Jens-Christian Svenning
LightNews LightNews
jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning
@jcsvenning.bsky.social
6.3K followers 630 following 350 posts

Scientist: #biodiversity, #macroecology, #climatechange, #restoration & #rewilding, #novelecosystems, #plants & #vegetation, #megafauna, #human-#nature relations & #remotesensing. Director, https://econovo.au.dk/

Videos

Jens-Christian Svenning is a Danish ecologist, biogeographer and academic. He is a professor at the Department of Biology at Aarhus University, Denmark where he also serves as the director of DNRF Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO), established in 2023. .. more

Environmental science 59%
Geography 16%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 1
The evidence for Homo sapiens playing the dominant role in the global #megafauna #extinctions constitutes one of the clearest, well-supported patterns in #ecology. See our 2024 review www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #paleobiology #archeology #hunting #ecosystem #Pleistocene #defaunation #rewilding
The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction | Cambridge Core
The late-Quaternary megafauna extinctions: Patterns, causes, ecological consequences and implications for ecosystem management in the Anthropocene - Volume 2
www.cambridge.org

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 9h
A wisent-sized bison from Spain just 4000 years ago - with a metal arrowhead in its ribs...https://www.noticiasdenavarra.com/sociedad/2026/02/09/navarra-anuncia-hallazgo-esqueleto-bisonte-10677299.html #bison #wisent #megafauna

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

bsbibotany.bsky.social
BSBI Botany @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 1d
Looking to find out the differences between Cherry Plum, Blackthorn and Hawthorn?
Check out this helpful #WildFlowerID resource from top botanist Kevin Widdowson:
bsbi.org/learn/resour...

Reposted by Ingolf Kühn

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 2d
We studied a long-term trophic #rewilding project where #horses 🐎 & #cattle🐂 live year-round under near-wild conditions. Their space use shapes #vegetation structure🌿& modulates #drought sensitivity, w/ clear differences bt horses & cattle 🐎🐂🌿♨️➡️ esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Space‐use by feral cattle and horses shapes vegetation structure in a trophic rewilding area
Feral cattle (Bos taurus) and horses (Equus ferus caballus) are commonly introduced to European rewilding areas to halt vegetation succession and to conserve light-demanding species. Yet, we still do....
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

andrejpaleo.bsky.social
Andrej Spiridonov @andrejpaleo.bsky.social · 3d
Interesting case of recent human-modulated geodispersal which was enabled by the building and functioning of the Suez Canal. Interesting to think about this case as an analogue of ancient tectonic restructuring of seaways 👇
t.co/k6Qdu82nti
🧪 ⚒️ #Paleobio #Geology #Macroecology #Biogeography
Visualization of the Lessepsian invasion as a human-induced partial reversal to the west (right panel) of the formerly eastward shift in species ranges and diversity hotspots that occurred in ostracod descendants of Tethys taxa (left panel). Symbols indicate climate cooling/warming, tectonic continent–continent collision and evolutionary diversification.

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 4d
En kommentar om "konservative" vs. "sprinter"-træer fra min side, i Naturmonitor: Vi skal tænke i flere træarter, når vi planter skov naturmonitor.dk/nyheder/deba... 🌳🌿
#træer #skovrejsning #dkgreen
Forsker: Vi skal tænke i flere træarter, når vi planter skov
Det er afgørende, at vi er omhyggelige i valget af træarter, i den grønne arealomlægning. Men et enøjet fokus på hurtigtvoksende træarter har en slagside, vurderer dagens debattør.
naturmonitor.dk

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Stephen D. Murphy

milanchytry.bsky.social
Milan Chytrý @milanchytry.bsky.social · 5d
New interactive global maps of 31 plant traits were prepared by Daniel Lusk, based on plant distribution data from GBIF and sPlot, plant trait data from TRY, and various satellite-based products.
Map viewer: global-traits.projects.earthengine.app/view/global-...
Article: doi.org/10.1038/s414...

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

adamwelz.bsky.social
Adam Welz @adamwelz.bsky.social · 5d
e360.yale.edu/digest/india...
India Says Its Grasslands Are 'Wastelands.' Medieval Folklore Suggests Otherwise
e360.yale.edu

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

joshlukedavis.com
Josh Luke Davis 🏳️‍🌈 @joshlukedavis.com · 7d
'He adds that... one of the world’s oldest steppe reserves, Askania-Nova, [is...] in that zone and [has] fallen under occupation. “This territory will be inaccessible to us for many decades, or maybe even centuries” because it has been heavily mined, he says.'

