Project properties
Title Soil-landscape controls and the impact of extreme climatic events on terrestrial ecosystems
Group Soil Geography and Landscape
Project type thesis
Credits 30
Supervisor(s) Titia Mulder
Examiner(s) Titia Mulder
Contact info titia.mulder@wur.nl
Begin date 2022/01/03
End date
Description Changes in vegetation activity caused by changes in extreme climatic events are of a complex nature since the processes inducing change act on different temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, in order to improve our understanding of large-scale changes in vegetation activity due to climate change and extreme climatic events, we should also take into account the environmental conditions which are found important at the local scale. The changes are mainly attributed to local variability in the species composition, environmental conditions and soil properties. More specifically, the soil properties affecting the impact of extreme droughts on vegetation activity were mainly related to root depth limitations, water regulating properties and ecophysiological properties. These soil-landscape properties do provide a certain degree of protection yet other limiting conditions enhance the impact of extreme events on vegetation activity. In order to adapt and mitigate to extreme climatic event, we aim to obtain a full characterization of soil functioning with respect to extreme climatic events and vegetation activity, at the global scale.

Within this framework, the MSc thesis research project aims to obtain more insights on soil-landscape controls and the impact of extreme wet events on vegetation activity, in e.g. Continental Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. These insights can be combined with findings concerning the impact of extreme warm and dry events on vegetation activity and provide more in-depth knowledge about soil functioning with respect to extreme climatic events and vegetation activity.

For this research project we are looking for an ambitious and independent student who has affinity with soil-landscape modelling and is able to combine knowledge about soil properties, environmental conditions, climate and plant growth. The analysis will be done at a regional to continental scale and thus the student is expected to be able to work with and analyse large data sets.
Used skills R, spatial and temporal modelling, ArcGIS
Requirements