On the 29th of October at 9:15, Elisabeth Prangel will defend her doctoral thesis "The impacts of land-use change and ecological restoration on biodiversity and ecosystem service supply in semi-natural grasslands" for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Botany and Mycology).
Ecosystem services are the benefits that nature provides, such as food and wood production, clean air, pollination, and carbon storage, all of which depend strongly on biodiversity. High biodiversity enhances ecosystem resilience and supports the simultaneous delivery of multiple services, known as ecosystem multifunctionality. Semi-natural grasslands are among Europe’s most species-rich habitats, but agricultural intensification, abandonment, and afforestation have drastically reduced their extent. These land-use changes diminish biodiversity, disrupt ecological processes, and weaken the supply of ecosystem services. My doctoral research showed that traditionally managed semi-natural grasslands act as biodiversity hotspots capable of providing diverse services including habitat provision, carbon storage, pollination, pest control, forage, and recreation. In contrast, grassland abandonment and intensification lead to declines in both biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. Results from the LIFE to Alvars restoration project demonstrate that abandoned alvars retain strong recovery potential, and that restoration through low-intensity management can enhance biodiversity and multifunctionality, though long-term monitoring remains essential to capture delayed or stress-driven responses.
Supervisor:
Professor Aveliina Helm, University of Tartu (Estonia)
Opponent:
Dr. Alistair G. Auffret, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)
More information:
Elisabeth Prangel
