dr. J (Juul) Limpens

I am fascinated by  the feedbacks between the living and inanimate components of ecosystems and how these interactions shape the response of ecosystems to changes in the environment.

I explore these feedbacks for ecosystems under climate pressure such as boreal and sub-arctic peatlands, arctic tundra and coastal dunes to understand how these ecosystems will change in the future, and to predict what the consequences will be for our climate.

For me the common denominator of peatlands, tundra and coastal ecosystems  is the tight coupling between climate-vegetation –soil and hydrology which makes it easier to assess underlying mechanisms and define response patterns. Also, relatively small changes in the functioning of these ecosystems has disproportionally large consequences for local water quality, regional to global climate feedbacks and flood safety. Coupled with the accelerated warming of the north, the responses of these ecosystems will have consequences far beyond the local scale.

With the knowledge gained I aim to contribute to sustainable ecosystem management, nature conservation and climate adaptation