Rate My Professor Janne Kotiaho

Janne Kotiaho is Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biological and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä's Faculty of Mathematics and Science. He holds the position of Director of the School of Resource Wisdom (JYU.Wisdom), an open transdisciplinary community committed to excellence in research and education on planetary well-being. JYU.Wisdom addresses challenges in the sustainable use of natural resources, circular economy, responsibility, and sustainability, integrating science-based solutions with societal change. Kotiaho's academic journey at the University of Jyväskylä encompasses roles such as docent in evolutionary ecology appointed in 2001, Academy of Finland researcher, assistant professor in applied ecology, fixed-term professor in evolutionary ecology from 2009, and his current permanent professorship since 2010. He completed his Master of Science degree in 1994 and Doctor of Philosophy in 1997 at the University of Jyväskylä, with his doctoral thesis on sexual selection and costs of sexual signalling in the wolf spider Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata. Following his PhD, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Western Australia from 1997 to 2000.

Kotiaho's research specializes in ecology and evolutionary biology, with current focus on biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, policy-relevant assessments, and developing methodologies for organizational carbon and biodiversity footprints. He leads the Biodiversity Footprint Team, pioneering open tools and pilots for institutions including the University of Oulu, Tampere University, Turku University, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, S-ryhmä, Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland, and cities like Tampere. Key projects under his principal investigatorship include BOOST for biodiversity offsets to enable just transitions toward no net loss of ecosystems, Luonnonlaidunnuksen luontovaikutusten arviointi, and Metsähallituksen Luontopalveluiden kokonaisluontovaikutus. His scholarly impact is evidenced by highly cited publications such as the Summary for Policymakers of the IPBES assessment on land degradation and restoration (2018, 926 citations), Genic capture and resolving the lek paradox (2004, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 634 citations), Costs of sexual traits: a mismatch between theoretical considerations and empirical evidence (2001, Biological Reviews, 556 citations), Predicting the risk of extinction from shared ecological characteristics (2005, PNAS, 426 citations), and Challenges of ecological restoration: lessons from forests in northern Europe (2013, Biological Conservation, 302 citations). Recent works include Ambitious forest biodiversity conservation under scarce public funds: Introducing a deferrence mechanism to conservation auctions (2026, Ecological Economics) and Opas organisaatioiden luontojalanjäljen laskentaan. Versio 1 (2026, University of Jyväskylä). Kotiaho chairs the Finnish Nature Panel, providing independent scientific advice on biodiversity and ecosystem services to support national policy-making.