Societal Transition and Agriculture
Prof. Dr. Claudia Bieling

Prof. Dr. Claudia Bieling

Head of Department

Claudia Bieling holds the Chair of Societal Transition and Agriculture at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. Her work is rooted in transdisciplinary sustainability research and focuses on the interface of ecological and social dimensions in land-use and food systems. She works with the concepts of cultural landscapes and social-ecological resilience and draws on empirical research experience in a variety of collaborative projects, with a focus on Central Europe.

Claudia Bieling publishes extensively on land management and sustainability and edited two books with Cambridge University Press ("Resilience and the Cultural Landscape" in 2012, "The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship" in 2017). She is Editor-in-Chief of the journal "GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society" and Associate Editor for "Conservation Letters". Moreover, she serves in several committees and boards, among others in the Scientific Board of the Special Programme on Advancing Biological Diversity of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, the Scientific Advisory Board of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) and the Earth System Sciences Advisory Board of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Claudia Bieling holds a postdoctoral degree ("Habilitation") in Landscape Management and a PhD in Forest and Environmental Policy (both from University of Freiburg, Germany). She received her Diploma (equivalent to M.Sc.) in Forest Sciences from University of Göttingen, Germany.

Research interests

  • Sustainability transformations in the agri-food system
  • Social-ecological systems
  • Landscape approach
  • Resilience
  • Participation
  • Qualitative social sciences
  • Transdisciplinary research

Career

Since April 2015Professor for Societal Transition and Agriculture at University of Hohenheim
Apr. 2005 - Mar. 2015Research Associate at the Chair for Landscape Management, University of Freiburg:  diverse research projects on sustainable land use management
Jan. 2003 - Mar. 2005Freelance researcher for various institutes of the University of Freiburg
May 1999 - Dec. 2002Research Associate at the Institute for Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg

Educational background

Dec. 2014Habilitation in "Landscape Management" at University of Freiburg; Habilitation thesis: "Exploring the human-nature nexus: nonmaterial landscape values in a transition towards sustainability"
May 1999 - Dec. 2002PhD studies at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg; Dissertation thesis: "Assessment and implementation of close-to-nature forest management concepts by small-scale private owners in the Southern Black Forest, Germany" (in German)
Oct. 1995 - Mar. 1999Graduate studies of Forest Sciences with a focus on nature conservation at University of Göttingen (Germany); Diploma thesis: "Socio-economy of livestock farming in pastured woodlands (dehesas) in Extremadura, Spain" (in German)
April 1993 - Sep. 1995Undergraduate studies of Forest Sciences at the University of Freiburg, Germany

Born 1973, married, two children

Research projects

Publication List

Berger T., Gimpel H., Stein A., Troost C., Asseng S., Bichler M., Bieling C., Birner R., Grass I., Kollmann J., Leonhardt S.D., Schurr F.M., Weisser W. (2024) Hybrid intelligence for reconciling biodiversity and productivity in agriculture. Nature Food (online first)

Freyer B., Zerihun Y.A., Bieling C., Bingen J., Lopez Cifuentes M., Ellssel P., Fiala V., Kisakye V., Diez Sanjuan L., Wieck C. (2024). Food system in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa: Food systems in Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa: Critical reflections on the interface between food systems and ecosystem services using social practice theory. In: Loconto A.M., Constance D.H. (eds.): Agrifood Transitions in the Anthropocene. Challenges, Contested Knowledge, and the Need for Change. Sage Studies in International Sociology. Sage, London, pp. 227-264

Tiebel M., Mölder A., Bieling C., Hansen P., Plieninger T. (2024). Understanding small‐scale private forest owners is a basis for transformative change towards integrative conservation. People and Nature pp. 337-353

Huber J.M., Bieling C., Garcia-Martin M., Plieninger T., Tarralba M. (2023) Photovoice: Participatory research methods for sustainability ‒ toolkit# 8. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 32(4): 386-388

