Rewilding Ecology

Description

I study rewilding as a novel ecosystem restoration technique. World-wide steep declines in biodiversity call for large-scale ecosystem restoration. Rewilding is an ecosystem restoration technique aiming to provide more room for natural processes to steer biodiversity recovery as much as possible.

Rewilding involves the restoration of water and wind dynamics and reconnection of terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats as well as the promotion of wildlife by reducing or stopping management and re-introducing key missing engineering native species.

In my work, I study the outcomes of rewilding for wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as the effect of wildlife itself on ecosystem restoration.

Publications

• Zhu Y, Veen GF, Heinen R, Wang D, Jiang M, Jin H, Bakker ES (2023). Large mammalian herbivores affect arthropod food webs via changes in vegetation characteristics and microclimate. Journal of Ecology, in press.
• Schmitz OJ, Sylvén M, Atwood TB, Bakker ES, Berghazi F, Brodi JF, Cromsigt JPGM, Davies AB, Leroux SJ, Schepers FJ, Smith FA, Stark S, Svenning JC, Tilker A, Ylänne H (2023). Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions. Nature Climate Change 13, 324–333.
• Christianen MJA, Smulders FOH, Vonk JA, Becking LE, Bouma TJ, Engel SM, James RK, Nava MI, de Smit JC, van der Zee JP, Palsbøll PJ, Bakker ES (2023). Seagrass ecosystem multifunctionality under the rise of a flagship marine megaherbivore. Global Change Biology 29: 215-230.
• Van Leeuwen CHA, Temmink RJM, Jin H, Kahlert Y, Robroek BJM, Berg MP, Lamers LPM, Van den Akker M, Posthoorn R, Boosten A, Bakker ES (2021). Enhancing ecological integrity while preserving ecosystem services: Constructing soft-sediment islands in a shallow lake. Ecological Solutions and Evidence e12098.
• Bakker ES, Svenning JC (2018). Trophic rewilding: impact on ecosystems under global change. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B3732017043220170432.