There is growing evidence that landscape degradation is driving increased rates of spillover from animals and vectors into humans, but it is unclear whether restoring ecosystems can protect against these effects. Restoration creates novel ecological interactions, altering the distribution and abundance of hosts, vectors and pathogens. These shifts may amplify risk during community reassembly or may rebuild resilience and disease dilution effects if restoration also restores ecosystem functioning. This challenge is particularly urgent given that restored environments often still experience anthropogenic pressure.
This session will bring together cutting-edge research and practice to assess the relationship between landscape change and disease and examine when and how landscape or ecosystem restoration may be protective, or risky in terms of disease emergence or spread. Contributions spanning empirical fieldwork, laboratory, modelling, remote sensing, social, economic and ecological drivers, community engagement and policy practice are all welcome, as are new technological approaches including AI.
Because the relationship between disease spillover and landscape change, particularly restoration, is an inter- and transdisciplinary problem, this session will convene expertise across ecology, public health, social sciences, restoration practice and policy. Together, we will identify the conditions under which landscape change supports both biodiversity recovery and planetary health, while recognising the economic and regulatory realities that shape ecological futures.
To foster innovation and mutual learning, the session will feature short oral presentation clusters followed by dynamic inter-cluster panel dialogues, where each cluster pitches to and builds on the next. This format is designed to ignite cross-sectoral conversations, challenge assumptions, and co-create actionable insights on one of the most pressing biodiversity–health challenges of our time.
Co-Conveners Nadja Kabisch, Lena Robra, Adrian Egli
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and West Nile virus (WNV) are zoonotic, vector-borne diseases of increasing public health concern across Europe, reflected in rising case numbers and the emergence of new areas of infection. Their transmission risk follows characteristic seasonal patterns, largely driven by the weather-dependent activity of their arthropod vectors. Consequently, climatic warming - particularly alongside land-use changes – has the potential to significantly alter the phenology and seasonal dynamics of TBE and WNV by shifting the geographic and temporal distribution of both vectors and viruses. In this study, we aim to assess the impacts of climate and land-use changes on the seasonal transmission dynamics of TBE and WNV in Europe, both historically and under future scenarios. Specifically, we focus on phenological shifts in the intensity of infection risk and in the duration of the transmission season throughout the year.
To achieve this, we developed spatiotemporal species distribution models (SDMs) for both viruses and their primary vector species, generating monthly habitat suitability predictions across Europe for past and projected future conditions. For virus modelling, we employed a nested approach that incorporates vector habitat suitability as an additional predictor, capturing the dependence of virus occurrence on vector presence. To disentangle the drivers of observed changes, we applied counterfactual historical scenarios, allowing us to attribute shifts in seasonal transmission risk to either climate or land-use change.
Our analysis offers valuable insights into the changing phenology of TBE and WNV in response to environmental shifts. By identifying temporal shifts in infection risk and in the duration of disease transmission periods, as well as their spatial manifestations through the emergence or intensification of suitability hotspots, our results contribute to a better understanding of how transmission patterns have evolved in the past. Importantly, our results also provide a basis for anticipating future spatiotemporal trends in infection risk, thereby supporting more effective disease risk management through informed early warning systems, targeted surveillance, and adaptive public health strategies.
How to cite: Holle, V., Klitting, R., and Zurell, D.: Past and future phenology changes of vector-borne zoonotic diseases under climate and land-use change, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-445, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-445, 2026.