Ohnesorge B., Bieling C., Schleyer C., Plieninger T. (2023) Bewertung von Ökosystemen und deren Leistungen in Deutschland –  Das Beispiel der Streuobstwiesen in Biosphärengebiet Schwäbisch Alb.  In: Grunewald K., Bastian O., (eds.): Ökosystemleistungen. Konzept, Methoden, Bewertungs- und Steuerungsansätze. 2. revised edition. Springer Spektrum, Heidelberg, pp. 439-448
Marting Vidaure N.A., Jurišić V., Bieling C., Magenau E., Wagner M., Kiesel A., Lewandowski I. (2023): Social assessment of miscanthus cultivation in Croatia: Assessing farmers' preferences and willingness to cultivate the crop. GCB Bioenergy 15: 916-931
Beery T., Stahl Olafsson A., Gentin S., Maurer M., Stålhammar S., Albert C., Bieling C., Buijs A., Fagerholm N., Garcia-Martin M., Plieninger T., Raymond, C.M. (2023): Disconnection from nature: expanding our understanding of human-nature relations. People and Nature 5(2): 470-488
Bieling C., Spranz Z., Clauß S., Humborg C., Maier M. (2022): Politikempfehlungen für eine Kompensation mit Mehrwert. Politikpapier des Projekts RAMONA, Stuttgart
Olafsson A.S., Purves R.S., Wartmann F.M., Garcia-Martin M., Fagerholm N., Torralba M., Albert C., Verbrugge L.N.H., Heikinheimo V., Plieninger T., Bieling C., Kaaronen R., Hartmann M., Raymond C.M. (2022): Comparing landscape value patterns between participartory mapping and geolocated social media content across Europe. Landscape and urban Planning 226: 104511
Brossette F., Bieling C., Kiefer L., Kemkes W., Röske H. (2022): Sozial-ökologische Perspektiven zur Erhaltung der Land(wirt)schaft ‒ Erkenntnisse zu den Allmendweiden im Biosphärengebiet Schwarzwald. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung 54(6): 12-21
Fagerholm N., García-Martín M., Torralba M., Bieling C., Plieninger T. (2022): Public participation geographical information systems (PPGIS). Participatory research methods for sustainability – toolkit #1. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 31(1): 46-48
Torralba M., García-Martín M., Bieling C., Plieninger T. (2022): Participatory research methods for sustainability. Editorial. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 31(1): 1
Brossette F., Bieling C., Penker M. (2022): Adapting common resource management to under-use contexts: the case of common pasture organizations in the Black Forest Biosphere Reserve. International Journal of the Commons 16(1): 29-46
Al-Sayed L., Bieling C. (2022): Understanding food-related well-being in a diaspora situation: the psychological and social dimensions. Journal of Refugee Studies 35(1): 551-575

Mensah Kumeh E., Bieling C., Birner R. (2021): Food-security corridors: A crucial but missing link in tackling deforestation in Southwestern Ghana. Land Use Policy

Park H., Bieling C. (2021): Looking at hidden connections to explore adaptive capacity of cultural landscape systems: case studies of four landcare associations in Germany. Ecology and Society 26(4):11

Knierim A., Bieling C., Zander P. (2021): How researchers shape the construction of landscape change – insights from a scenario study. Landscape Research 46(8): 1057-1070

Fischer C., Bieling C., Roth M. (2021): Auswirkungen von Kompensationsmaßnahmen auf Landschaftsbild und Erholungswert – eine empirische Untersuchung. Natur und Landschaft 96(5): 254-260

Riechers M., Loos J., Balázsi Á., García-Llorente M., Bieling C., Burgos-Ayala A., Chakroun L., Mattijssen T.J.M., Muhr M.M., Pérez-Ramírez I., Raatikainen K.J., Rana S., Richardson M., Rosengren L., West S. (2021): Key advantages of the leverage points perspective to shape human-nature relations. Ecosystems and People 17(1): 205-214

Al-Sayed L., Bieling C. (2021): Understanding food-related well-being in a diaspora situation: the psychological and social dimensions. Journal of Refugee Studies

Jin H.S., Hemminger K., Fong J.J., Sattler C., Lee S.K., Bieling C., König H.J. (2021): Revealing stakeholders' motivation and influence in crane conservation in the Republic of Korea: NetMap as a tool. Conservation Science and Practice 3(3): e384

