Sophie van Rijssel MSc

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.