Personal profile
Curriculum
Prof. Dr. Joern Fischer is Professor of Sustainable Landscapes at Leuphana's Social-Ecological-Systems-Institute (SESI), which he co-directs with Prof. Berta Martín-Lopez. His research interests include sustainability science, landscape ecology, social-ecological systems, conservation science, and conservation biology. Working on three different continents (Australia, Europe, Africa), Joern Fischer has published more than 200 journal articles to date and has made both empirical and conceptual contributions to social-ecological systems science, most recently in research projects on the intersection of food security and biodiversity conservation in southwestern Ethiopia. With his blog "Ideas for Sustainability", Joern Fischer also targets a lay audience.
Academic Positions
- since 2010: Professor of Sustainable Landscapes, Social-Ecological-Systems-Institute (SESI), previously at the Institute of Ecology, Leuphana
- 2014-2019: ERC Consolidator Grantee ("Identifying Social-Ecological System Properties Benefiting Biodiversity and Food Security (SESyP)")
- 2010-2015: Sofja Kovalevskaja-Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
- 2009-2010: The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Fellow (Level C)
- 2007-2009: The Fenner School of Env. and Society, Australian National University, Research Fellow (Level B)
- 2005-2006: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Postdoctoral Fellow
- 2000-2001: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Research Assistant
Academic Training
- 2001-2004: PhD, Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University (Primary Supervisor: Professor David B. Lindenmayer)
- 1997-2000: Department of Geography, Australian National University: BSc, First Class Honours, University Medal, (Bachelor of Science with focus on resource and environmental management)
Selected Awards and Activities
- 2023: Beijer Fellow (Beijer Intitute of Ecological Economics, Sweden)
- since 2020: Elected Fellow, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
- 2017-2022: Member of the advisory board of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics (Royal Swedish
Academy, Sweden) - 2014: ERC Consolidator Grant, single PI excellence scheme (€ 1,800,000)
- 2010: Sofja Kovalevskaja Award (€ 1,500,000, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
- On the Editorial Boards of: Conservation Letters, Diversity & Distributions, Ecology & Society
Keywords
- Ecosystems Research
- Environmental planning
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Research collaborations from the last five years
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Wert tradition.Durian-Agroforstplantagen
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.26 → 31.03.29
Project: Research
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Agriculture and Farm Systems in Wartime from a Social-Ecological Systems Perspective: Evidence from Colombia
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.25 → 30.03.27
Project: Research
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DFG Resarch Unit 5501: A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa . Subproject SP2: Landscape context - landscape-scale restoration dynamics in western Rwanda
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Kümmerle, T. (Project manager, academic) & Sun, P. (Project staff)
01.05.23 → 30.04.27
Project: Research
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DFG Research Unit 5501: A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.23 → 30.04.27
Project: Research
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DFG Research Unit 5501: A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa. Sub Project SP8: Synthesis: Social-ecological restoration in western Rwanda
Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.23 → 30.04.27
Project: Research
Research output
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Leveraging change in ecosystem restoration: from planting trees to regenerating people-nature systems
Frietsch, M., Kaplin, B. A., Mukuralinda, A., Nkurikiyimana, D., William, A., Bariyanga, J. D., Duguma, D. W., Kayitanirwa, C., Mujawamariya, M., Nsengimana, V., Nshimyumuremyi, P., Nyiramvuyekure, V., Nduwamungu, J., Serge, S., Turikunkiko, E., Tuyizere, D. & Fischer, J., 01.2026, In: Trees, Forests and People. 23, 5 p., 101134.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Participatory mapping of local people's values in restoration landscapes in Western Rwanda
Ndayizeye, G., Kmoch, L., Baumann, M., Nsengimana, V., Fischer, J. & Plieninger, T., 01.2026, In: Restoration Ecology. 34, 1, 13 p., e70217.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Resilience and regeneration for a world in crisis
Fischer, J., Farny, S., Pacheco-Romero, M. & Folke, C., 01.2026, In: Ambio. 55, 1, p. 24-34 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
A coffee corridor for biodiversity and livelihoods: climatic feasibility of shade coffee cultivation in western Rwanda
