Gunilla A Olsson

Human Ecology
PhD, Professor

 About

• PhD, Professor in Human Ecology, University of Gothenburg, 2007
• Professor in Environmental Science, Karlstad University, 2001
• Edberg Honorary Professorship at Karlstad University, 2001
• The Edberg-professorship: for interdisciplinary work bridging social and natural sciences in the framework of Human Ecology and Natural Resource Management
• Associate professor in Plant Ecology at Norwegian University for Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, 1990
• PhD in Plant Ecology at Lund university, 1984

Academic activity

Co-leader research group Global Sustainability Studies. External evaluator for interdisciplinary research programs and proposals in Sweden and internationally; Opponent and external examiner for PhDdissertations at a number of universities in Scandinavia. External evaluator for academic positions and referee for about 20 international scientific journals, including Environmental Science & Policy, J. Envir. Management, Land Use and Urban Planning, AMBIO, Conservation Biol., Landscape Ecol., Biotropica. Member of National Scientific Council on Biodiversity, 1994 – present: Responsible for the thematic issues: Sustainable use, Agricultural biodiversity, Biofuels, Traditional knowledge, Mountains.

Research interest

My research is on human impact on rural and peri-urban ecosystems; focused on land use and the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources and biological diversity in a framework of sustainable development. Leader and participant in a number of interdisciplinary research projects with a basis in landscape dynamics and human ecology related to land use changes and socio-economic factors in Europe and Africa, e.g. Madagascar, Tanzania, Mali. Collaboration with social sciences and humanities (archaeology and environmental history) since 1984, e.g. the large project The cultural landscape during 6000 in S Sweden (Berglund ed. 1991) – see publ. list. The BioScene project ( EU FRP5) was on agricultural abandonment, biodiversity conservation challenges and livelihood issues in European mountains. Received funding from the European Community, Norwegian Research Council, SIDA, NORAD, Formas, Tercentenary Foundation of National Bank of Sweden, Nordic Council for Ecology, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Received funding from the European Community, 5th Framework research program, Norwegian Research Council, SIDA, NORAD, Formas, Tercentenary Foundation of National Bank of Sweden, Nordic Council for Ecology, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Research projects

Present research projects are on land use conflicts and climate change involving food and bioenergy production, ecosystem services and traditional knowledge, in rural and peri-urban regions, in Europe and Africa.

Research project: Solutions for environmental contrasts in coastal areas, SECOA, founded by EU FRP 7, 2010-2013. Seven international partner countries. Swedish part: Research on land use conflicts and environmental challenges in a framework of climate change in peri-urban regions of Göteborg and Malmö. Sustainability assessments by involving ecosystem services as a planning tool.

Research project: Power, land and materiality: Global studies in historical-political ecology as a framework for assessing visions of sustainable development funded by FORMAS 2008-2011. Project leader: A. Hornborg, LU and collaboration between 4 universitities. Linked PhDproject at Global studies: M Widengård: Biofuels – sustainable development? – case studies Mozambique, Zambia, Brazil

Research project: Traditional ecological knowledge and community based management of woodland resources in the Xylophone Triangle, Mali, together with S. Ouattara, partly funded by SIDA.

Academic appointments

Here can be mentioned:

• Member of Swedish Scientific Council on Biodiversity, advisor to Ministry of Environment, Sweden with main focus on international conventions.
• Leader of interdisciplinary research and study program Management of Natural Resources, at NTNU, Trondheim, 2003-2006. This is a unique program in Norway bridging 5 different faculties and 10 departments including technology, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and the Museum of Science in Trondheim.
• Leader for NTNU.s program for popular science, 2002-2006.
• Evaluator of research proposals and programs for European Commission - Global change and Biodiversity programs, Norwegian research council, Swedish research council, Mistra, Formas, International Foundation for Science…
• External examiner and PhD opponent at univ Oslo, Tromsø, Umeå, Uppsala, Göteborg and Lund…

Professional positions outside university

Some examples of my work within authorities and agencies at different administration levels, national and international:

• Program Committee: Global Biodiversity Assessment (UNEP) 1993;
• Scientific advisor on Biodiversity, Ministry of Environment, Stockholm, Sweden, 1991-1992;
• Consultant on Biodiversity to United Nations Environmental Program, Nairobi, Kenya; Advisor on Biodiversity for Swedish Intern. Develop. Authority (SIDA); duties in Uganda; Swedish delegation to the Inter-governmental negotiations for the UN-Convention on Biological Diversity,
• Senior Scientific Officer at Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm, Sweden, 1989-90;
• Conservation officer, County administration, Göteborg, Sweden 1974-75.

Teaching ant tutoring

PhD courses: Valuation of resources and environmental conflicts, The political ecology of land use; Global environmental challenges; Conservation biology; Vegetation ecology.

Master courses: Adaptation to global change; Sustainable development: conflicts, communication and collaboration; Sustainable landscapes; Human landscape ecology; Plant ecology and biodiversity, and a number of basic level courses.

Supervision of 11 PhD students and 31 master students at Lunds university, NTNU-Trondheim, Antananarivo, Dar es Salaam, Butare, Karlstad and University of Gothenburg.

Publications

Full list of publications