Al-Sayed L., Bieling C. (2020): Food-related well-being in times of crisis – conceptual considerations and empirical findings for Syrian refugees in Germany. Journal of Migration and Health 1-2: 100005
Maier A., Bieling C., Schmieder K. (2020): Erhalt und Weiterentwicklung des Streuobstbaus in Baden-Württemberg: Erfolgsfaktoren, Hemmnisse und Lösungsansätze. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung 52(11): 524-529
van Putten S., O’Meara C., Wartmann F., Yager J., Villette J., Mazzuca C., Bieling C., Burenult N., Purves R., Majid, A. (2020): Conceptualisations of landscape differ across European languages. Plos one 15(10): e0239858
Gaugler T., Reichel C., Tretter C., Bieling C. (2020): Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit: smart farming und resiliente Ernährungsökologie. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 29(3): 201-202
Plieninger, T., Fagerholm, N., Bieling, C. (2020): How to run a sustainability science research group sustainably? Sustainability Science 16

 

Sponagel C., Firlus M., Effenberger N., Angenendt E., Bieling C., Bahrs E. (2020): Perspektiven und Status Quo der Eingriffsregelung im Kontext der Landwirtschaft – das Beispiel der Region Stuttgart. In: Meinel G., Schumacher U., Behnisch M., Krüger T. (ed.): Flächennutzungsmonitoring XII mit Beiträgen zum Monitoring von Ökosystemleistungen und SDGs.  IÖR Schriften 78. Rhombos, Berlin, pp. 63-71

 

acatech (German National Academy of Science and Engineering) (ed.): A resilient and sustainable food supply: the coronavirus crisis and other challenges. (Contributor). acatech IMPULSE. Munich, 48 pages

 

acatech (Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften) (ed.) (2020): Resiliente und nachhaltige Lebensmittelversorgung: Die Coronakrise und weitere Herausforderungen. (Contributor). acatech IMPULS. München, 48 pages

 

Tretter F., Gaugler T., Bieling C., Tretter C., Underberg E., Harrer-Puchner G., Franz-Balsen A. (2020): Ein Virus verändert unser Weltverhältnis. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 29(2): 83-87

Bieling C., Eser U., Plieninger T. (2020): Towards a better understanding of values in sustainability transformations:  ethical perspectives on landscape stewardship. Ecosystems and People 16(1): 188-196
Hanspach J., Haider L.J., Oteros-Rozas E, Stahl Olafsson A., Gulsrud N.M., Raymond C.M., Torralba M., Martín-López B., Bieling C., García-Martín M. Albert C., Beery T.H., Fagerholm N., DíazReviriego I., Drews-Shambroom A., Plieninger T. (2020): Biocultural approaches to sustainability: a systematic review of the scientific literature. People and Nature 2: 643–659
Fagerholm N., Martín-López B., Torralba M., Oteros-Rozas E., Lechner A.M., Bieling C., Stahl Olafsson A., Albert C., Raymond C.M., García-Martín M., Gulsrud N., Plieninger T. (2020): Perceived contributions of multifunctional landscapes to human well-being: evidence from 13 European sites. People and Nature 2: 217-234

Hewitt R.J., Pera F.A., García-Martín M., Gaudry-Sada K.H., Hernández-Jiménez V., Bieling C. (2020): Mapping adolescents’ sense of place and perceptions of change in an urban-rural transition area. Environmental Management 65: 334-354

