Rate My Professor Janne Kotiaho

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.