My research aims at understanding the structure, dynamics and functioning of old-growth grasslands, i.e. species-rich ancient grass-dominated ecosystems that have escaped both ploughing and overgrazing (1). This is a world in peril. Over the last two centuries, human settlements, population growth and increasing demand of commodities, intensive farming practices and poor grazing management have caused an unprecedented rise in the destruction rate of these ecosystems.
My main expertise covers mountain grasslands, although I also had the chance to study Australian tropical semiarid grasslands.
My current research examines how mountain grasslands respond to ongoing changes in snow cover, soil climate and grazing management. To do so, I combine field surveys and monitoring, remote sensing and ecosystem modelling.
(1) Veldman JW, et al. 2015. Toward an old-growth concept for grasslands, savannas, and woodlands. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 13:154-162.