Our research encompasses individual organisms, populations, species, communities, the abiotic environment, and interactions among these system components. We address the complexity of these systems in terms of patterns, processes, diversity, and functioning. Despite our diverse interests, we share the view that understanding ecological complexity requires sophisticated computational tools and conceptual or mathematical models tailored to the question at hand. By using mathematical modelling, we generate insights into the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of populations and communities. By using computational approaches, we address how organisms cope with changing environmental conditions and how nature and life are distributed across our planet.  

We specialize in the development and application of tools such as data-analytic pipelines and digital sensors.​ 

TCE members are firmly embedded in several educational programs, including the BSc program on Future Planet Studies, the BSc program on Biology and the MSc programs on Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences. With this educational involvement, we aim to train a new generation of scientists with the skills needed to understand complex systems and to work efficiently with large and heterogeneous datasets.