A5082203947- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Geological formations and processes
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Plant responses to water stress
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Sustainability and Ecological Systems Analysis
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Stochastic processes and statistical mechanics
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research
- Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
2016-2025
Wageningen University & Research
2021-2025
Deltares
2024
University of Antwerp
2018-2023
Nederlands Instituut Voor Zuivel Oonderzoek
2023
Utrecht University
2016-2022
Netherlands Institute of Ecology
2011
One of the most frequently quoted ecosystem services seagrass meadows is their value for coastal protection. Many studies emphasize role above-ground shoots in attenuating waves, enhancing sedimentation and preventing erosion. This raises question if short-leaved, low density (grazed) with biomass belowground tissues can also stabilize sediments. We examined this by combining manipulative field experiments wave measurements along a typical tropical reef flat where green turtles intensively...
Our study aims to enhance process understanding of the long-term (decadal and longer) cyclic marsh dynamics by identifying mechanisms that translate large-scale physical forcing in system into vegetation change, particular (i) initiation lateral erosion on an expanding marsh, (ii) control seedling establishment front eroding marsh-cliff. Short-term sediment (i.e., seasonal shorter changes elevation) at mudflat causes variation elevation over time (δzTF). The resulting difference between...
Soil salinization poses a growing threat to agriculture in coastal plains, exacerbated by climate change and sea‐level rise. As worsens, conventional soil regenerative practices become less effective, particularly low‐lying areas where saltwater intrusion land subsidence intensify the issue. This position paper advocates for shift from toward nature‐based approaches, such as restoration of intertidal ecosystems, more sustainable alternative. These approaches harness natural processes provide...
Abstract Understanding the mechanisms limiting and facilitating salt marsh vegetation initial establishment is of widespread importance due to many valuable services ecosystems offer. Salt dynamics have been investigated by previous studies, but that enable or disable are still understudied. Recently, “windows opportunity” (WoO) concept has proposed as a framework providing an explanation for biogeomorphic role physical disturbance herein. A WoO sufficiently long disturbance‐free period...
Abstract A declining rate of recovery following disturbance has been proposed as an important early warning for impending tipping points in complex systems. Despite extensive theoretical and laboratory studies, this ‘critical slowing down’ remains largely untested the settings real-world ecosystems. Here, we provide both observational experimental support critical down along natural stress gradients tidal marsh Time series aerial images European development reveal a consistent lengthening...
Ecosystem engineering, the physical modification of environment by organisms, is a common and often influential process whose significance to food web structure dynamics largely unknown. In light recent calls expand studies include non‐trophic interactions, we explore how might best integrate ecosystem engineering webs. We provide rationales justifying their integration present provisional framework identifying can affect nodes links webs overall organization; trophic interactions with...
Abstract. There is an increasing demand for the creation and restoration of tidal marshes around world, as they provide highly valued ecosystem services. Yet restored are strongly vulnerable to factors such sea level rise declining sediment supply. How fast develops, how resilient it rise, this can be steered by design key questions that typically challenging assess due complex biogeomorphic feedback processes involved. In paper, we apply a model specific tidal-marsh project planned dike...
Highlights•Climate extremes may cause breakdown of the facultative seagrass-lucinid mutualism•Loss this mutualistic feedback can amplify seagrass ecosystem degradation•Risk marine mutualism goes beyond obligate coral symbiosis•These mechanisms need inclusion in conservation and restoration approachesSummaryIn many ecosystems, biodiversity critically depends on foundation species such as corals seagrasses that engage interactions [1–3]. Concerns grow environmental disruption mutualisms...
Self-organized spatial patterns have been proposed as possible indicators for regime shifts in ecosystems. Until now, this hypothesis has only tested drylands. Here, we focus on intertidal mudflats where regular develop early spring from the interaction between diatom growth and sedimentation but disappear when benthic herbivore abundance increases summer, accompanied by a dramatic shift to bare mudflat. We followed patch-size distributions of biofilms during degradation process. As time...
