Droevendaalsesteeg 10
6708 PB Wageningen
The Netherlands
Soils are incredibly fascinating and complex environments where climate, vegetation, and soil organisms regulate nutrient cycling and soil organic matter decomposition. Deciphering their subtle balance is key to ensure ecosystem resilience.
I obtained my master in environmental biogengineering at the University of Liège in Belgium (2017), for which I studied the impacts of termite activity on soil physico chemical properties in an Indian agroecological farm. My interest in soil macrofauna was further reinforced during my PhD in soil science at the University of Alberta in Canada (2022) , where I researched the impacts of invasive earthworms on soils of the boreal forest, with a special focus on carbon dynamics.
Soil microbial communities regulate organic matter decomposition and consequent carbon sequestration, notably through the formation of microbial necromass. Through microbivory and detritivory, soil fauna can greatly modulate microbial dynamics, but the consequences for soil carbon cycling are mostly overlooked. Using a combined approach of molecular techniques and stable isotopes, I aim to untangle the drivers of soil carbon dynamics through manipulations of soil faunal communities. This will shed light on the importance of the whole soil food web for soil organic matter dynamics so that we can ensure ecosystem resilience. I believe that research should be integrated at a global scale, which is why I want to tackle specific questions across a large range of ecosystems.
I recently obtained a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral fellowship to study the role of soil micro- and mesofauna in soil organic matter dynamics and carbon cycling, with a focus on microbial necromass (Soil Fauna MIND). This crucial approach will help harnessing soil carbon sequestrion potential and implementing effective management strategies.