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Over ons Praktische zaken Waar vindt u ons prof. dr. ir. T. (Tjisse) van der Heide

Research interests

My research focuses on the functioning of coastal ecosystems shaped by habitat-forming species – also called ‘ecosystem engineers’ or ‘foundation species’. I am fascinated by how these species build entire landscapes, thereby generating vital services to society, including biodiversity enhancement, coastal defence, and carbon storage. My drive is to unravel ‘what makes these ecosystems tick’ and to translate fundamental findings into conservation and restoration applications, aiming to halt and reverse ongoing ecosystem degradation. 
 
As part my fundamental research line, I discovered that habitat-forming species facilitate themselves by modifying their environment through so-called ‘emergent traits’, which are not expressed by an individual but emerge at the aggregation level. Consequently, such self-facilitation only works beyond certain minimum patch size or density thresholds. Examples are seagrasses, salt marsh plants, dune grasses and reef-building bivalves that aggregate to shape the landscape by e.g., attenuating wind or water flow, and by trapping and stabilizing sediments. Apart from this ‘within-species facilitation’, I discovered that habitat-forming species engage in vital but vulnerable mutualisms that further improve living conditions.
 
Building on the above, my applied research line highlights that inclusion of both within-species and between-species facilitation in restoration designs greatly amplifies coastal restoration yields. Moreover, I showed that by temporarily mimicking emergent traits using biodegradable structures, establishment of habitat-forming species can be ‘kickstarted’ as patch size- and density-dependent establishment thresholds are effectively bypassed. These most recent advancements pave the way for technical solutions to successfully restore degraded coastal ecosystems.
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Publicaties

A global analysis of how human infrastructure squeezes sandy coasts

A facultative mutualism facilitates European seagrass meadows

Are ecosystem engineering traits fixed or flexible: A study on clonal expansion strategies in co-occurring dune grasses

Biodegradable artificial reefs enhance food web complexity and biodiversity in an intertidal soft-sediment ecosystem

Biogeomorphological aspects of a model barrier island and its surroundings - Interactions between abiotic conditions and biota shaping the tidal and terrestrial landscape: A synthesis

Characterizing bedforms in shallow seas as an integrative predictor of seafloor stability and the occurrence of macrozoobenthic species

Early indicators of tidal ecosystem shifts in estuaries

Editorial: Marine ecosystem restoration (MER) – A call for a more inclusive paradigm

Establishing cordgrass plants cluster their shoots to avoid ecosystem engineering

Macrozoobenthos as an indicator of habitat suitability for intertidal seagrass

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Pers/media

Prestigious Vici grant for research in coastal restoration

Research vessel Wim Wolff ready for action

A global analysis of how human infrastructure squeezes beaches and dunes

Database met functionele soortkenmerken online

'Lampenkappen' in Waddenzee trekken mosselen aan

Twijfel over ecologische gevolgen van garnalenvisserij in de Waddenzee

Patchwork-patroon maak ecosystemen zo sterk als staal

Mosselbanken

Restoring marine nature by planting fruit tree reefs

Opinie: Ga niet wéér twijfel zaaien: aan die stikstofdoelen valt echt niet te ontkomen

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