Abstract Salt marshes are valuable ecosystems that provide important ecosystem services. Given the global scale of marsh loss due to climate change and coastal squeeze, there is a pressing need identify critical extrinsic (wind exposure foreshore morphology) intrinsic factors (soil vegetation properties) affecting erosion salt edges. In this study, we quantified rates cliff lateral retreat (i.e., eroding edge plateau) using time series aerial photographs taken over four sites in...
Abstract While many studies focus on the persistence of coastal wetlands under climate change, similar predictions are lacking for new wetland establishment, despite being critical to restoration. Recent experiments revealed that marsh seedling establishment is driven by a balance between physical disturbance bed‐level dynamics and root stability. Using machine learning, we quantitatively translate such finding in biogeomorphic model assess extent. This was validated against multiyear...
Channel networks are key to coastal wetland functioning and resilience under climate change. Vegetation affects sediment hydrodynamics in many different ways, which calls for a coherent framework explain how vegetation shapes channel network geometry functioning. Here, we introduce an idealized model that shows creates more complexly branching by increasing the ratio of incision versus topographic diffusion rates, thereby amplifying channelization feedback recursively incises finer-scale...
Coastal systems are increasingly threatened by multiple local anthropogenic and global climatic stressors. With the difficulties in remediating stressors, management requires alternative approaches that focus on scales. We used manipulative experiments to test whether reducing stressors (sediment load nutrient concentrations) can improve resilience of foundation species (canopy algae along temperate rocky coastlines) future projected climate (high wave exposure, increasing sea surface...
Dikes are the conventional means of flood defence along rivers and estuaries. However, dikes gradually lead to superelevation waterbodies compared subsiding embanked areas, resulting in a rapidly increasing unstable situation under sea-level rise. Therefore, future management requires new, sustainable strategies that not only minimise risk, but also steer land-level An example is transitional polder, where dike-protected area temporarily reopened tide capture sediment until it has risen well...
Abstract Tidal marshes can contribute to nature‐based shoreline protection by reducing the wave load onto shore and erosion of sediment bed. To implement such requires ability quickly restore or create highly stable erosion‐resistant tidal at places where they currently do not yet occur. Therefore, we aim identify drivers controlling rate which stability builds up in young pioneer marshes. Sediment proxies were measured over age gradients spanning 18 years six marsh sites Western Scheldt...
Abstract Nature‐based solutions (NbS), integrating ecosystems and natural processes, offer a promising approach to deliver benefits both human society. In estuarine coastal regions, highly vulnerable storm surges large wave exposures, NbS schemes are often primarily evaluated for flood risk. Comprehensive assessments of their broader impacts on biodiversity frequently overlooked. This study presents an integrated modelling compare the long‐term outcomes two nature‐based protection schemes:...
Mangrove forests are vital for flood reduction, yet their failure mechanisms during storms poorly known, hampering integration into engineered coastal protection. In this paper, we aimed to unravel the relationship between resistance of mangrove trees overturning and root distribution properties soil, while avoiding damage natural forests. We therefore (i) tested stability 3D-printed tree mimics that imitate typical shallow systems, mimicking both damaged intact in sediments representing...
Abstract Lifeforms ranging from bacteria to humans employ specialized random movement patterns. Although effective as optimization strategies in many scientific fields, walk application biology has remained focused on search by mobile organisms. Here, we report the discovery that heavy-tailed walks underlie ability of clonally expanding plants self-organize and dictate formation biogeomorphic landscapes. Using cross-Atlantic surveys, show congeneric beach grasses adopt distinct clonal...
Abstract Coastal wetlands such as saltmarshes are valued prominent buffering ecosystems to global climate change and sea level rise (SLR), yet their long‐term persistence may also be threatened by these stressors. While increasingly thought resilient SLR owing high vertical marsh adaptability, stability remains uncertain due our poor understanding of resilience at the marsh‐tidal flat interface, where wave disturbance can progressively shift vegetated toward a bare tidal state. Here, we...