The exchange of water, carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases (GHG), air pollutants and reactive gases between the land surface and the atmosphere are studied, as affected by vegetation, soils, weather. This group distinguish three sub-domains:
- the dynamics of the carbon, GHG, water and heat budgets of ecosystems and their soils, including urban environments, over short and long time scales
- The feedbacks between the atmosphere and vegetation, including through behaviour and role of air pollutants and reactive gases
- The spatial variability in these budgets and their spatial integration over regions
Various measurement techniques are used targeting different scales, varying from chamber (plot scale), flux tower (stand) and aircraft measurements (regional), or targeting soil processes related to soil carbon stability and respiration at plot and experimental lab scale. Modelling activities address the same range of scales with detailed 1D soil-vegetation models, that can also be run spatially explicitly to cover larger regions, either or not coupled to 1D atmospheric column models or 3D regional atmospheric models. We address grassland, cropland and forest ecosystems in the Netherlands in other parts of the world, like Amazonia, Siberia and Sahel. In addition, we observe and model the urban environment.
The work is linked to large-scale water cycles studies through the spatial integration and feedbacks domains, and joint development of model components. We address human dimensions and climate adaptation by our work on the policy implications of greenhouse gas budgets and through the integral functioning of inhabited regions and landscapes.
Selection of research projects:
Posters:
Extended webpage for projects and experimental stations:
Climate X Change: www.climatexchange.nl