World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Ecology and Evolution
Sweden
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
159
Citations
234018
World Ranking
17
National Ranking
1

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Sweden Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Sweden Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Sweden Leader Award
  • 2017 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Biology
  • Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Biology

Overview

Carl Folke is affiliated with Stockholm University in Sweden and works predominantly in the field of Environmental Science, with a focus on Global and Planetary Change, Sociology and Political Science, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Economics and Econometrics, and Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment.

Their research covers a range of topics including Sustainability and Climate Change Governance, Ecosystem dynamics and resilience, Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems, Climate Change Policy and Economics, Coastal and Marine Management, and Climate Change and Geoengineering.

The scientist frequently publishes in academic venues such as AMBIO, One Earth, Nature Sustainability, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Carl Folke include:

  • Principles for knowledge co-production in sustainability research, 2020, Nature Sustainability
  • Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere, 2021, AMBIO
  • Urbanization in and for the Anthropocene, 2021, npj Urban Sustainability
  • Sustainability transformations: socio-political shocks as opportunities for governance transitions, 2020, Global Environmental Change
  • Indigenous knowledge: From local to global, 2021, AMBIO

Carl Folke collaborates frequently with several co-authors, including Stephen R. Carpenter, Stephen Polasky, Marten Scheffer, Brian Walker, and Anne-Sophie Crépin.

Among the recognitions received, Carl Folke was made a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2017 and is a Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in the field of Biology.

Best Publications

  • A safe operating space for humanity

    Johan Rockström;Johan Rockström;Will Steffen;Will Steffen;Kevin Noone;Åsa Persson;Åsa Persson

  • Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

    Will Steffen;Will Steffen;Katherine Richardson;Johan Rockström;Sarah E. Cornell

  • RESILIENCE: THE EMERGENCE OF A PERSPECTIVE FOR SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSES

    Carl Folke;Carl Folke

  • Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems.

    Marten Scheffer;Steve Carpenter;Jonathan A. Foley;Carl Folke

  • Planetary boundaries: Exploring the safe operating space for humanity

    Johan Rockström;Johan Rockström;Will Steffen;Will Steffen;Kevin Noone;Åsa Persson;Åsa Persson

  • ADAPTIVE GOVERNANCE OF SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

    Carl Folke;Thomas Hahn;Per Olsson;Jon Norberg

  • Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services.

    Boris Worm;Edward B. Barbier;Nicola Beaumont;J. Emmett Duffy

  • Linking Social and Ecological Systems: Management Practices and Social Mechanisms for Building Resilience

    Fikret Berkes;Carl Folke;Johan Colding

  • REDISCOVERY OF TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AS ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT

    Fikret Berkes;Johan Colding;Carl Folke

  • Resilience thinking: integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability

    Carl Folke;Stephen R. Carpenter;Brian Walker;Marten Scheffer

  • Navigating Social-Ecological Systems: Building Resilience for Complexity and Change

    Fikret Berkes;Johan Colding;Carl Folke

  • The causes of land-use and land-cover change: moving beyond the myths

    Eric F. Lambin;B.L. Turner;Helmut J. Geist;Samuel B. Agbola

  • Climate Change, Human Impacts, and the Resilience of Coral Reefs

    T.P. Hughes;A.H. Baird;D.R. Bellwood;M. Card

  • Regime Shifts, Resilience, and Biodiversity in Ecosystem Management

    Carl Folke;Steve Carpenter;Brian Walker;Marten Scheffer

  • Complexity of coupled human and natural systems

    Jianguo Liu;Thomas Dietz;Stephen R. Carpenter;Marina Alberti

  • Confronting the coral reef crisis

    D. R. Bellwood;T. P. Hughes;T. P. Hughes;C. Folke;C. Folke;M. Nyström

  • Effect of aquaculture on world fish supplies

    Rosamond L. Naylor;Rebecca J. Goldburg;Jurgenne H. Primavera;Nils Kautsky

  • Economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment

    Kenneth Arrow;Bert Bolin;Robert Costanza;Partha Dasgupta

  • Economic growth, carrying capacity, and the environment.

    Kenneth Arrow;Bert Bolin;Robert Costanza;Partha Dasgupta

  • Social-Ecological Resilience to Coastal Disasters

    W. Neil Adger;Terry P. Hughes;Carl Folke;Stephen R. Carpenter

Frequent Co-Authors

Brian Walker
Brian Walker Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Per Olsson
Per Olsson Stockholm Resilience Centre
Lance Gunderson
Lance Gunderson Emory University
Fikret Berkes
Fikret Berkes University of Manitoba
Johan Rockström
Johan Rockström Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Terry P. Hughes
Terry P. Hughes James Cook University
Johan Colding
Johan Colding Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Max Troell
Max Troell Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Stephen R. Carpenter
Stephen R. Carpenter University of Wisconsin–Madison
Marten Scheffer
Marten Scheffer Wageningen University & Research

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

The study of Ecology and Evolution provides a strong foundation in scientific thinking, critical analysis, and environmental awareness. As career options expand, many students consider related fields that complement or broaden their scientific expertise. Pursuing interdisciplinary education can increase flexibility in the job market and pave the way for roles in consulting, research, or design.

For those interested in combining environmental science with creative problem-solving, an architecture online degree explores sustainable design and urban planning, fields increasingly focused on ecological impact. Analytical thinkers may be drawn to an online math bachelor's degree, valuable for roles in data science, modeling species populations, or quantitative ecology.

Visual communication skills are in high demand in education, conservation, and public outreach. A graphic design online degree equips graduates to craft engaging educational materials or interpret complex ecological data for the public. Additionally, those seeking flexibility may prefer the best value online interdisciplinary studies degrees, which allow for custom curriculums tailored to intersecting interests in science, policy, and communication.

Best Scientists Citing Carl Folke

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles