One effect of climate change is that plants are exposed to increasing local variation in weather conditions, including more episodes of heat stress. Should plants evolve to perform better at high temperatures, or should they become more plastic and cope with a broader range of temperatures? This project compares a large panel of duckweed genotypes for genetic differences in thermal plasticity in gene expression. Because duckweeds are the fastest growing plants in the world, we can use experimental evolution approaches to test if more plastic genotypes have a selective advantage when temperature environments become more variable.

This collaborative project is led by Folgert Karsdorp of the KNAW Meertens Institute, and investigates the social biases and cultural aspects of historical botanical records (that is, citizen science avant la lettre). In collaboration with FLORON, our contribution to this project is to implement a case study that explores historical botanical records from the Netherlands to characterize patterns of distribution and abundance of Asteraceae species in cities through time. We aim to let these historical records inform us about which species are winners and which are losers of the urbanization process. This can provide unique information on the plant traits that mediate successful adaptation to urbanization.

This is a collaborative project that is led by John Pannell and Shengman Lyu at the University of Lausanne. The project investigates the genetic, demographic and evolutionary processes that determine species range margins, using Mercurialis annua as a model species. Our contribution to this project is to set up and maintain a field experiment in which experimental plant populations of different admixture histories are monitored for performance at Wageningen, which is at the current distributional range margin of the species.

Nitrogen deposition and climate change lead to soil acidification and desiccation. As a result, the vitality of forests declines sharply. This project seeks to revitalise the forests in The Hoge Veluwe National Park.

My MSCA-project will elucidate the mechanisms underlying trade-offs and synergies among soil functions and reveal how differences among soils drive differences in soil multifunctionality.

Stikstofdepositie en klimaatverandering leiden tot bodemverzuring en verdroging. Hierdoor neemt de vitaliteit van bossen sterk af. In dit project wordt geprobeerd de bossen in Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe te revitaliseren.

SoilProS will interpret big data on soil biodiversity, soil chemical and physical characteristics with respect to current and desired soil functions, and how to use this information in order to help farmers predicting which crop varieties, seed mixtures, (organic) fertilizers, soil inocula, and organic substrates enhance the environmental sustainability of their activities.

Onder het Maaiveld is een driejarig programma van IUCN NL, De Vlinderstichting, NIOO-KNAW, WUR en het Centrum voor Bodemecologie. Samen met andere organisaties werken wij aan een structurele verandering in de omgang met onze waardevolle bodem. Ons doel? Herstel van het bodemleven in Nederland, als basis voor een gezonde natuur en een gezonde maatschappij.

The Maasheggen area is a unique cultivated landscape in the Netherlands (near Boxmeer, province Noord-Brabant) and has been designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve (https://www.maasheggenunesco.com/en/). Its mosaic of hedgerows, small arable fields and meadows make this a very interesting area to study the effects of land use and landscape elements on functional biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Understanding carbon cycling in soils is of vital importance, because it determines soil-climate feedbacks via balance of carbon between the soil and the atmosphere, as well as soil health. Soil communities play a key role in driving soil carbon cycling. Soil organisms degrade organic matter, which drives emissions to the atmosphere. At the same time they use carbon for their own growth and thereby determine the amount of carbon retained in soils and microbial biomass. Higher trophic levels of soil organisms may modify the activity and performance of soil microorganisms by feeding on them, as well as by changing abiotic conditions in the soil. As a result, they can strongly impact the role of microorganisms in driving carbon cycling and storage. How soil communities and trophic interactions between soil organisms drive carbon losses and gains in soils is still poorly understood. Therefore in my group, we focus on how soil communities drive soil carbon cycling. We pay specific attention to relationships between litter and decomposer communities in driving soil carbon cycling and to the role of higher trophic levels in modifying rates of carbon cycling. This is work is carried out in close collaboration with the Lejoly group.