Habitat degradation is accelerating worldwide, altering species assemblages and the ecological interactions that regulate pathogen transmission in wildlife. Because ecosystem restoration can rebuild community structure, improve habitat quality, and potentially reduce contact rates or exposure pathways, it is expected to lower disease risk. Yet the consistence and magnitude of these effects remain unclear, especially when changes in species composition may either amplify or dampen infection dynamics. To address this uncertainty, we synthesized published studies that compared pathogen prevalence across sites classified within a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) framework. Our objectives were to determine whether: (I) degraded habitats exhibit higher infection risk than undisturbed controls; (II) restored sites show lower infection probabilities than pre-restoration conditions; and (III) shifts in host community composition accompany these habitat transitions. We compiled 28 independent studies from 48 countries, spanning various habitat types. The dataset included a diverse set of vertebrate hosts and pathogen groups with a notable research bias toward protozoan infections. We evaluated disease outcomes using meta-analytic contrasts, mixed-effects models fitted to individual-level infection data, and multivariate analyses of host-community structure. Global comparisons between undisturbed (control) and degraded (impact) sites showed no consistent direction of change in infection risk across studies, reflecting high ecological and methodological variability. Before-after comparisons suggested a potential decrease in infection following restoration, but the small number of available studies and wide uncertainty prevented firm conclusions. In contrast, the individual-level mixed-effects model revealed a clearer pattern: vertebrates sampled after degradation but prior to restoration consistently showed higher infection probabilities than those sampled after restoration, while control and impact sites did not differ meaningfully from post-restoration conditions. Host-community analyses indicated a small but detectable difference in species composition across BACI stages, although no specific pair of stages showed a strong or consistent shift. Together, these results show that restoration does not generate a universal global reduction in disease risk, yet within local systems, infection probabilities tend to decline following restoration. This suggests that while global patterns remain heterogeneous, targeted restoration actions may yield meaningful disease-mitigation benefits at local scales.
How to cite: Aguiar de Souza Penha, V. and Ecke, F. and the BEPREP team: Meta-analytical approach reveals context-dependent reduction of zoonotic risk in response to ecosystem restoration, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-451, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-451, 2026.
The wildlife trade affects a quarter of terrestrial vertebrates and creates novel opportunities for cross-species pathogen transmission. Yet its contribution to animal-to-human pathogen transmission has rarely been quantified at global scale. We compiled four large datasets to link 40 years of international wildlife trade to mammal–pathogen associations: legal trade records (CITES and LEMIS), seizures of illegal trade (DSW), and the CLOVER database of >190,000 mammal–pathogen interactions. Focusing on wild mammals, and accounting for phylogeny, geography, research effort, synanthropy and wild‐meat use, we asked how trade status and trade history shape pathogen sharing with humans.We show that traded mammals are 1.5 times more likely to share at least one pathogen with humans than non-traded mammals (41% vs 6.4% of species). Live-animal markets further elevate risk: species traded alive are more likely to be zoonotic hosts and, among traded mammals, share on average ~1.5 times more pathogens with humans than species traded only as products. Illegal trade is also associated with a higher number of shared pathogens compared to species traded exclusively through legal channels.Crucially, we find that the time spent in trade is a strong predictor of cross-species pathogen sharing. Using 236,000 CITES records for 583 mammal species between 1980 and 2019, we estimate that a wild mammal species acquires, on average, one additional shared pathogen with humans for every decade it is present in global wildlife trade. This implies that as more species enter and persist in wildlife markets, new zoonotic links will continue to emerge.Our results highlight wildlife trade as a central interface for pathogen exchanges between wild animals and humans. They argue for integrating disease risk reduction into wildlife trade governance – through improved biosurveillance, regulation of live and high-risk trade, and trade volume reduction – as a core pillar of both biodiversity conservation and pandemic prevention agendas.
How to cite: Gippet, J., Carlson, C., Klaftenberger, T., Schweizer, M., Eskew, E., Gore, M., and Bertelsmeier, C.: Wildlife trade drives animal-to-human pathogen transmission over 40 years, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-804, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-804, 2026.
Background: Biodiversity loss resulting from deforestation is an escalating ecological and public health concern, particularly in low-resource settings in countries like Haiti, where waterborne diseases like cholera remain endemic. Forest ecosystems sustain biodiversity by providing habitat for diverse species, regulating hydrological cycles, and maintaining water quality. When tree cover is lost, these ecological functions are disrupted, triggering erosion of soil, runoff of nutrient and eutrophication that promote algal blooms and plankton proliferation, favorable habitats for Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for cholera. Deforestation also diminishes the natural filtration capacity of watersheds which is resulting in increased contamination of surface and ground water sources used for human consumption.
Aim: This study investigates the relationship between biodiversity decline, as measured through tree cover loss, and cholera incidence across seven departments in Haiti.
Method: Using regional tree cover loss data from 2001 to 2021 and cholera incidence data from the first year of the 2022 outbreak, obtained from the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population, spatial correlations between environmental degradation and disease occurrence were assessed.
Result: Results reveal that five of the seven departments exhibited higher cholera incidence rate in areas that experience the greatest tree cover loss. These findings suggest a strong linkage between deforestation and cholera vulnerability, highlighting how biodiversity degradation may amplify environmental conditions conducive to pathogen persistence and transmission.
