Terrestrial Ecology

The department of Terrestrial Ecology studies species, communities and ecosystems in a rapidly changing world.
Due to climate change, land use changes, biological invasions and other environmental disruptions, the natural world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges. Much of our research focuses on plants and the interactions that they have with microbes, insects and other organisms, in the soil and aboveground.
Our mission is to study the impact that these environmental changes have on terrestrial ecosystems and to contribute to measures that safeguard terrestrial ecosystem functioning in the Anthropocene.
How our research helps to understand and mitigate effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and land use change:
- Biodiversity: How is below-ground biodiversity, and the services it provides, affected by management and ecological processes? How can we bend the curve of insect decline? How are belowground and aboveground biodiversity linked?
- Climate change: What is the impact of extreme climatic events on terrestrial ecosystems? How can terrestrial ecosystems function as effective carbon sinks? What is the capacity of species to adapt to rapid environmental change?
- Land use change: How can ecosystem functioning be restored in former agricultural land? How can ecosystem services be improved under agricultural practice?
Biodiversity
Biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems plays an important role in ecosystem functioning based on the vast array of interactions occurring among individuals, populations and communities across variable spatial and temporal scales. In our department, we study the effects of biotic and abiotic processes on individual- and species-level responses in a broader community-based framework. Biodiversity is not always easily seen. For example, the soil is teeming with biodiversity, and microorganisms and (micro)arthropods found there play crucial roles in food-webs and ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling and carbon storage. We therefore study belowground biodiversity in various projects across the Netherlands as well as abroad (links to Onder het Maaiveld, Voedselbossen, something international). Given that insects are one of the most species-rich groups of animals, and they play key roles in providing a range of ecological services, we are investigating how changes in land use influence insect diversity and biomass and how we can bend the curve of insect decline. A proposed step in our research is to see how the link between belowground and aboveground biodiversity is affected under concomitant or sequentially occurring climatic extremes as well as under different land-use scenarios.
Climate change
Anthropogenic climate change is exposing terrestrial ecosystems to multiple abiotic stresses over variable spatial and temporal scales. Our research investigates the impact of climate change on organisms, trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning in terrestrial ecosystems. For instance, what is the impact of extreme climate events on organisms? And how do abiotic climate change stresses as interact with other processes that affect ecosystems, such as biological invasions and habitat loss? At the same time, we try to understand how we can let nature help to mitigate impacts of climate change, for instance via promoting carbon storage in soils. Another focus is on understanding the capacity of individual species to adapt to such rapid environmental changes. What are the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that may facilitate rapid adaptation? Finally, we contribute to raising awareness and evidence-based environmental advocacy – having scientific insights bear on public discussion and on the need for mitigation are vitally important.
Land use change
Use of land is one of the most significant impacts that humans have on Earth’s natural systems. Our activities alter the diversity and distribution of species and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to serve important functions including storing carbon, cleaning water and supporting plant growth. In TE we research how natural ecosystems can be restored following disturbance by human land use, both with respect to their inherent value as biodiverse ecosystems and their support of valuable functions. Furthermore, TE brings an ecological perspective to contemporary agricultural land use to safeguard these ecosystem functions while supporting food production. An emerging research topic is how urban ecosystems – among the most intensive of human land uses – affects the ecology and evolution of wild species.
Plant-soil feedbacks
Plants are crucial mediators of interactions between aboveground- and belowground organisms. We study how plants affect soil microbes, nematodes and arthropods, and how these effects on belowground communities feed back on plants. We apply this knowledge for steering soil communities for ecological restoration. We also investigate how beneficial soil microbes enhance plant resistance and suppress pathogens, which can help improve sustainable agriculture practices.

Carbon storage
We study carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, where soils and plants are important for limiting climate warming. Soil organisms drive decomposition of plant material and stabilise soil carbon, under the influence of plants, viruses, global change and human management. Trees build up carbon stocks in their biomass and affect the soils below. Better understanding of these ecosystem processes supports climate-proof land-use management across agriculture, forests, and rehabilitation of abandoned land.

Ecological genetics and epigenetic
How do plants respond and adapt to their rapidly changing environments? We study the genetic and molecular mechanisms of plant adaptation in habitats with strong human impacts, such as abandoned farmland and cities. One focus is on epigenetic mechanisms, which shape the expression of plant genomes in a dynamic, stable but reversible way. We use genomic analysis in clonal plants such as poplar trees to investigate if this epigenetic flexibility helps plants cope with rapid change.

