dr. J (Jasper) van Ruijven

My main research interest is in the patterns and processes related to plant diversity. My work is focused on identifying the underlying mechanisms of changes in plant diversity and the consequences of these changes for ecosystem functions, such as productivity, decomposition and pollination. The ‘Wageningen Biodiversity Experiment’ (WBE, see picture below), which I initiated in 2000 as part of my PhD project and continued until 2011, has been instrumental in this work. Biodiversity experiments like the WBE typically show a positive relation between plant productivity and biodiversity. This pattern has been found repeatedly both aboveground and belowground and is now well established.