Conclusion: Understanding the relationship between biodiversity loss and disease dynamics underscores the need for integrated approaches to environmental and public health management. Reforestation, watershed protection, and biodiversity conservation should be recognized not only as ecological priorities bit also as essential public health strategies. Preserving forest ecosystems and their ecological services can reduce cholera risk, enhance water security and strengthen community health resilience in vulnerable regions like Haiti.
Keywords: Biodiversity, Cholera, Tree Cover Loss, Haiti, Ecosystem Health
How to cite: Adrien, E.: Biodiversity Loss and Cholera Dynamics: Understanding the Ecological Dimensions of Disease Outbreaks—The Case of the 2022 Cholera Outbreak in Haiti, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-143, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-143, 2026.
Pathogen transmission is shaped not only by host species traits but also by environmental and habitat characteristics, yet the ecological mechanisms linking habitat structure to disease dynamics remain poorly understood. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for predicting how biodiversity and landscape change influence disease emergence. Here, we experimentally tested how habitat complexity shapes disease-related processes, focusing on the Puumula virus (PUUV, Orthohantavirus puumalaense) in its reservoir host, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Lammi, Finland. We conducted a large-scale enclosure experiment using 16 outdoor enclosures (40 m X 30 m each), where we manipulated two key ecological factors: vegetation complexity (mowed vs. unmowed enclosures) and vole density (high density with 10 individuals vs. low density with four individuals). These manipulations allowed us to examine how habitat structure and host density affect contact rates among individuals and their home range, two essentials parameters that play a central role in pathogen transmission dynamics. Each enclosure has been equipped with nine live traps, camera traps, and small mammal tracking boxes, enabling continuous and detailed monitoring of individually marked bank voles with PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags. We applied Generalized Linear Mixed Models to assess how habitat complexity and vole density influence contact rates and home-range size. To assess infection outcomes, saliva and feces samples were collected, along with physiological data such as bone density and fat reserves obtained through X-ray imaging. PCR (polymerase chain reaction) screening for PUUV is used to determine transmission patterns across treatments, allowing us to link ecological conditions directly to pathogen spread. We additionally evaluated the effects of climate on the observed behavioral and transmission patterns. By linking habitat structure and complexity, host behavior, climatic variation and infection data, this study discusses conditions that affect zoonotic hazard, offering guidance for broader understanding of biodiversity–disease relationships and for ecosystem-based habitat management towards disease risk mitigation.
How to cite: Ramanantsalama, R. V., Uusitalo, J., Sundell, J., Sironen, T., and Ecke, F.: The role of habitat complexity in transmission of a rodent-borne zoonotic pathogen, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-709, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-709, 2026.
Ecosystem restoration is a global priority aimed at enhancing both biodiversity and human well-being. However, the relationship between restoration and disease transmission risk remains poorly understood. While several theories have attempted to link biodiversity and pathogen dynamics, little is known about how this relationship unfolds during a restoration process. Even less is understood about how contextual factors (e.g., site age, connectivity, and structure) influence biodiversity and pathogen transmission. Identifying the conditions that reduce disease risk can deepen our understanding of zoonotic dynamics and inform restoration strategies that help minimize pathogen transmission. With this in mind, we aim to understand how animal composition and diversity influence pathogen dynamics across different restoration contexts in Scotland. Specifically, we want to evaluate how predator presence and diversity might affect the prevalence of Picornaviruses in rodents within restored woodlands. To accomplish this, we studied 30 woodlands from the WREN program (Woodland Creation & Ecological Networks), a long-term, large-scale natural experiment led by the University of Stirling. These sites have been extensively studied in recent years, providing access to data on vegetation structure, landscape connectivity, and camera trap records. Several studies have also demonstrated how the biodiversity of different animal groups can be influenced by the restoration context at these sites. We assessed biodiversity using three complementary methods: environmental DNA from flies, audio recordings (AudioMoth data), and historical camera trap records. These approaches were combined to obtain a comprehensive picture of biodiversity and identify predator diversity present in each woodland. From this dataset, we selected 17 sites for rodent trapping using Ugglan traps for three nights. Faecal samples collected from these traps were then analysed for Picornavirus presence using a previously standardized qPCR assay. This integrative approach provides new insights into how restoration processes shape biodiversity-pathogen interactions and disease ecology in temperate forest systems, offering a framework to better align ecological restoration goals with public health outcomes.
