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
- 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
Meeting report: The first soil viral workshop 2022
Enhancing phosphorus removal of photogranules by incorporating polyphosphate accumulating organisms
Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide DNA methylation changes in wild great tit (Parus major) nestlings
Coarse woody debris accelerates the decomposition of deadwood inputs across temperate forest
Intracellular carbon storage by microorganisms is an overlooked pathway of biomass growth
Variation in DNA methylation in avian nestlings is largely determined by genetic effects
Environmental heterogeneity modulates the effect of plant diversity on the spatial variability of grassland biomass
High resolution functional analysis and community structure of photogranules
Soil nutrient dissimilarity and litter nutrient limitation as major drivers of home field advantage in riparian tropical forests
Mycorrhiza-mediated recruitment of complete denitrifying Pseudomonas reduces N2O emissions from soil
Viral infections likely mediate microbial controls on ecosystem responses to global warming
Additive fungal interactions drive biocontrol of Fusarium wilt disease
Root exudates and rhizosphere microbiomes jointly determine temporal shifts in plant‐soil feedbacks
N 2 ‐fixation can sustain wastewater treatment performance of photogranules under nitrogen limiting conditions
Environmental and genealogical effects on DNA methylation in a widespread apomictic dandelion lineage
Environmental refuges from disease in host‐parasite interactions under global change
Synthesis on the effectiveness of soil translocation for plant community restoration
Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails
Current and legacy effects of neighborhood communities on plant growth and aboveground herbivory
Plant community responses to alterations in soil abiotic and biotic conditions are decoupled for above‐ and below‐ground traits
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant growth and herbivore infestation depend on availability of soil water and nutrients
Contrasting effects of nitrogen fertiliser application on the performance of closely related grasshoppers through changes in plant nutrient concentrations
Formation of necromass-derived soil organic carbon determined by microbial death pathways
Enhancing the predictability of ecology in a changing world
The Biology and Ecology of Parasitoid Wasps of Predatory Arthropods
Local-scale soil nematode diversity in a subtropical forest depends on the phylogenetic and functional diversity of neighbor trees
Soil legacy effects of plants and drought on aboveground insects in native and range-expanding plant communities
Generalism in nature: a community ecology perspective
Soil biodiversity needs policy without borders
Substrate composition impacts long-term vegetation development on blue-green roofs
Inter- and intraspecific plant-soil feedbacks of grass species
Utilizing woody materials for fungal-based management of soil nitrogen pools
Drivers and trends of global soil microbial carbon over two decades
Linking changes in species composition and biomass in a globally distributed grassland experiment
DNA methylation in clonal Duckweed lineages ( Lemna minor L.) reflects current and historical environmental exposures
Edaphoclimatic drivers of the effect of extensive vegetation management on ecosystem services and biodiversity in vineyards
Biochar application differentially affects soil micro-, meso-macro-fauna and plant productivity within a nature restoration grassland
Adapting to climate with limited genetic diversity
Temporal dynamics of range-expander and congeneric native plant responses during and after extreme drought events
Light condition experienced by parent plants influences the response of offspring to light via both parental effects and soil legacy effects
Soil inoculum identity and rate jointly steer microbiomes and plant communities in the field
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
Occurrence data on beetles (Coleoptera) collected in Dutch coastal dunes between 1953 and 1960
Long-term land use in Amazon influence the dynamic of microbial communities in soil and rhizosphere
Global maps of soil temperature
Evolutionary history of grazing and resources determine herbivore exclusion effects on plant diversity
Legacies at work: plant–soil–microbiome interactions underpinning agricultural sustainability
Microbial storage and its implications for soil ecology
Correction to: Effects of N Application Rate and Dicyandiamide on the Fate of 15N Fertilizer and the Abundance of Microbial Genes in a Sandy Soil Amended with Sugarcane Litter (Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, (2022), 22, 1, (359-373), 10.1007/s42729-021-00654-2)
Contribution of soil algae to the global carbon cycle
epiGBS2
