes.

• Ecosystem restoration: Designing and evaluating restoration measures for degraded grasslands, open habitats, and habitat mosaics.

• Biodiversity monitoring: Monitoring insects, particularly butterflies and other indicator groups, to evaluate restoration outcomes and ecological responses.

• Experimental conservation management: Comparing different management approaches, including grazing, mowing, and other habitat interventions, to identify effective restoration strategies.

• Ecological data analysis: Applying statistical methods to assess biodiversity responses, restoration effectiveness, and relationships between management practices and ecological conditions.

• Science–practice collaboration: Working with conservation organisations, land managers, and other stakeholders to translate scientific evidence into practical restoration measures.

Potential contribution to Living Labs

We are interested in joining an international consortium developing and testing innovative, nature-based solutions for ecosystem restoration through Living Labs.

Our collaboration with Česká krajina provides opportunities to connect ecological research with practical, large-scale restoration and rewilding initiatives. These sites could serve as demonstration and experimental areas where researchers, conservation practitioners, land managers, and other stakeholders jointly develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate restoration approaches.

We can contribute to the co-design of restoration interventions, experimental design, biodiversity monitoring, ecological impact assessment, statistical analyses, and the development of transferable restoration recommendations.

We are particularly interested in collaborations that evaluate how restoring natural ecological processes, especially large herbivore grazing, can enhance biodiversity, improve ecosystem functioning, and deliver effective, scalable solutions for ecosystem restoration across Europe.