dr. SD (Saskia) Keesstra
Senior researcher Soil, Water and Land useFollow me:
Expertise: Soils in a larger context: System dynamics
My main research focus revolves around understanding how soils are part of a larger system. To enable sustainable catchment management it is needed to look at the system dynamics in a holistic way. Process knowledge enables explanation of the impact of natural and human drivers on the soil system and which consequences these drivers have for water and sediment transfer (connectivity) on the human scale, both temporally as well as spatially. Improved understanding of the soil and water dynamics together with the development and testing practical land management tools in agricultural and forest land is one of the key topics to empower sustainable land management and mitigate soil threats like erosion and off-side water and sediment accumulation with the help of nature’s forces.
In my research I focus on methodology development, with specifically: (i) focussing on upscaling, how point-scale methods can be used on larger spatial scales; and (ii) focussing on downscaling: from landscape to fine resolution, approaching plot scale. The last important step is to disseminate our science to the other researchers from our own and other disciplines; and to the general public.
current projects:
EJP SOIL: www.ejpsoil.eu
CIRCASA: www.circasa-project.eu
SPECTORS: www.spectors.eu