🧪🌱
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Nothing is sacred to them’: the race to save rare plants as Russian troops advance
With some of Ukraine’s most valuable biodiversity sites and science facilities under occupation, experts at Sofiyivka Park in Uman are struggling to preserve the country’s natural history
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Julie L. Lockwood

neobiota.pensoft.net
NeoBiota @neobiota.pensoft.net · 10d
🐍❄️ Can Florida’s #cold snaps stop #Burmese #pythons?

#Research published in NeoBiota, recently featured in @people.com by Gabrielle Rockson, suggest that these #invasivespecies are undergoing evolutionary change and show behavioral plasticity that helps them survive the cold #weather. 👇
Fla. Temperatures Dropped to Dangerous Numbers for Reptiles, But the State's Invasive Pythons Are Hanging On
While temperatures are dropping in Florida, invasive pythons have been adapting despite other reptiles dropping, according to new reports
people.com

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 11d
Our press release: Fast-growing #trees are taking over the #forests of the #future and putting biodiversity and climate resilience under pressure bio.au.dk/en/about-bio...
Fast-growing trees are taking over the forests of the future and putting biodiversity and climate resilience under pressure
Climate change, deforestation, and habitat loss are promoting increasingly uniform forests, where fast-growing tree species displace native trees. This reduces biodiversity, makes trees less resilient...
bio.au.dk

Reposted by Brian J. Enquist, Tobias Kuemmerle, Hans Henrik Bruun , and 8 more

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 11d
Fast-growing trees are set to dominate the #forests of the #future — but at a cost🌳
Our Nature Plants (@natplants.nature.com) study shows a global shift toward "sprinter" tree species, while slow-growing, functionally critical #trees face elevated #extinction risk. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Global functional shifts in trees driven by alien naturalization and native extinction - Nature Plants
This study finds that native tree extinctions and alien naturalizations are pushing forests towards fast-growing, resource-demanding species. This global shift could affect carbon storage and ecosyste...
www.nature.com

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · 11d
Likewise!

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Irena Šímová

smurph.bsky.social
Stephen Murphy (smurph) @smurph.bsky.social · 12d
@jcsvenning.bsky.social is always a welcome listen (and even better to have some excellent food and beverages with)
jamierohu.bsky.social Jamie Rohu @jamierohu.bsky.social · 13d
The third Rewilding event at Trinity in association with @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social during Autumn 2025.

In the final event, Professor @jcsvenning.bsky.social spoke, amongst other things, about the vital role of large herbivores in shaping natural ecosystems.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTts...
Rewilding in Europe | Past, Present, Future
YouTube video by Irish Wildlife Trust
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Brian J. Enquist, Stephen D. Murphy

jamierohu.bsky.social
Jamie Rohu @jamierohu.bsky.social · 13d
The third Rewilding event at Trinity in association with @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social during Autumn 2025.

In the final event, Professor @jcsvenning.bsky.social spoke, amongst other things, about the vital role of large herbivores in shaping natural ecosystems.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTts...
Rewilding in Europe | Past, Present, Future
YouTube video by Irish Wildlife Trust
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

iavs5.bsky.social
The International Association for Vegetation Science @iavs5.bsky.social · 14d
🌍 Need support to attend #IAVS2026?
Funding for registration, accommodation, and transportation is available through the IAVS. 🌿
🗓️ Applications open: 1 Dec 2025 – 31 Jan 2026
🔗 For more info: 2026gijon.iavs-meetings.org/registration/
#IAVS2026 #VegetationEcology #TravelGrant

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

adamwelz.bsky.social
Adam Welz @adamwelz.bsky.social · 18d
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The revolutionary women of Rojava are in grave danger. That has consequences for us all | Natasha Walter
For a decade, the autonomous territory in Syria has been a bastion of gender equality. It holds important lessons for the fight against authoritarianism, says author Natasha Walter
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Yadvinder Malhi, Brian J. Enquist , and 8 more

transitionalform.bsky.social
Laura Cooper @transitionalform.bsky.social · 19d
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Martin McKee, Jens‐Christian Svenning , and 35 more

claesdevreese.bsky.social
Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 23d
Copenhagen town hall square, Denmark right now.

Massive solidarity with Greenland demonstrations.

