Reviews and syntheses: Current perspectives on biosphere research 2025: from poly-crisis to poly-solutions

Abstract. Accelerating changes across various Earth system compartments, coupled with intensifying geopolitical and socio-economic turbulences, have increased the interdependence of global crises, resulting in a complex polycrisis. This review summarises recent advances in biosphere research, focusing on ten topics selected for their thematic relevance to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, socio-economic interactions and anthropogenic threats to the biosphere. An interdisciplinary expert panel identified these themes from a public survey, based on scientific relevance and evidence. The aim is to inspire future research and provide decision-makers with actionable solutions. The themes highlight innovative opportunities to enhance resilience, advance the understanding of dryland dynamics, promote a sustainable bioeconomy, foster greener urban planning, regulate disease dynamics, support nature-based solutions, mitigate the impact of conflict on the biosphere, address demographic challenges to ecosystem stewardship, integrate indigenous knowledge and embed biosphere valuation in decision-making processes. Finally, we emphasise the importance of polysolutions that address the target issue, while simultaneously generating positive outcomes in neighbouring economic, social and ecological domains. To ensure planetary stability, this review highlights the urgent need for policies and investments that prioritise the protection, restoration and sustainable management of the biosphere.

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Published
2025-09-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3619
Primary Topic
Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
Type
article
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article

Reviews and syntheses: Current perspectives on biosphere research 2025: from poly-crisis to poly-solutions

Ayyoob Sharifi, Lisa Biber‐Freudenberger, Kirsten Thonicke, Krizler C. Tanalgo et al.
Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
article

Reviews and syntheses: Current perspectives on biosphere research 2025: from poly-crisis to poly-solutions

Ayyoob Sharifi, Lisa Biber‐Freudenberger, Kirsten Thonicke, Krizler C. Tanalgo, Peng Bi, Yohannes Tefera Damtew, Giles B. Sioen, Álvaro G. Gutiérrez, Andra‐Ioana Horcea‐Milcu, Andrea Marais-Potgieter, Anja Rammig, Ramón I. Diego, Paula Ribeiro Prist, Caroline Howe, Kaera Coetzer, Milena Groß, Niak Sian Koh, Virginia Murray, Pablo De La Cruz, Ana Bastos, Sinikka Paulus, Sung‐Ching Lee, Viola Hakkarainen, Alexandros Gasparatos, Susanne Müller, Álex Godoy‐Faúndez, Yolandi Ernst, William K. Smith, Mi Sun Park, Wan-Yu Shih, Robert McFarlane, Friedrich J. Bohn, Erik Andersson, Yuki Yoshida, Marcin Pawel Jarzebski, Hans‐Otto Pörtner, Zeenat Niazi, E. Acosta, R. Isaac, Cornelia B. Krug, Romina Martin, Amanda J. Aceituno, Emmanuel F. Nzunda, Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Ishihara Hiroe, Ivan Palmegiani, Nicholas O. Oguge, Stefanie Burkhart, Uchi D. Terhile
article en

Abstract

Abstract. Accelerating changes across various Earth system compartments, coupled with intensifying geopolitical and socio-economic turbulences, have increased the interdependence of global crises, resulting in a complex polycrisis. This review summarises recent advances in biosphere research, focusing on ten topics selected for their thematic relevance to biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, socio-economic interactions and anthropogenic threats to the biosphere. An interdisciplinary expert panel identified these themes from a public survey, based on scientific relevance and evidence. The aim is to inspire future research and provide decision-makers with actionable solutions. The themes highlight innovative opportunities to enhance resilience, advance the understanding of dryland dynamics, promote a sustainable bioeconomy, foster greener urban planning, regulate disease dynamics, support nature-based solutions, mitigate the impact of conflict on the biosphere, address demographic challenges to ecosystem stewardship, integrate indigenous knowledge and embed biosphere valuation in decision-making processes. Finally, we emphasise the importance of polysolutions that address the target issue, while simultaneously generating positive outcomes in neighbouring economic, social and ecological domains. To ensure planetary stability, this review highlights the urgent need for policies and investments that prioritise the protection, restoration and sustainable management of the biosphere.

University of Kassel (DE), Tallinn University of Technology (EE), Hiroshima University (JP), Leuphana University of Lüneburg (DE), Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), Seoul National University of Science and Technology (KR), Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE), University of Nairobi (KE), Energy and Resources Institute (IN), Universidad del Desarrollo (CL), University of Bonn (DE), Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE), University of Arizona (US), Stockholm Resilience Centre (SE), University of Southern Mindanao (PH), Haramaya University (ET), University of Freiburg (DE), Stockholm University (SE), National Taiwan University (TW), University of Canberra (AU), University of the Witwatersrand (ZA), National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP), University of Zurich (CH), Committee on Climate Change (GB), University of Oxford (GB), Sustainability Institute (ZA), Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (CL), Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (DE), Institute for Sustainable TVET & Management Services (DE), Jena Bioscience (Germany) (DE), Institute for Social-Ecological Research (DE), State Forestry and Grassland Administration (CN), Jena University Hospital (DE), Society For Development Alternatives (IN), Institute for Sustainability (GB), Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (DE), Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (DE), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (CO), Universidad del Desarrollo del Estado de Puebla (MX), UK Health Security Agency (GB), Federal University Dutse, Imperial College London (GB), The University of Adelaide (AU), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (DE), Technical University of Munich (DE), University of Pretoria (ZA), The University of Tokyo (JP), Technische Universität Dresden (DE), Sokoine University of Agriculture (TZ), Leipzig University (DE)
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Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
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