Research groups
- Van der Putten: Soils steering aboveground biodiversity
- Biere: Soil microbes harnessing plant stress responses
- Harvey: Species interactions under extreme climatic events
- Veen: Carbon & nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems
- Verhoeven: Plant adaptation to rapid environmental change
- De Boer: Insect biodiversity and pests in a changing world
People
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Prof. dr. ir. Wim H. van der Putten
- Function
- Head of department
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Dr. Arjen Biere
- Function
- Senior Researcher
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Prof. Jeffrey Harvey PhD
- Function
- Senior Researcher
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Dr. Ciska Veen
- Function
- Researcher
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Dr. Koen Verhoeven
- Function
- Senior Researcher
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Dr. ir. Jetske de Boer PhD
- Function
- Researcher
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Dr. Kyle Mason-Jones
- Function
- Junior Researcher
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Sophie van Rijssel MSc
- Function
- PhD Student
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Ing. Freddy ten Hooven
- Function
- Research assistant
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Isabelle van der Zanden MSc
- Function
- PhD Student
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Ciska Raaijmakers
- Function
- Research assistant
Peer-reviewed publications
Short-term N addition in a Pinus tabuliformis plantation
Genetic and Epigenetic Differentiation Across Intertidal Gradients in the Foundation Plant Spartina alterniflora
Effects of Light Quality on Colonization of Tomato Roots by AMF and Implications for Growth and Defense
Correction to
Long-term land use in Amazon influence the dynamic of microbial communities in soil and rhizosphere
Associational resistance to nematodes and its effects on interspecific interactions among grassland plants.
Biogels in Soils: Plant Mucilage as a Biofilm Matrix That Shapes the Rhizosphere Microbial Habitat
Moving towards the ecological intensification of tree plantations
pr2-primers: An 18S rRNA primer database for protists
Microbial functional changes mark irreversible course of Tibetan grassland degradation
Evaluating the effects of the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina) on island biodiversity, focusing on the Philippines
Temporal changes in plant soil feedback effects on microbial networks, leaf metabolomics and plant-insect interactions
Trophic interactions between predatory protists and pathogen-suppressive bacteria impact plant health
Experimental evidence of rapid heritable adaptation in the absence of initial standing genetic variation
Global maps of soil temperature
Plant-soil feedback as a driver of spatial structure in ecosystems: A commentary on “Belowground feedbacks as drivers of spatial self-organization and community assembly” by Inderjit, Ragan M. Callaway and Ehud Meron
epiGBS2
Contribution of soil algae to the global carbon cycle
Foliar herbivory on plants creates soil legacy effects that impact future insect herbivore growth via changes in plant community biomass allocation
Will fungi solve the carbon dilemma?
Belowground responses of bacterial communities to foliar SA application over four plant generations
Long-term recovery of above- and below-ground interactions in restored grasslands after topsoil removal and seed addition
The Ecology of Hyperparasitoids
Plant quantity affects development and reproduction of a gregarious butterfly more than plant quality
Extrinsic Inter- and Intraspecific Competition in Parasitoid Wasps
Prey availability affects developmental trade-offs and sexual-size dimorphism in the false widow spider, Steatoda grossa
Effects of sterilization and maturity of compost on soil bacterial and fungal communities and wheat growth
Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier
Effect of Land-Use Change on the Changes in Human Lyme Risk in the United States
Contrasting effects of soil microbial interactions on growth–defence relationships between early- and mid-successional plant communities
Microbial soil legacies of crops under different water and nitrogen levels determine succeeding crop performance
Effects of oviposition in a non-host species on foraging behaviour of the parasitoid Cotesia glomerata
Microbial storage and its implications for soil ecology
Gene body DNA methylation in seagrasses
The methylome of Biomphalaria glabrata and other mollusks
Above- and belowground biodiversity jointly tighten the P cycle in agricultural grasslands
Plant community legacy effects on nutrient cycling, fungal decomposer communities and decomposition in a temperate grassland
Effects of soil biota on growth, resistance and tolerance to herbivory in Triadica sebifera plants
Maternal environmental light conditions affect the morphological allometry and dispersal potential of acer palmatum samaras
The aerobiome uncovered
Avoidance of the Plant Hormone Cis-Jasmone by Aedes aegypti Depends On Mosquito Age in Both Plant and Human Odor Backgrounds
Ecosystem coupling
Nature and nurture
Within-patch and edge microclimates vary over a growing season and are amplified during a heatwave: Consequences for ectothermic insects
Tackling the context-dependency of microbial-induced resistance
Plant–Soil Feedbacks and Temporal Dynamics of Plant Diversity–Productivity Relationships
T4-like Phages Reveal the Potential Role of Viruses in Soil Organic Matter Mineralization
The Tarnished Silver Lining of Extreme Climatic Events
Modulation of the soil microbiome by long-term Ca-based soil amendments boosts soil organic carbon and physicochemical quality in a tropical no-till crop rotation system
Increased likelihood of high nitrous oxide (N2o) exchange in soils at reduced microbial diversity
Invasive earthworms reduce chemical defense and increase herbivory and pathogen infection in native trees
Bidirectional plant-mediated interactions between rhizobacteria and shoot-feeding herbivorous insects
Chromosomal scale assembly of parasitic wasp genome reveals symbiotic virus colonization
