PhD researcher in the field of Soil Sciences and member of the research group Sustainable Knowledge Infrastructures at Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen. I have a background in Earth Sciences and Hydrology and I am broadly interested in landscape-scale relations between vegetation, water, soil, and climate.

For my PhD research under the supervision of Ruth Howison and Anne Beaulieu, I am focusing on soil health, soil degradation, and the effect of droughts and salinization on soil functionality. In the province of Friesland, I am working on evaluating how well the soil performs the main five soil functions and ecosystem services (biomass production, habitat provision, nutrient cycling, climate regulation, and water storage and purification) and how future climate change, such as an increase in droughts and soil salinity, will affect the functioning of the local soils. On a more global scale, I am working on creating awareness of the state of the soil and promoting a sense of urgency to restore and protect this fragile natural resource.

My research connects to the research of the Global Flyway Network on many levels as soil quality affects the soil organisms present in the soil (food for the birds) as well as the permeability of the soil (important for soil probing birds). As Friesland is part of the breeding and foraging ground of the godwits, the current state of the Frisian soils and the potential changes in soil quality as a result of climate change is very much related to the work and interests of the researchers of the Global Flyway Network.

More information on me and my work can be found here (RUG page) and here (Twitter).