Sophie van Rijssel MSc
PhD StudentTerrestrial Ecology |
Research themes
Research expertiseFunctional soil biodiversity Soil ecology ecosystem functioning multivariate analysis plant ecology
Page last updated: 18-11-2019
I am a plant and soil ecologist with a passion for data analysis, particularly complex data on soil biota. I did my master in Forest- and Nature conservation, with a specialization in Plant-Soil interactions. For my thesis and internship I analyzed sequencing data of fungi, which I really enjoyed. Currently I am working on my PhD research that is part of the NWO-Green project: “Vital soils for sustainable intensification of agriculture”.
Soil communities are key regulators of ecosystem processes, such as nutrient recycling and disease suppression. For vital soils it is crucial to have a soil community that is providing nutrients at the right time, and controlling emerging diseases. Yet, we still have a poor understanding of soil community composition and functioning in agro-ecosystems. We will perform lab, greenhouse and field experiments in which we study how soil communities are affected by management and how they affect ecosystem functions. With this research we provide a basis for developing management practices which can steer soil communities towards favouring both high crop yields and minimal environmental impacts.
2017 - 2021: PhD researcher, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW): Vital Soils for sustainable agriculture. Supervisors: prof. Wim H. van der Putten, dr. Ciska Veen & dr. Maarten J.J. Schrama
2015 - 2017 Master Forest and Nature conservation, Wageningen university; Masterthesis and Internship in fungal sequencing data analysis. Supervisors: prof. Liesje Mommer; dr. Jasper van Ruijven, dr. Aad J. Termorshuizen & dr. S. Emilia Hannula.
2014 - 2015 Teaching assistant in statistics
Vital soils for sustainable agriculture
A key challenge for sustainable intensification of agriculture is to produce increasing amounts of food, feed and bioenergy, with minimal loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Organic farming is supposed to have less negative impacts on soil biotic and abiotic properties resulting into more stable ecosystem functioning than conventional agricultural practices. However, conversion of conventional into more sustainable organic systems takes time and is often accompanied by a yield gap in the first years.
In this project we aim to unravel biological, chemical and physical mechanisms underlying high yields and stability in organically managed agricultural fields and we test how the transition from conventional to organic agriculture can be accelerated. We will identify factors that can predict successful conversion and can serve as indicators for vital soils for sustainable intensification of agriculture. Within the project, there are two PhD researchers and soon one postdoctoral researcher active, one on soil ecology (Sophie van Rijssel) and one on soil organic matter-related chemistry and physics (Guusje Koorneef), the post-doctoral researcher (Kyle Mason Jones) will focus on soil foodwebs.
- Mommer, L., Cotton, T., Raaijmakers, J. M., Termorshuizen, A. J., van Ruijven, J., Hendriks, M.,... Dumbrell, A. J. (2018). Lost in diversity: the interactions between soil-borne fungi, biodiversity and plant productivity. New Phytologist, 218(2), 542-553. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15036
- Wang, P., Limpens, J., Nauta, A., van Huissteden, C., van Rijssel, S. Q., Mommer, L.,... Heijmans, M. M. P. D. (2017). Depth‐based differentiation in nitrogen uptake between graminoids and shrubs in an Arctic tundra plant community. Journal of Vegetation Science, 29(1), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12593
2018
2017
- van Rijssel, S. Q., Meesters, K. C. E. P., van der Putten, W. H., & Veen, G. F. (2019). Onderdrukking van Rhizoctonia solani in gangbare en biologische landbouwgronden. Gewasbescherming, 50(2), 52.
2019
Contact
+31 (0)317 473 416
Droevendaalsesteeg 10
6708 PB Wageningen
+31 (0)317 47 34 00
Postbus 50
6700 AB Wageningen