Resilience of rhizosphere microbial predators and their prey communities after an extreme heat event
Effects of bioavailable phosphorus and soil biota on typical Nardus grassland species in competition with fast-growing plant species
How plant-soil feedbacks influence the next generation of plants
Spatial patterns and ecological drivers of soil nematode β-diversity in natural grasslands vary among vegetation types and trophic position
Protists as main indicators and determinants of plant performance
Globally, plant-soil feedbacks are weak predictors of plant abundance
The role of soil-borne fungi in driving the coexistence of Pinus massoniana and Lithocarpus glaber in a subtropical forest via plant-soil feedback
Evaluation of phenolic root exudates as stimulants of saprotrophic fungi in the rhizosphere
Inventory of the benthic eukaryotic diversity in the oldest European lake
Reflections on the SARS-Covid-2 pandemic after one year: predictable, preventable but inevitable: an ecologist’s perspective
Optimizing stand density for climate-smart forestry: a way forward towards resilient forests with enhanced carbon storage under extreme climate events
Impact of Cellulose-Rich Organic Soil Amendments on Growth Dynamics and Pathogenicity of Rhizoctonia solani
Plant functional group drives the community structure of saprophytic fungi in a grassland biodiversity experiment
Evaluating long-term success in grassland restoration
Fungal root endophytes influence plants in a species-specific manner that depends on plant's growth stage
Inconsistent effects of agricultural practices on soil fungal communities across twelve European long-term experiments
Stimulated saprotrophic fungi in arable soil extend their activities to the rhizosphere and root microbiomes of crop seedlings
Steering the soil microbiome by repeated litter addition
Interactive effects of Mycorrhizae, Soil Phosphorus and Light on Growth and Induction and Priming of Defense in Plantago lanceolata
Severance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal mycelial networks in restoration grasslands enhances seedling biomass
A matter of time: Recovery of plant species diversity in wild plant communities at declining nitrogen deposition
Flower availability drives effects of wildflower strips on ground-dwelling natural enemies and crop yield
Biodiversity conservation in climate change driven transient communities
Protists as catalyzers of microbial litter breakdown and carbon cycling at different temperature regimes
Metagenomic assessment of the global diversity and distribution of bacteria and fungi
Belowground community turnover accelerates the decomposition of standing dead wood
Intracellular Storage Reduces Stoichiometric Imbalances in Soil Microbial Biomass – A Theoretical Exploration
Disentangling nematode and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community effect on the growth of range-expanding Centaurea stoebe in original and new range soil
Interkingdom plant-microbial ecological networks under selective and clear cutting of tropical rainforest
Decomposing cover crops modify root-associated microbiome composition and disease tolerance of cash crop seedlings
Multi‐camera field monitoring reveals costs of learning for parasitoid foraging behaviour
Memory extinction and spontaneous recovery shaping parasitoid foraging behavior
Novel chemicals engender myriad invasion mechanisms
On-site blackwater treatment fosters microbial groups and functions to efficiently and robustly recover carbon and nutrients
Persistence of plant-mediated microbial soil legacy effects in soil and inside roots
Exogenous application of plant defense hormones alters the effects of live soils on plant performance
Differential effects of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas simiae on above- and belowground chewing insect herbivores
Home-field advantage of litter decomposition
Development and oviposition strategies in two congeneric gregarious larval-pupal endoparasitoids of the seven-spot ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata
Steering microbiomes by organic amendments towards climate-smart agricultural soils
Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties
Local stability properties of complex, species-rich soil food webs with functional block structure
OSiD
Mucilage Polysaccharide Composition and Exudation in Maize From Contrasting Climatic Regions
Ménage à Trois
Next Generation Biological Control: The Need for Integrating Genetics and Evolution
Climate change-mediated temperature extremes and insects
Pollination and fruit infestation under artificial light at night: light colour matters
Microbiomes of a specialist caterpillar are consistent across different habitats but also resemble the local soil microbial communities
AlphaBeta
Chemical structure predicts the effect of plant-derived low-molecular weight compounds on soil microbiome structure and pathogen suppression
Long-term lime and gypsum amendment increase nitrogen fixation and decrease nitrification and denitrification gene abundances in the rhizosphere and soil in a tropical no-till intercropping system
From toilet to agriculture: Fertilization with microalgal biomass from wastewater impacts the soil and rhizosphere active microbiomes, greenhouse gas emissions and plant growth
Towards Unraveling Macroecological Patterns in Rhizosphere Microbiomes
Bio-organic fertilizers stimulate indigenous soil Pseudomonas populations to enhance plant disease suppression
The abundance of arbuscular mycorrhiza in soils is linked to the total length of roots colonized at ecosystem level
The natural recovery of soil microbial community and nitrogen functions after pasture abandonment in the Amazon region
Community-level interactions between plants and soil biota during range expansion
Effects of winter and summer conditions on Cd fractionation and bioavailability, bacterial communities and Cd phytoextraction potential of Brachiaria decumbens and Panicum maximum grown in a tropical soil
Soil inoculation alters leaf metabolic profiles in genetically identical plants
Effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on survival and wing dimorphism of two species of rice planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) under interaction