Source: dr.dk

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

dg.dk
Danmarks Grundforskningsfond @dg.dk · 27d
🍃- Det er en god idé at tænke taksen ind i skovrejsningsprojekter, for eksempel i forbindelse med den grønne trepart, mener @jcsvenning.bsky.social, @econovoau.bsky.social (BM)👇
www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/danmark/i-10...
I 1086 beskrev man en taks, der stadig står i Englands Nyskov
Taks er en mytologisk træart, kan blive oldgammel og bør tænkes ind i skovrejsningen i Danmark, mener biologiprofessor
www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Our work on the nearby-find of late-surviving #horses of the native Central European phylogroup: Paleodiet reconstructions and human utilization of middle #Holocene Equus ferus in northwest Europe🐎🐎https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018224003237 #toothwear #isotopes #paleobiology
Paleodiet reconstructions and human utilization of middle Holocene Equus ferus in northwest Europe
This study uses tooth meso- and microwear together with bone collagen stable isotope ratios (carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulphur (δ34S)) to in…
www.sciencedirect.com

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Thanks for coming to Aarhus for TIBS & joining in the field!

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Impacts of proactive health management on #cattle and #horse diets and dung biodiversity in Danish #rewilding areas besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Impacts of proactive health management on cattle and horse diets and dung biodiversity in Danish rewilding areas
Our findings demonstrate functional differences between cattle and horses, which suggest complementary effects on vegetation development and consequently biodiversity. Also, our results indicate that...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Contrasting seasonal patterns in diet and dung-associated #invertebrates of #feral cattle and horses in a #rewilding area onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #eDNA
Contrasting seasonal patterns in diet and dung‐associated invertebrates of feral cattle and horses in a rewilding area
Trophic rewilding is increasingly applied in restoration efforts, with the aim of reintroducing the ecological functions provided by large-bodied mammals and thereby promote self-regulating, biodiver...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Grazing by semi-feral #cattle and horses supports plant species richness and uniqueness in #grasslands onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Grazing by semi‐feral cattle and horses supports plant species richness and uniqueness in grasslands
Grazing is a natural ecosystem process and, thus, restoring naturalistic grazing using feral animals may be seen as a restoration goal in itself, notwithstanding the effects on biodiversity. Neverthe...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by Etienne Lalechère

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Wonderful ##TIBS2026 excursion to the Mols #rewilding site this Saturday 🐎🌿❄️🐂🌳☀️ Links to our research on the sites in the comments (more is on the way!) #restoration #ecology #megafauna ➡️

Reposted by Martin Ehbrecht

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Interestingly, this vegetation structure fits the ecological requirements of European forest plants - see our study Temperate forest plants are associated with heterogeneous semi-open canopy conditions shaped by large herbivores www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🌸🌿🐎
Client Challenge
www.nature.com

Reposted by Ingolf Kühn, Alejandro Ordóñez, Martin Ehbrecht

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Jan 10
Our best estimate of Europe's "forest" structure prior to the #megafauna #extinctions: Temperate Europe had high local #vegetation heterogeneity, on average 17% open vegetation, 21% closed #forest & 63% light #woodland ➡️https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950475925000061 #TIBS2026

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

wbwu.bsky.social
Wanben Wu @wbwu.bsky.social · Jan 10
Had a great experience at my first #TIBS conference, hosted at my own university, beautifully framed by snow ❄️
So many inspiring talks and thoughtful discussions with wonderful scientists.
I also presented my ongoing work on how #light regimes organize #plant diversity across spatial scales.

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning

anordonez1.bsky.social
Alejandro Ordonez @anordonez1.bsky.social · Jan 9
Last notes from #TIBS2026, where the @ecography.bsky.social editorial board discusses the #E4 award
Happy to be a new member of the editorial team
See details at www.ecography.org/news/e4-award

Reposted by Jens‐Christian Svenning, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Joaquín Hortal , and 4 more

smartenwinter.bsky.social
Marten Winter @smartenwinter.bsky.social · Jan 9
⏩️❓️‼️ If you have your biogeography research to be published, there is the perfect journal with an impact factor of 2.5 & being led & driven by a great society @biogeography.bsky.social🎉‼️⏪️

❤️FRONTIERS OF BIOGEOGRAPHY❤️

biogeography.pensoft.net

#tibs2026 #macroecology @tibsaarhus2026.bsky.social
Frontiers of Biogeography
 Launched to support biogeographic researchFrontiers of Biogeography (FoB) is the scientific journal of The International Biogeography Society (TIBS, biogeography.org), a not-for-profit orga...
biogeography.pensoft.net