We received the sad news that Paul Opdam passed away on September 22, 2026, at age 76. He was an inspiring researcher who gave wings to landscape ecology in the Netherlands and abroad.
As early as 1978, Paul Opdam published on the "biogeography of islands and its significance for landscape ecology." As an early career landscape ecologist, he participated in the Working Group on the theory of landscape ecology at the ‘Veldhoven Congress’ in 1981, the 1st International Congress in Landscape Ecology, organised by the Netherlands Society for Landscape Ecology (WLO) and held in Veldhoven (Netherlands). This congress laid the foundations for IALE as the International Association for Landscape Ecology, which was officially founded in 1982 in Piešťany, Slovakia. With that, Paul was one of the founding fathers of IALE. In 1984, he became the first editor-in-chief of the Dutch journal ‘Landschap’ (Landscape), which still exists today.
Paul was affiliated with Wageningen University & Research for many years, serving as a senior researcher and, from 1988 onwards, as head of the department of Landscape Ecology at Wageningen Environmental Research (formerly Alterra). During those years, the Netherlands was at the forefront of landscape ecology in Europe. From 1999 to 2014, he held the chair of Landscape Ecology and later Landscape and Spatial Planning at Wageningen University. He maintained an extensive international network, particularly through IALE, where he was a sought-after and inspiring speaker at various conferences.
Initially working as a researcher, he quickly became the team leader of a group of young, enthusiastic landscape ecologists who studied various aspects of landscape fragmentation - a critical issue in densely populated regions like the Netherlands. He developed a vision for the Dutch landscape, emphasising the importance of large natural areas, connections, buffers, and landscape elements. This vision was instrumental in shaping the Nature Policy Plan (1990), which laid the foundation for the current Dutch Nature Network, seamlessly connecting nature, landscape, and people.
His work showed a gradual transition: from his early research on birds, he shifted his focus toward landscapes and landscape systems. Over time, he became increasingly convinced that humans are key to the preservation and restoration of landscapes. His later work therefore focused more on human-nature relationships, as reflected in his farewell address as a professor at Wageningen University in 2014, titled: "Social-ecological networks: building connections for sustainable landscapes." He consistently emphasised the importance of collaborating across disciplines to address the major challenges facing the Dutch landscape—and to implement solutions. He had a unique ability to present scientific knowledge in a way that could be put into practice.
After retiring, he continued to bring his ideas to life. In 2012, he founded Landscape Network Brummen and served as its chairman until 2024. The network, a collective of residents from the municipality of Brummen and surrounding areas, works to strengthen the landscape, including collaboration with local farmers.
Many of Paul’s former colleagues have carried his ideas forward in their work, whether in species organisations, various Ministries, in IALE, or other institutions. With the loss of Paul Opdam, we lose a champion of the landscape - a passionate and inspiring scientist who left an indelible mark on landscape ecology, both in the Netherlands and far beyond. His influence is also deeply embedded in the Dutch landscape itself.
We are grateful for his inspiration and everything he has given us over the years.
Theo van der Sluis, WENR and President IALE-Europe