Research

We focus on applying ecological theory and methods to address conservation, public health and management questions. A great emphasis is laid on experimental design, theory, using basic and advanced statistics, geographic information systems, and remote sensing data. Recovering biodiversity loss, improving public health and addressing human wildlife interactions are the core questions explored by most of the projects and we strive to produce practical solutions that can contribute towards these goals. We also contribute majorly towards training in biodiversity monitoring and assessments, valuation as well as developing tools to analyse data through teaching, training and capacity building. The group primairly encourages the use and development of open source programs and packages.

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (e.g. wildlife, water, forests, pastures) is a key priority today for our society, which is highly dependent on nature and the values derived from it. Our research group contributes towards this task through our skills and vast experience from across the globe. We have extensively worked throughout Fennoscandia on hunting management and conservation of large herbivores (moose, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, reindeer and fallow deer), and carnivores (e.g. wolverine and brown bear), aquatic fauna such as the seals, large raptors including eagles (golden and white tailed eagles), migrating mammals and birds, and many more. Outside Fennoscandia, we collaborate with world renowed research groups in India, Kazakhstan, U.K., Europe, S America, and Africa. 

We especially excel in designing wildlife management and monitoring, developing harvesting strategies, population modelling, uncertainity and scenario analyses, as well as hunting or protected area establishment. Example, the Adaptive Management of Moose in Sweden. We have recently successfully concluded a six-year research programme (2016-2022) on the ecology and management of the Swedish ungulate community, comprising of five deer species. This programme funded by the Swedish Environmental Protected Agency, was focused on designing the future management of ungulates in Sweden, a system which has been traditionally focused on managing only moose.

The conservation and management of the Saiga antelope has been an important research area for us, for the last 15 years, where we have contibuted towards a better understanding of their basic ecology, migration patterns, population level impacts of the collapse of the Soviet Union, disease dynamics and their proected area establishment and management, e g. through the use of biodiversity offsets. See our contributions through the Saiga Conservation Alliance. 

Ongoing Projects and Collaborations

European Union Funded SUPERB- Upscaling Forest Restoration. Link

European Union Funded BEPREP - Preventing next pandemic. Link

Swedish EPA Funded Human Wildlife Conflicts - Golden eagle and reindeer, Ungulates and Commercial Forestry.

Biodiversity Monitoring using Air Borne eDNA. Swedish Biodiversity in Space and Time and Historical trends in Swedish Biodiversity.

Vetenskapsrådet Funded - Lions and Masai in Ngorongoro Crater (Ingela Persson).

Swedish EPA and other private funders Movement Ecology of Ungulates - Link

Multiple Funders Golden Eagle Population Ecology. Link

Biodiversity conservation potential of renewable energy establishments - Hydropower and Windpower. 

Saiga antelope conservation and management - Prof. E.J. Milner-Gulland (Oxford Univ.), Prof. Eric Morgan (Univ. Belfast) and Prof. Richard Kock (RVC).

Rodent movements  - Hussein Khalil- SLU, Frauke Ecke - University of Helsinki, Aurelio Malo - GLOCEE University of Alcala De Madrid

Swedish EPA Population estimation of Carnivores using molecular methods - Dr. Göran Spong, SLU. Molercular Ecology Group

The Swedish Golden Eagle Project

The Swedish Golden Eagle project (Kungsörnsprojektet) at the 
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) 
is aimed at improving the ecological knowledge on Golden eagles for their effective conservation.