Associate professor in Ecology and Biodiversity, Utrecht University
News items
October 2024. Our first BioCliVE paper has been published! The Utrecht University Biodiversity and Climate Variability Experiment (UU BioCliVE) explores how plant diversity and changing precipitation patterns shape grassland ecosystems. BioCliVE is designed to unravel the fundamental mechanisms by which higher biological diversity ensures that grasslands can continue to provide multiple ecosystem services even in the context of climate change.
September 2024. I am thrilled to share the news that, as of September 1st, I am one of the three Future Food Utrecht ambassadors, specifically for the theme of Nature Inclusive Agriculture. In this new role, I will collaborate with researchers and stakeholders to address one of humanity's most pressing challenges: transitioning towards agricultural landscape management that supports food production, biodiversity recovery, climate resilience, and a healthy environment. Together, we aim to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical, sustainable solutions in agriculture.
March 2024. Delighted to share that my 100th publication has found its home as a senior author in the prestigious Nature Communications! This achievement is more than just a number – it is the result of a fantastic collaboration with Li-Ting Zheng, now Postdoc with Peter Reich at UMich, Kathryn Barry and a stellar team of collaborators spanning the globe. Big thanks to everyone who contributed to this journey! Let's keep pushing the boundaries of knowledge together! https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46355-z
February 2024. Thrilled to share that I was officially promoted to Associate Professor.
December 2023. My research group has reached noteworthy milestones, having published 20 papers in 2023, matching our output from 2022. This brings me within reach of a remarkable achievement of 100 publications (currently at 99). I am pleased to announce that this accomplishment has earned me the distinction of being ranked as the 7th most prolific researcher in biodiversity research in the Netherlands for the period spanning 2017-2022, as reported by Elsevier. I am honored by this recognition.
April 2023. Together with Rutger Hermsen, we received for the second times the Lecture Price for the best level 2 course for the period 2021-2022 ‘Advanced introduction to statistics and R‘.
April 2023. Together with Merel Soons and Edwin Pos, we received the Lecture Price for the best level 3 course for the period 2021-2022 ‘Biodiversity and Landscape‘.
December 2022. I am honoured to be nominated for the Utrecht University Graduate School of Life Sciences supervisor of the year.
December 2018. Thrilled to be nominated as one of the only 30 UU scientists in the 2018 Highly-Cited Researchers List, which identifies the top 1% of researchers by citations per field and publication year in Web of Science.
April 2018. Together with Rutger Hermsen, we received the Lecture Price for the best level 2 course for the period 2016-2017 ‘Advanced introduction to statistics and R‘.
Research interests
My research focus on investigating the underlying factors that drive changes in plant diversity in response to global environmental shifts, and how these changes impact the functioning of grassland ecosystems and the provision of ecological services across various spatial and temporal scales. To accomplish these goals, I utilize a range of cutting-edge methodologies, including observational and experimental techniques, advanced statistical analyses, and data synthesis of complex datasets, as well as mechanistic approaches applied at the local, regional, and global levels. The core of my research revolves around testing ecological theory, developing fundamental mechanisms, and providing insights for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. By conducting rigorous and interdisciplinary research, I aim to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of global environmental change, ultimately informing policies and management strategies aimed at safeguarding our planet's precious biodiversity.
International activities
I lead grassland and forest experiments / experimental sites for the Nutrient Network (NutNet), the Drought Network (Drought-Net), the NPKD Network (NPKD-Net), the The Tree Diversity Network (TreeDivNet), and the UU BioCliVE. I am co-founder, coordinator and steering committee member of the NPKD Network and UU BioCliVE. I am also collaborating on the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (USA) and the Jena biodiversity experiment (Germany).
Current group-members
Associate Professor: Zhiwei Zhong (UU), Xiaofei Li (UU)
PhD: Ana Sandoval Calderon (UU), Shengnan Wang (UU), Yuheng Chen (UU), Xiaobin Pan (UU), Mink Verschoor (UU), Julia Mayr (UU)
MSc: Giacomo del Negro, Chiara Perulli, Meike Hartog
BSc: Femke de Boo, Jules Freiherr von Imhof, Louise Jochems, Mirre Sonders, Willemijn Boersma
Former group-members
Assistant Professor: Zaipeng Yu (UU)
PhD: Pengfei Zhang (UU), Liting Zheng (UU), Mengjiao Huang (UU), Maria Theresa Jessen (iDiv, Germany), Haoru Yan (UU), Ruonan Shen (UU), Xiangyun Li (UU), Alejandro Berlinches de Gea (WUR)
MSc: Ellen Hoevenaar, Denise Groeneweg, Freddie Visschedijk, Yordi Hidskes, Orestis Karghotis, Jeroen Heemsbergen, Joran Keur, Eveline Pinto, Benjamin Schollaart, Leonardo Bassi, Jasper van Straeten, Jord van Beek, Enrico Magazzino, Roxy Sandwijk, Huib van de Haar, Rien Lettink, Bridget Mc Govern, Tom Heuts, Ramoeni Luimes, Tianyun Yang, Floran Clopin, Ramoeni Luimes, Tianyun Zong, Maarten Meijer, Godelieve Franssen, Julia Mayr, Antonia Fichtbauer, Miao He, Nerea Rubio Echazarra, Mink Verschoor, Tom Szabo-Hemmings, Jordan Crowther, Chiara Perulli, Meike Hartog
BSc: Jim Heintz, Gijs Rooijmans, Lynn Oudheuseden, Nathan Bouwman, Thymen Vuik, Philip Stecher, Jurre Dekker, Jelmer Bos, Julien Vignal, Kim Piters, Dulci Steijvers, Julia Mechelse, Ilse Verkerk, Kim Beijering, Jesse van der Marck, Jip Hendriks, Julia Blok, Natanja Schuttenhem, Romek Nijland, Tobias Vervaart, Gijs Rooijmans, Elise Oostlander, Joilien ten Klooster, Lucia Koolen, Mirte Jaartsveld