How to cite: Páez-Triana, L., Faust, C., Mable, B., Park, K., Fuentes-Montemayor, E., Lopez Jara, M. J., and Capstick, M.: Picornaviruses in restored woodlands: linking wildlife diversity to infection patterns in Scotland , World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-402, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-402, 2026.
Woodland restoration supports biodiversity recovery and climate mitigation, yet its effects on wildlife parasites and host population health remain poorly understood. Virus communities (viromes) found in wild hosts are influenced by environmental factors and population demographics, however the effect of fine-scale habitat features, landscape composition, and habitat connectivity, which are important factors influencing host ecology, remains to be explored. By investigating patterns and changes in whole virus communities we can identify the underlying ecological mechanisms determining virus circulation and epizootics, with less biased genomic approaches, such as metagenomics, being particularly useful for this purpose. In this study, we describe how restored woodlands features affect the viromes of two common UK species: wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) and bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). We sampled wild rodents across 16 restored woodland sites in Scotland that are part of a large-scale restoration natural experiment (www.wren-project.com) to represent different ecological contexts. Using live traps, we collected faecal samples from 263 individuals—45 wood mice and 218 bank voles. We used a metagenomic approach and quantified the effect of vegetation complexity (an indicator of habitat quality and indirect indicator of woodland age) and landscape connectivity on the diversity and relative abundance of vertebrate-infecting viruses found. We also investigated the presence of any viruses with zoonotic potential. Initial results from a pilot study (n = 4 pooled samples) indicate that younger, less structurally complex woodlands have lower viral diversity. Host species also appears to influence viral abundance and diversity, with bank voles showing significantly higher viral diversity than wood mice. These preliminary results highlight the potential effect of host species and time since restoration of woodland sites in determining viral communities. Ongoing analyses are expanding these results that will help us identify the key predictors of the diversity and abundance of viruses in restored woodland ecosystems. These findings have practical implications for woodland management and will advance our understanding of the links between habitat recovery, host–virus ecology, and wild population health.
How to cite: Lopez Jara, M. J., Paez Triana, L. F., Fuentes Montemayor, E., Park, K., Haydon, D., and Faust, C.: Woodland restoration and consequences for viral communities in Scottish wild rodents, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-787, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-787, 2026.
Background: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually and account for 17% of the global infectious disease burden. Their transmission is exacerbated by climate change, biodiversity loss, and land-use transformation, particularly in tropical regions where public health infrastructure is limited. Conventional surveillance systems, which rely primarily on reported human cases, often fail to detect outbreaks in time to prevent transmission. There is a critical need for integrated One Health approaches that enable earlier detection by linking ecological, biological, and social determinants of VBD emergence, and thereby address the biodiversity–health nexus at the core of disease spillover. This project is funded through public Swiss research funding (Swiss Network for International Studies, SNIS).
Methods: The project aims to develop a multimodal early warning system for VBDs by integrating invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) data with environmental and socioeconomic indicators. It targets five high-burden diseases: malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Zika, and leishmaniasis. Tolima, Colombia, is selected as a pilot site due to its ecological variability and high VBD prevalence. Mosquito vectors will be sampled across land-use gradients, and blood meals analyzed to detect pathogen, animal, and human DNA. By the time of the World Biodiversity Forum (14–19 June 2026), fieldwork in Tolima will have been completed, providing preliminary iDNA-based estimates of pathogen prevalence for these diseases across different land-use types. These data are intended to be integrated with climate, land cover, biodiversity, and vulnerability indicators in Bayesian spatial models to identify areas at risk for spillover and outbreaks.
Expected Results: This system aims to serve as a blueprint for iDNA-based multimodal VBD surveillance under the One Health approach. Collaboration with the WHO aims to ensure global methodological alignment and support adaptation across diverse regional contexts. The system is intended to be embedded within Colombia’s national surveillance platform, and the open-access tool, policy briefs, and training material invite relevant stakeholders to explore pathways for implementation with other pathogens and other regions.
