Dossier
Rewilding
By giving space to nature and natural processes, ecosystems can recover. Wageningen scientists are investigating the opportunities for the rewilding of areas in the Netherlands and Europe. This can be done, for example, by giving more space to rivers, improving connections between land and water, or returning large herbivores and predators to ecosystems. Rewilding can thus contribute to improved biodiversity and more wildlife, and offer solutions for the effects of climate change, such as reducing the risk of floods and wildfires.
Since 2020, Wageningen has the first special chair in Rewilding Ecology in Europe. The chair and the research have been made possible in part by NIOO-KNAW and Rewilding Europe.
News about rewilding
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New genetic tool for Asian elephant conservation management
- Wageningen University & Research and Blijdorp Zoo are developing a tool to uncover the DNA of Asian elephants in the wild. To this end, some... -
Diverse forests hold very large carbon potential
- New study estimates that natural forest recovery could capture approximately 226 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, but only if we also reduce greenhouse gas... -
Arjen Buijs appointed UHD-1 on inclusive NBS governance
- As of 1 July, Dr. Arjen Buijs has been promoted to Associate Proessor-1, which also grants him promotion rights at Wageningen University. -
MSc thesis topic: From croplands to urban: land cover change in the Netherlands
- This MSc topic will use the Land Use Database of the Netherlands to investigate land use changes in the Netherlands. -
Why seagrass needs space
- Seagrass: green leaves swaying in the currents. Fish weave their way through, and sea turtles graze. They’re always on their guard, watching out...
Research on rewilding
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Narratives and perceptions of rewilding
Rewilding aims to restore ecosystem dynamics and natural processes, while reducing past and present unsustainable human influences. However, without... -
Rewilding Ecology
I aim to contribute to the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) by studying the opportunities and impacts of ecosystem restoration by... -
Rewilding for climate and biodiversity
wildE is a Horizon2020 project proposing a multi-disciplinary research and innovation programme that addresses the climate-biodiversity nexus in tight... -
Wild Experiments
The project examined the history, politics and geographies of rewilding, which is emerging as a new paradigm for wildlife conservation. It focused on...
Publications about rewilding
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“Exploring the Green Frontier within Europe's Recent Forest Initiatives”
Geoforum (2025), Volume: 160 - ISSN 0016-7185 -
Unravelling the secret life of MultiAnnual delayed gametophytes in the order of the Laminariales
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology (2025), Volume: 583 - ISSN 0022-0981 -
Space use of a diverse megafauna community in a rewilding area in the southwestern Carpathians
Biological Conservation (2025), Volume: 302 - ISSN 0006-3207 -
Rewilding van honingbijen (deel 3) : Verwilderen van de natuur
Bijenhouden (2024), Volume: 18, Issue: 3 - ISSN 1877-9786 - p. 34-36. -
De toepassing van het rewilding-concept in de grote wateren
Utrecht: Programmatische Aanpak Grote Wateren (PAGW) -
Rewilding van honingbijen in Nederlandse bossen : Verwilderen van de natuur
Bijenhouden (2024), Volume: 18, Issue: 1 - ISSN 1877-9786 - p. 30-32. -
Roman-aged counterpoint deposition in the Waal River near Nijmegen
In: NCR days 2024: Tomorrow's Rivers - Netherlands Centre for River Studies -
Vegetation dynamics following three decades of trophic rewilding in the mesic grasslands of Oostvaardersplassen
Applied Vegetation Science (2024), Volume: 27, Issue: 3 - ISSN 1402-2001 -
Rewilding van honingbijen (deel 2) : Verwilderen van de natuur
Bijenhouden (2024), Volume: 18, Issue: 2 - ISSN 1877-9786 - p. 36-38. -
Ten steps towards integrated decision making for ecological restoration in cities : Rewilding the European beaver (Castor fiber) in Berlin, Germany
MethodsX (2024), Volume: 13 - ISSN 2215-0161