Bieling C. (2019): Kleinbäuerliche Familienbetriebe: lösen sie die Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme der Landwirtschaft? Editorial. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 19(4): 329329
Tretter F., Simon K.H., Reichel, Ch., Schmaus T., Serbser W.H., Hofmann K.M., Bieling C. (2019): Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit: humanökologische Perspektiven. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 28(4): 398-400
Pestalozzi J., Bieling C., Scheer D., Kropp. C. (2019): Integrating power-to-gas in the biogas value chain: analysis of stakeholder perception and risk governance requirements. Energy, Sustainability and Society 9: art. 38
Müller S.M., Peisker J., Bieling C., Linnemann K., Reidl K., Schmieder K. (2019): The importance of cultural ecosystem services and biodiversity for landscape visitors in the biosphere reserve Swabian Alb (Germany). Sustainability 11(9): 1-23
Bieling C., Gerdes H., Ohnesorge B., Plieninger T., Schaich H., Schleyer C., Trommler K., Wolff F. (2019): Developing landscape scenarios and identifying local management options: outcomes and evaluation of a participatory approach in the Swabian Alb, Germany. In: Padmanabhan M. (ed.): Transdisciplinary Research and Sustainability – Collaboration, Innovation and Transformation. Routledge, London, pp. 134-150
García-Martín M., Plieninger T., Bieling C. (2018): Dimensions of landscape stewardship across Europe: Landscape values, place attachment, awareness, and personal responsibility. Sustainability 10(1): 263 (27 pages)
Kizos T., Verburg P.H., Bürgi M., Gounaridis D., Plieninger T., Bieling C., Balatsos T. (2018): From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change. Ecology and Society 23(1): art. 25
Schweizerhof C., Bieling C. (2018): Was zeichnet Konsument/-innen in Alternativen Lebensmittelnetzwerken aus? Ländlicher Raum 2018/1: 26-29
Shaw B., Draux H., García Martín M., Martin J., Bieling C. (2017): Contributions of citizen science to landscape democracy: potentials and challenges of current approaches. Landscape Research 42(8): 809-818
Oteros-Rozas E., Martín-López B., Fagerholm N., Bieling C., Plieninger T. (2017): Using social media photos to explore the relation between cultural ecosystem services and landscape features across five European sites. Ecological Indicators 94(2): 74-86
Plieninger T., Kohsaka, R., Bieling C., Hashimoto S., Kamiyama C., Kizos T., Penker M., Kieninger P., Shaw B.J., Sioen G.B., Yoshida Y., Saito O. (2017): Fostering biocultural diversity in landscapes through place-based food networks: a ‘‘solution scan’’ of European and Japanese models. Sustainability Science 13(1): 219-233
Garcia-Martin M., Fagerholm N., Bieling C., Gounaridis D., Kizos T., Printsmann A., Müller M., Lieskovský J., Plieninger, T. (2017): Participatory mapping of landscape values in a PanEuropean perspective. Landscape Ecology 32(11): 2133-2150
Rall E., Bieling C., Zytynska S., Haase D. (2017): Exploring city-wide patterns of cultural ecosystem service perceptions and use. Ecological Indicators 77: 80-95
Hernández-Morcillo M., Bieling C., Bürgi M., Lieskovský J., Palang H., Printsmann A., Schulp C.J.E., Verburg P.H., Plieninger T. (2017): Priority questions for the science, policy and practice of cultural landscapes in Europe. Landscape Ecology 32(11): 2083-2096
Bürgi M., Bieling C., von Hackwitz K., Kizos T., Lieskovský J., Garcia-Martin M., McCarthy S., Müller M., Palang H., Plieninger T., Printsmann A. (2017): Processes and driving forces in changing cultural landscapes across Europe. Landscape Ecology 32(11): 2097-2112
Bieling C., Plieninger T. (eds.) (2017): The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Bieling C., Plieninger T. (2017): Leveraging landscape stewardship: principles and ways forward. In: Bieling C., Plieninger T. (eds.) The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 370-382
Plieninger T., Bieling C. (2017): The emergence of landscape stewardship in practice, policy and research. In: Bieling C., Plieninger T. (eds.) The Science and Practice of Landscape Stewardship. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 1-17
Konold W., Bieling C., Schaich H. (2017): Landespflege Freiburg: die "Interdisziplin" der Kulturlandschaftsforschung. In: Recker U., Kleefeld K.-D., Burggraaf P. (eds.) Kulturlandschaftsmanagement: Planung – Perspektiven – Vermittlung. Selbstverlag des Landesamtes für Denkmalpflege Hessen, Wiesbaden, pp. 233-252
Bieling C. (2017): Wie trägt Landschaft zur menschlichen Lebensqualität bei? Empirische Erkundungen auf der Schwäbischen Alb. Alemannisches Jahrbuch 2015/2016 (63-64): 147162
Bieling C. (2017): Transdisziplinär forschen: Varianten des Gelingens (Buchreview). GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 6(1): 52-53
+49(0)711/459-24029

claudia.bieling@uni-hohenheim.de

ResearchGate page
LinkedIn page

Postal address:

University of Hohenheim
Institute of Social Sciences in Agriculture
Societal Transition and Agriculture (430b)
Schloss Museumsflügel (4.15/1C, 132)
70599 Stuttgart, Germany

Secretary: Julia Rietze