How to cite: Hohmuth, N., Lozano, C., and Pellissier, L.: Early Warning System for Vector-Borne Diseases: Combining Emerging Insect DNA (iDNA) Technology With Socioeconomic and Environmental Data to Protect Vulnerable Populations in Tolima, Colombia, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-272, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-272, 2026.
Global commitments to ecosystem restoration are accelerating rapidly in response to biodiversity loss, climate change, and international targets such as the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) and the Kunming–Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework. Yet, as restoration agendas expand, far less attention has been given to the potential unintended consequences of ecosystem change, particularly those related to zoonotic disease emergence, altered host and vector dynamics, and social vulnerabilities linked to land-use transitions. Understanding how policies anticipate these risks is essential for ensuring that restoration efforts contribute effectively to planetary health.
This presentation draws on insights from the RESTOREID project policy appraisal, which systematically appraises international restoration policies to understand whether, and how, they address disease-related risks. Our findings reveal a marked imbalance. While restoration policies commonly highlight positive outcomes such as enhanced ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, and socioeconomic co-benefits, they seldom acknowledge potential negative consequences. Issues such as increased wildlife–human contact, habitat configurations that favour disease hosts, biosecurity risks associated with restoration materials (e.g., pathogen contamination in nurseries), and social impacts such as displacement or land-use conflict are largely absent. RESTOREID’s analysis shows that these gaps could undermine restoration outcomes if not integrated into long-term planning and adaptive management.
Only a small subset of policies referenced human health considerations, and very few incorporated One Health principles, risk assessment procedures, or monitoring mechanisms relevant to disease emergence. The gap is particularly notable given the growing scientific literature documenting links between land-use change, ecological restoration, and zoonotic risk. In several regions, this results in a “double blind spot”, that is insufficient empirical evidence combined with policy frameworks that do not request or integrate such information.
We argue that restoration policy must evolve to become more risk-aware and health-informed, not to hinder restoration efforts but to strengthen their long-term sustainability. Integrating cross-sectoral expertise, embedding social safeguards, and establishing indicators for monitoring unintended consequences are critical steps. By proactively addressing these risks, restoration initiatives can better support both biodiversity recovery and human well-being in an era of accelerating ecological change.
How to cite: Jagadesh, S., Fell, A., Vandewalle, M., Duthie, A., Kirkpatrick, L., and Bunnefeld, N.: Toward Risk-Smart Restoration: Policy Insights on Disease and Ecological Risks from the RESTOREID Project, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-389, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-389, 2026.
Developing solutions to biodiversity loss requires an integrated understanding of natural and social systems, and an appreciation of cultural practices and human values. An interdisciplinary approach is therefore needed to preserve and restore biodiversity, and to engage with stakeholders at a sufficiently broad scale. Games are a universal part of human culture, and billions of hours are spent playing them globally each week. In many games, especially videogames, players interact with immersive simulations of social-ecological systems. Despite their popularity and huge potential, the scope for using these games in research and outreach remains limited because the underlying mechanics of gameplay are not well grounded in realistic ecosystem models. If valid and well-parameterised models were integrated into video games, they could be an effective tool for simulating and communicating scientific models, and for collecting data on how real-world stakeholders make decisions in realistic simulated social-ecological systems. We present a game creator tool and a collection of games built from it that focus on biodiversity conservation, restoration, and disease spillover risk. We show how our game creator tool allows researchers and educators to build video games with custom landscapes, artwork, and entities (e.g., biological species, abiotic resources, human infrastructure) using a point and click interface that requires minimal technical skill in game development. We then demonstrate the versatility of our game creator and methodology by presenting a collecting of games created with it that can be used to research biodiversity restoration and disease dynamics across different case studies. Underlying each game there is a valid scientific model (e.g., generalised Lotka-Volterra, SIR model) to accurately reflect ecosystem and disease dynamics. In-game player decisions about ecosystem management and landscape change are collected during game play, and we demonstrate how these data can be used to understand stakeholder decision-making and co-develop more predictive scientific models. Our game creator tool is free and open source; we welcome new collaborations and outline areas of future expansion for improved research and application.
How to cite: Duthie, B., Kirkpatrick, L., Chen, J., Cimpeanu, T., Corcoran, C., McKeown, C., Pan, Y., Premarathne, M., Samuel, M., Valero, D., and Bunnefeld, N.: A general tool to create games with valid ecological models for research and stakeholder engagement, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-501, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-501, 2026.