Plant-soil feedback as a driver of spatial structure in ecosystems
Soil Biota Adversely Affect the Resistance and Recovery of Plant Communities Subjected to Drought
Artificially perforated holes in stems of small hogweed mimic ecosystem engineering by a moth
Effect of Land-Use Change on the Changes in Human Lyme Risk in the United States
Effects of sterilization and maturity of compost on soil bacterial and fungal communities and wheat growth
Effects of oviposition in a non-host species on foraging behaviour of the parasitoid Cotesia glomerata
Exploring the Interspecific Interactions and the Metabolome of the Soil Isolate Hylemonella gracilis
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
Nitrogen loading enhances phosphorus limitation in terrestrial ecosystems with implications for soil carbon cycling
The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil
PhyloFunDB
Methane-Derived Carbon As A Driver For Cyanobacterial Growth
Foliar herbivory on plants creates soil legacy effects that impact future insect herbivore growth via changes in plant community biomass allocation
Complex plant quality—microbiota–population interactions modulate the response of a specialist herbivore to the defence of its host plant
Soil microbial diversity and community composition during conversion from conventional to organic agriculture
Greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions after abandonment of agriculture, and insights on the response of the (de)nitrifier
Plant quantity affects development and reproduction of a gregarious butterfly more than plant quality
Soil, climate, and variety impact on quantity and quality of maize root mucilage exudation
The Ecology of Hyperparasitoids
Long-term recovery of above- and below-ground interactions in restored grasslands after topsoil removal and seed addition
Prey availability affects developmental trade-offs and sexual-size dimorphism in the false widow spider, Steatoda grossa
Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates
Mowing enhances the positive effects of nitrogen addition on ecosystem carbon fluxes and water use efficiency in a semi-arid meadow steppe
Extrinsic Inter- and Intraspecific Competition in Parasitoid Wasps
Combined effects of warming and drought on plant biomass depend on plant woodiness and community type
Sustainability tensions and opportunities for aviation biofuel production in Brazil
Belowground responses of bacterial communities to foliar SA application over four plant generations
Will fungi solve the carbon dilemma?
Reviewing the relationship between neoliberal societies and nature
The negative effects of soil microorganisms on plant growth only extend to the first weeks.
pr2-primers: An 18S rRNA primer database for protists
Phosphorus and water supply independently control productivity and soil enzyme activity responses to elevated CO2 in an understorey community from a Eucalyptus woodland
Soil aggregate microbiomes steer plant community overyielding in ungrazed and intensively grazed grassland soils
Moving towards the ecological intensification of tree plantations
Plant-litter-soil feedbacks in common grass species are slightly negative and only marginally modified by litter exposed to insect herbivory
Experimental evidence for the impact of phages on mineralization of soil-derived dissolved organic matter under different temperature regimes
Temporal changes in plant soil feedback effects on microbial networks, leaf metabolomics and plant-insect interactions
Evaluating the effects of the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina) on island biodiversity, focusing on the Philippines
Experimental evidence of rapid heritable adaptation in the absence of initial standing genetic variation
Trophic interactions between predatory protists and pathogen-suppressive bacteria impact plant health
Microbial functional changes mark irreversible course of Tibetan grassland degradation
Associational resistance to nematodes and its effects on interspecific interactions among grassland plants.
Changes in the rearing environment cause reorganization of molecular networks associated with DNA methylation
Biogels in Soils: Plant Mucilage as a Biofilm Matrix That Shapes the Rhizosphere Microbial Habitat
Bacterial and fungal co-occurrence patterns in agricultural soils amended with compost and bokashi
Application of biostimulant products and biological control agents in sustainable viticulture
Scientists' warning on climate change and insects
The methylome of Biomphalaria glabrata and other mollusks
Gene body DNA methylation in seagrasses
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
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
Tackling the context-dependency of microbial-induced resistance
Within-patch and edge microclimates vary over a growing season and are amplified during a heatwave: Consequences for ectothermic insects