All episodes

In this episode, plant ecologists Ute Jandt and Helge Bruelheide explain why a greener planet isn’t necessarily a more diverse one. They discuss global greening, the rise of generalist species, the homogenisation of ecosystems, and how rewilding, forestry, and agriculture can help conserve plant biodiversity in a changing world with podcast host Volker Hahn.

In this episode, Volker Hahn talks to Carlo Rondinini, Professor of Zoology at Sapienza University of Rome, about wolves, beavers, otters, hedgehogs, jackals, and the global fate of mammals. They explore why some species are making remarkable comebacks in Europe, while one quarter of mammals worldwide are at risk of extinction. And although the threats are complex — from habitat loss and overexploitation to climate change — Rondinini says one solution matters more than almost anything else.

Why are insects declining — and what can social media teach us about biodiversity? Entomologist Dr Shawan Chowdhury talks with host Volker Hahn about his research on insect conservation and protected areas, the striking lack of data from tropical regions, and how Facebook, iNaturalist and other platforms can help fill these gaps. Shawan also shares how he uses social media not only as a scientific tool, but as a bridge between research and the public — and why communicating science across cultures matters as much as doing it.

Are insect numbers really declining — and if so, why? In this episode, entomologist Roel van Klink explains what long-term data reveal about global and local insect trends and why the causes behind these changes remain surprisingly uncertain. We also discuss why it is difficult to distinguish between natural fluctuations and human-driven impacts, such as land-use change or climate change. We explore what scientists currently know, what they still don’t know, and why understanding these drivers is crucial for biodiversity conservation.

How can conservation succeed in a polarised society? This episode features Taylor Dotson, a Science and Technology Studies scholar and an associate professor at New Mexico Tech. Together with podcast host Dr. Volker Hahn, Dotson discusses his new book, “Conservation by the people – The Future of Biodiversity in a Divided World”. In it, Dotson describes “fanatical confrontations over nature”, and he explores ways of resolving environmental disputes productively and democratically. How can we better understand those who oppose conservation policies? How do we prevent biodiversity policy from becoming as polarising as climate change? How can incremental change through trial...

In this episode, Professor Katrin Böhning-Gaese, scientific director of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, and podcast host Dr. Volker Hahn discuss the Planetary Boundaries framework, focusing not only on the science but also considering the value of this framework for communication. Other questions at the heart of this episode are: Where has communication on climate and biodiversity gone wrong? Is there a tendency to exaggerate risks and understate progress? What are the consequences of catastrophizing rhetoric for mental health and people’s readiness to act? What can biodiversity communication learn from climate communication, and vice versa? Most importantly,...

In this episode of Inside Biodiversity, Volker Hahn speaks with iDiv's sabbatical guest Miguel Bastos Araújo (Spanish Research Council at the National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid), one of the leading experts on species distributions and climate change. Araújo explains how species are shifting their ranges due to climate change, why some traditional protected areas are reaching their limits, and how conservation policy should adapt to a changing climate. The conversation explores how scientific evidence can inform policy and why effective conservation requires navigating multiple, often competing, rationalities. A thought-provoking episode on climate change, biodiversity, and the science-policy interface.

In this episode, Prof. Marten Scheffer from Wageningen University & Research explains critical transitions and tipping points, from shallow lakes and coral reefs to tropical rainforests. Together with host Dr. Volker Hahn, he explores whether local tipping points can be scaled up to a biospheric planetary boundary, and how uncertainty shapes our understanding and communication. Scheffer explains why he believes the concept of tipping points remains relevant for policy and management—even when we do not know where they lie.

Are there tipping points in ecosystems — and if so, can we detect them before the system tips? In this episode of Inside Biodiversity, host Volker Hahn talks with Helmut Hillebrand, professor at the University of Oldenburg and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity, about the science and the politics behind thresholds, regime shifts, and planetary boundaries. Hillebrand says, “Thinking about biodiversity in binary ways, about below and above a threshold, is the wrong way of thinking about how biodiversity works and how we rely on biodiversity.”

Not every species introduced by humans becomes a problem – but some do, especially on islands. In this episode of Inside Biodiversity, invasion biologist Marten Winter (iDiv and Leipzig University) explains how we define alien vs. invasive alien species, why the raccoon is a management challenge for Europe, and why management is particularly tricky in places like Australia. We also discuss the ethical dilemmas of controlling species such as the red fox – and whether it is possible to identify non-native species without knowing their origin.