About us

The Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences was founded the 1 January 2013 and has approximately 160 employees.

We have many national and international collaborations as well as temporary guests, both researchers and students.

The department building is part of the Arrhenius laboratories on Stockholm University’s campus. In 2015, the department's premises were completed with unique solutions for the complex biological research that is conducted. Integrated with the top floor there are greenhouse modules with different climates represented, from tropical rainforest to Swedish nature.

It is a modern research and teaching environment with a broad green biology-focus mainly.

Picture created by Nyréns Arkitektkontor AB.

History

The Department was founded January 1, 2013, when the former Department of Botany and Department of Systems Ecology were merged and named the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences.

Botany was established in 1882 as an autonomous department with its own professorship at Stockholm University, which at that time was called Stockholms högskola. Eugen Warming held the professorship and became Stockholms högskola’s first elected Vice Chancellor. Department of Botany later moved to premises specially built for the purpose in Lilla Frescati with inauguration in 1964.

The Department of Systems Ecology originated in the Askö Laboratory, founded in 1961 by Professor Lars Silén. At the end of the 70s resources were moved to Stockholm University to continue the marine ecosystem research with a professorship in marine ecology. 1989 Department of Systems Ecology was formed, with professorships in Marine Ecology, Marine Ecotoxicology, Brackish Water Ecology, and Natural Resource Management.

In 2013 the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences was formed by merger of the two departments. A couple of years later, during the summer 2015, the department moved together in newly built premises in the Arrhenius laboratories. The department currently conducts a broad research and teaching with professorships in the research topics Ecotoxicology, Marine Ecology, Plant Ecology, Plant Physiology and Plant Systematics.