Veerle Vanacker appointed Chair of the Soil Geography and Landscape Group

Prof. Dr. Vanacker explores soil-landscape dynamics across different spatial and temporal scales. Her work includes fundamental research on how climate, topography and tectonics influence soil development, erosion and landscape evolution, as well as applied research on human-landscape interactions. “Large part of my research was done in the tropics,” she explains. “There I worked on human impact on soil erosion, landsliding and the movement of sediment, and evaluated the effects of deforestation on sediment accumulation in reservoirs. Later, I used geochemical techniques to benchmark erosion processes, and looked into nature-based solutions to reduce land degradation.”

Soil sciences key for climate and restoration goals

Public interest in soil sciences is rising, particularly when it concerns carbon sequestration and soil health. We see that soils and soil processes contribute to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and soil health is central theme in one of the EU Missions. As societal demand for landscape restoration and climate adaptation grows, scientific knowledge of human, soil, and landscape interactions is key to successful restoration projects.

Vanacker already sees opportunities for her group to contribute to research innovations - such as the use of multi-tool and multi-dating techniques in soil-landscape studies. “When combining conventional soil surveys with in-situ monitoring and environmental sensors that are used near or at a distance from the soil (such as on a drone or a satellite) we can facilitate data collection over larger spatial scales,” she says. “But also, developing multi-dating techniques for soils and sediments based on luminescence and cosmogenic radionuclide dating will help to gain new insights in long-term soil and landscape evolution.”

Digging in the dirt

Veerle Vanacker was born in Belgium in 1976. As a teenager, fascinated by archaeology and ancient ruins, she spent many summers digging in the dirt at archaeological sites in Flanders. She chose to study geography at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and graduated in 1998 with a thesis on the environmental control on prehistoric settlement patterns. Next, inspired by the need to understand land use change and increasing erosion in the tropics, she started a doctoral thesis on the link between forest cover change, soil erosion and landsliding in the Tropical Andes.

Université catholique de Louvain

After her PhD, Vanacker joined the remote sensing team at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium. Here she learned more about global vegetation cover change monitoring by using SPOT and MODIS imagery. She obtained a Marie Curie grant and moved to Hannover, Germany, where she further specialised in novel isotopic tools for quantifying soil and landscape dynamics. In 2005, she returned to the Université catholique de Louvain. First as an FNRS research associate, later she climbed to full professor in the School of Geography.

Vanacker looks forward to working in her new position as chair holder: “The group has a lot of expertise, an excellent international reputation, and I really enjoy the collaborative spirit.” She will divide her time between Wageningen University & Research and the Université catholique de Louvain. “My position at both institutes can open doors for future collaboration and knowledge exchange,” she says. “Not only via mobility of staff and students through an Erasmus+ programme, but also via the development of collaborative research projects.”