"Positive interactions between organisms and their environment is key in the functioning of many ecosystems. How can we use such knowledge in ecosystem restoration?"
Research focus: ecosystem restoration and sustainable peatland use
I am an ecologist interested in the functioning of a wide range of ecosystems, such as wet- and peatlands, salt marshes, intertidal oyster and mussel reefs, which are dominated by habitat modifying organisms. My research focusses on 1) how ecosystems dominated by habitat modifiers function at a fundamental level and then I apply this knowledge to restore these ecosystems using novel approaches by generating facilitation by mimicking emergent traits (e.g. biological degradable structures, 3D-printing), and 2) the reduction of negative effects of peatland drainage, such as high nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, via rewetting that helps to restore internal feedbacks while allowing economic gains (paludiculture, Sphagnum farming) or via full peatland restoration. I investigate these themes with correlative field research and laboratory and field experiments at various scales including the landscape.
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