Reckmann, T., Frietsch, M., Schwenck, C., Mukuralinda, A., Duguma, D. W. & Fischer, J., 09.2025, In: Trees, Forests and People. 21, 100941.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Design principles for social-ecological research at the landscape scale applied to western Rwanda
Baumann, M., Duguma, D., Vögele, S., Wollni, M., Sun, P., Ndayizeye, G. & Fischer, J., 08.2025, In: PLoS ONE. 20, 8, 11 p., e0330704.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI) (Organisational unit)
Martín-López, B. (Chair) & Fischer, J. (Chair)
2020 → …Activity: Membership › Leuphana academic councils and committees › Leuphana Academic Committees
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Leveraging a sustainable future through relationships II
Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Organiser), Apetrei, C. (Organiser), Fischer, J. (Organiser), Lam, D. (Speaker) & Lang, D. J. (Speaker)
27.09.2018Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic event › External workshops, courses, seminars › Transfer
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Leveraging a sustainable future through relationships
Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Organiser), Lam, D. (Organiser), Lang, D. J. (Organiser), Fischer, J. (Organiser) & Apetrei, C. (Moderator)
09.01.2018Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic event › External workshops, courses, seminars › Transfer
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Rural sustainability transitions in Southern Transylvania: Scaling sustainability initiatives from local non-governmental organizations
Lam, D. (Speaker), Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Coauthor), Fischer, J. (Coauthor), Peukert, D. (Coauthor) & Lang, D. J. (Coauthor)
07.11.2017 → 10.11.2017Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentations (poster etc.) › Transfer
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Towards a sustainable Southern Transylvania: Recognizing existing contributions to reach sustainable visions and empowering stakeholders
Lam, D. (Speaker), Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Speaker), Fischer, J. (Speaker) & Lang, D. J. (Speaker)
07.11.2017 → 10.11.2017Activity: Talk or presentation › Conference Presentations › Research
Prizes
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Herausragende Leistungen in der Forschung
Temperton, V. (Recipient), Fischer, J. (Recipient), Loos, J. (Recipient) & Martín-López, B. (Recipient), 05.07.2023
Prize: Leuphana internal Prize, Scholaships, distinctions, appointments › Research
File -
Sofja Kovalevskaja Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Fischer, J. (Recipient), 2010
Prize: external Prizes, scholarships, distinctions, appointments › Research
Datasets
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Ecosystem Service Production and Flows in Gera, Gumay, and Setema Woreda, Ethiopia
Brück, M. (Creator), Duguma, D. W. (Creator), Law, E. (Creator), Abson, D. (Creator), Fischer, J. (Creator), Schultner, J. (Creator), Bekele, B. (Producer) & Feyisa, D. (Producer), Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, 22.04.2022
DOI: 10.48548/pubdata-6, https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14123/11
Dataset
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Data from: Low-intensity agricultural landscapes in Transylvania support high butterfly diversity: implications for conservation
Loos, J. (Creator), Dorresteijn, I. (Creator), Hanspach, J. (Creator), Fust, P. (Creator), Rákosy, L. (Creator) & Fischer, J. (Creator), DRYAD, 19.06.2015
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.97s1k
Dataset
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Spatial variation in human disturbances and their effects on forest structure and biodiversity across an Afromontane forest
Beche, D. (Contributor), Nemomissa, S. (Contributor), Warkineh, B. (Contributor), Rodrigues, P. (Contributor), Fischer, J. (Contributor) & Hylander, K. (Contributor), ZENODO, 04.04.2022
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rfj6q57cc, https://zenodo.org/records/6412949
Dataset
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Data from: Incorporating anthropogenic effects into trophic ecology: predator-prey interactions in a human-dominated landscape
Dorresteijn, I. (Contributor), Schultner, J. (Contributor), Nimmo, D. G. (Contributor), Fischer, J. (Contributor), Hanspach, J. (Contributor), Kuemmerle, T. (Contributor), Kehoe, L. (Contributor) & Ritchie, E. G. (Contributor), ZENODO, 17.08.2015
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v702q, https://zenodo.org/records/4988370
Dataset
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Supplementary material 1 from: Zimmermann H, Loos J, von Wehrden H, Fischer J (2015) Aliens in Transylvania: risk maps of invasive alien plant species in Central Romania. NeoBiota 24: 55-65. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.24.7772
Zimmermann, H. (Contributor), Loos, J. (Contributor), von Wehrden, H. (Contributor) & Fischer, J. (Contributor), ZENODO, 16.01.2015
DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.24.7772.suppl1, https://zenodo.org/record/902142
Dataset