It is mostly rainfall and soil acidity that determine which microbes survive in a particular habitat and which do not. This knowledge is important for maintaining biodiversity. Leiden environmentalists contributed to the research. Publication in Nature on 1 August.

Promotores: J.A.van Veen, P.L.G.Klinkhamer. Co-promotor: E.E.Kuramae

For a first time the atlas maps the soil biodiversity of the entire planet, and provide s comprehensive analysis of human-induced threats to soil organisms and soil functioning, facilitating development of new policies to protect soil and soil organisms.

How do societies move forward with sustainable, effective and efficient management of Earth's water resources?

How soil microbial composition impacts structure and composition of the aboveground plant and animal communities?

We need drinking water for making tea and coffee, but not for flushing the toilet. By reducing the consumption of clean water, Leiden University is helping to minimise the environmental impact.

Music from a compostable cello, photographs and scents of fungi and a weaved tapestry. With her upcoming multimedia project Super Organism, visual artist Suzette Bousema enables people to experience the below-ground fungal network with all their senses. Environmental scientist Nadia Soudzilovskaia and…

By growing in a soil plants change the biotic and abiotic properties of the soil in which they grow.

The International Course on Water Use and Management in Cagayan Valley The Philippines (2011-2015)

We will study how inoculation of former arable land with soil (including the microbiome, soil fauna and seeds/rhizomes of ground flora) from old forests along with planting targeted tree species mixtures will improve productivity and more rapidly restore forest-adapted communities and ulttimately result…

In this thesis, the role of plant-mediated soil legacy effects in shaping aboveground plant-insect interactions was investigated.

We examine how soil-derived legacy effects of plants structure natural ecosystems, determine aboveground plant insect interactions, and how we can use soil legacy effects to restore degraded ecosystems.

PhD Defence

How does invasive hybridization affect threatened native species?

Promotor: J.A. van Veen, Co-promotor: E.E. Kuramae

The use of N fertilizers has increased worldwide in the past century. While this increased input of N has increased food productivity, it has also contributed to decreases in biodiversity, soil quality and environmental health, including increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

While ecosystems have concrete benefits for human society, these benefits are typically overlooked in decision-making.

Promotores: Prof.dr. H. van Veen & Prof.dr. W. de Boer (Wageningen University)

How does the vision of problems and solutions from

We examine how soil inoculation influences aboveground organisms (i) directly, and indirectly via (ii) its effects on plant chemistry or volatile emission, or via (iii) mediating the effects of belowground pathogens on aboveground organisms via the shared plant.

Promotor: M.T.M. Koper, Co-Promotor: L.B.F. Juurlink

How presence, abundance and enzymatic activities of AM and EM fungi differently affect soil carbon sequestration processes?

Plants and soils from natural ecosystems harbor great diversity of soil microorganisms, which could potentially contribute to the sustainability of horticulture. The knowledge about using wild plant species and soil from natural ecosystem to improve the crop health will advance the application of ecological…

Human activity, such as pollution, may disturb the balance of living water systems, which has consequences for biodiversity, but also for other functions such as water purification. Leiden University maps living water systems using the most advanced technologies.

Archaeobotanic research by prof. dr. C. Bakels and students on agriculture.

This project investigates ancient water management of streams, springs and runoffs on the archaeological site of Monte Albán, Mexico, as a means to contribute with different stakeholders in the development of sustainable solutions to water problems today such as floods and scarcity.

What are the global relationships between environmental conditions and abundance of distinct types of mycorrhizal fungi in soil and plant roots?

Astronomical observations of cold regions in the universe show a rich inventory of ices. Part of these ices may end up on planets like our own, but in that journey they will be exposed to considerable amounts of radiation.

Understanding the water use of power production is an important step to both a sustainable energy transition and an improved understanding of water conservation measures. However, there are large differences across the literature that currently present barriers to decision making.

Improving environmental risk assessment of pesticides in surface waters

Dina Ishak Bakhoum defended her thesis on 21 January 2021

Promotores: G.R. de Snoo, W.T. de Groot, Co-promotor: C.J.M. Musters

Promotores: H.A. Udo De Haes, P.M. Brakefield

Before the large scale use of renewable energy sources can be implemented in our society, the storage of electrical energy needs to be tackled. Storage the energy as hydrogen via the reduction of protons is a good option.

In this dissertation, the synthesis and characterization of a series of iron complexes based on different ligand platforms are described.

Amerindian intra- and inter-insular relationships and social organization in the pre-colonial Windward Islands.

In the search for sustainable energy solutions, the idea of artificial photosynthesis has been proposed as an approach with which to use water and sunlight to produce hydrogen.

Which compounds and microorganisms that live near and inside plant roots are beneficial? Can we use this knowledge to improve the health and growth of crop plants?

CML report 192

Vinasse is a major by-product generated by the sugarcane biofuel industry. It is a source of microbes, nutrients and organic matter and often it is recycled as fertilizer.

CML researchers has contributed to development of the first-ever Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas , which has been published recently by the European Joint Research Centre (EU JRC) and the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI).

Promotor: M.T.M. Koper, Co-promotor: L. Juurlink

Publication on the excavations at Roman fort Matilo in Leiden

As a virtually inexhaustible source, solar energy plays a major role in future global energy scenarios.

The Dutch atlas with pesticides concentrations in surface waters have been overhauled. This new, free accessible, website is in line with the European Framework Directive on Water (In Dutch: KRW).