A deep dive into plant and ecosystem health

Standing in a forest stream, collecting data from the riparian zone, one of the initiatives we dive into in this newsletter reminds us that plant health is never isolated. It is shaped by water, soil, biodiversity and climate – by the entire ecosystem. 

In this issue, we explore how research on plant and ecosystem health contributes to a deeper understanding of resilience, sustainable management, and the future of our landscapes – from a broader One Health perspective.

As always, we present a selection of One Health research and some tips on upcoming events.

Do you have an SLU project within One Health? Please contact us if you would like to present your research in our newsletter!

Enjoy your reading!

Two new dissertations within One Health

Congrats to Andreia Massamby and Grace Mercy Amboka!

One Health Days 2026 

– Inspiring future collaborations across disciplines

One Health Days were held for the third time on 10-12 February, bringing researchers together to share insights, foster dialogue and build collaborations across disciplines. 

This year, more than 100 SLU researchers participated at the three campuses in Alnarp, Ultuna and Umeå, as well as online. We met some of the participants on-site in Alnarp, Uppsala and Umeå who shared their insights from the event.

The International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 

Rangelands cover half of the Earth’s surface, supporting over 2 billion people and more than 50% of the world’s livestock. Despite their importance, they are often overlooked. 

The UN has declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) to emphasise the urgent challenges pastoralists worldwide are facing due to climate change, land use and human interactions. 

SLU is involved in several initiatives and brings a wealth of expertise to this global effort. One example is research that explores sustainable reindeer husbandry and land use in the context of climate change and competing societal interests, highlighting the importance of knowledge-based management of rangeland ecosystems. Read about the projects: REINFORCE - Climate, habitat and animal production and EQUIP - Is reindeer husbandry equipped for the perfect storm? led by SLU researcher Anna Skarin.

Photo: Aida Bargues Tobella

Rooted in plant science – sparking collaboration across disciplines

“The growing interest in nature-based solutions and sustainable agriculture opens space for plant science to take a stronger role within One Health”, says Anna Manourova, coordinator at the Department of Biosystems and Technology and the plant science network PlantLink.

Read the interview with Anna and more about PlantLink and SLU's involvement below.

Towards a holistic understanding of forest growth and biodiversity

“Forests play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by supporting biodiversity, regulating climate and storing carbon. Understanding how forests respond to environmental change is therefore closely linked to the One Health perspective, where the health of ecosystems ultimately also affects our health and well-being", says Ove Nilsson, Programme Director for the research programme Wallenberg Initiatives in Forest Research (WIFORCE).

New reports: One Health and the environment at SLU

Strengthening the environmental dimension of One Health: What does the environmental pillar of One Health mean in practice – and how can SLU strengthen its role in this field?

Two new SLU Future One Health reports map current research on environment and One Health at SLU and outline future strategic directions. The reports highlight knowledge gaps, challenges and opportunities for strengthening the environmental dimension of One Health – locally and globally.

Explore the reports and discover how SLU can further contribute to sustainable ecosystem health within a One Health framework:

• One Health and the Environment at SLU: Current Status and Opportunities.
  
• Perspectives on One Health and the environment at SLU – a conceptually based overview and strategies for the future.

More reading tips on plant ecosystem health!

A selection of articles on cross-cutting topics that bring together different aspects of One Health linked to plant ecosystem health.

(Swedish and English mixed)

• Growing a broad set of crops does not threaten food security – quite the opposite (SLU News)
• Kommunikation om invasiva växter måste ta hänsyn till var människor bor (SLU News, only in Swedish)
• Earthworm’s burrowing and capacity to deliver ecosystem services threatened by soil compaction (SLU Knowledge bank)
• Hur säkra är nanopartiklar för miljön? (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish) 
• Så påverkar torkan svenskt lantbruk (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish)
• Ny kunskap om hur mikroplaster sprids i jordbruksmark - ett första steg mot bättre riskbedömningar (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish)
• Trädens eget försvar kan bli nyckeln till framtidens växtskydd (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish) 
• HeRo – Healthy roots: development of tools for the selection of robust cultivars in Swedish plant breeding, with focus on the root system (Research project)
  
• Functional forest landscapes for pollinating insects (Research project)
• RESTOREID: can forest restoration protect us from animal-borne infectious disease? (Research project)
• Soil ecology (Research project)
• Soil biology (Research project)

Five years of interdisciplinarity and collaboration within One Health

After five years as Programme Director of SLU Future One Health, Susanna Sternberg Lewerin is now moving on to a position as Professor of One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance. How does she sum up these years – and what key messages does she want to share for the future?

A selection of One Health research

A selection of news and research results linked to One Health area.

(Primarily in English, Swedish if the content is not available in English).

Highlights this time:   

• Major environmental gains when food waste and by-products are utilised
  
• Environmental adaptation of hydropower facilities requires a holistic approach and systematic monitoring
• Traditions determine which tree species are used in Madagascar – challenged as the rainforest shrinks (SLU News)
• Environmental adaptation of hydropower facilities requires a holistic approach and systematic monitoring (SLU News)
• When waste becomes a carrier of disease: Finding solutions to protect Sweden's pigs and food production (SLU News)
• Förstörda livsmiljöer och klimatförändringar ökar risken för djurspridda sjukdomar – exemplet sorkfeber  (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish)
• Ny teknik kan göra resan säkrare för vilt och människor (SLU Knowledge bank, only in Swedish)

Call for applications: Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) 2026–2027

Learn more and apply!

Upcoming events

- related to One Health