The world is facing a biodiversity crisis characterized by substantial loss of habitats and populations. As a major consequence species are getting extinct globally as well as in Denmark at an unprecedented rate. Moreover, an increasing exploitation of resources, climate changes as well as increased in flow of invasive species enhance the negative development in the future. Therefore, there is a strong need for an ambitious effort in nature protection and restoration, which requires an in depth understanding of the fundamental biological interrelations among species and their ecosystems as well as the drivers behind the emerging problems.

At the Department of Biology, we answer questions such as: How do we achieve a balance between needs of nature and the needs of civilization?  How can we integrate nature protection and restoration in landscape management and in the development of society in general? We study the causes of the loss of biodiversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, and develop management strategies and surveillance methods to restore populations of plants and animals as well as entire ecosystems.