I am fascinated by biodiversity and the role biodiversity can have in an ecosystem. With plants as a central focus I hope to increase our understanding in the functioning of ecosystems, how we can work together with natural processes to increase our quality of living and how we can help, protect and restore our natural landscapes and diversity.
Currently I am working as a researcher in ecology at the Vegetation, Forest, and Landscape group of Wageningen Environmental Research (WUR/WenR). Here I will work on multiple projects. A main focus will be on maintaining, developing and applying large data sets on vegetation for research and management. This includes the Dutch National Vegetation Database and SynBioSys. Next to these projects I am working on the analyses of dune grassland dynamics, the ecological consequences of large-scale climate factors, and the development of (flower rich) and resilient dikes.
Apart from teaching and starting impossible projects with my colleagues. I like to write. And draw. And make pictures wherever I can.
Projects
Recently we have started to study the biodiversity and ecosystem functions and functioning of dikes. Together with water boards, engineers and ecologists we started with writing a first overview of ecology included dike management, known as Handreikinggrasbekleding 1.0. This adds up to our current project where we study the role of plant rooting and plant diversity in the resilience of dikes along the Wadden sea within the POV Waddenzeedijkenprogram.
At BWARE research centre I was working on a data crunching projects. We hope to identify whether large-scale environmental processes, such as climate, weather or sea dynamics, affect patterns in dry dune grassland vegetation. And the results are surprising!
In 2017 I obtained my PhD at the Universities of Leuven (BE) and Nijmegen (NL) under supervision of (resp.) prof. Olivier Honnay and prof. Joop Schaminée. Here I studied the way biodiversity works in creating resistant ecosystems and how species richness can increase a higher stability in ecosystem functioning under an increasing stress of climate change: N.M. van Rooijen (2017) Effects of plant diversity on the stability of natural grassland ecosystem functioning
Additionally I am active in projects aiming to protect and promote Dutch nature and biodiversity:
- Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands (KNBV – Secretary)
- Het Levend Archief | Nationale Zadencollectie (Living Archive | National Seed repository – initiator)
- Stichting Nationale Plantencollectie (Secretary)
- Nova Flora Neerlandica (initiator)
- Victor Westhofflezing (organizer)
- Wadden guide at Waddenvereniging
Some links linking to me:
And links which to I am linked
Koninklijke Nederlandse Botanische Vereniging (Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands)
Flora van Nederland Nova Flora Neerlandica
Venster op de Wereld WaddenWerkWeekend
C.V.
2018-Current: Researcher in the Vegetation-, Forest-, and Landscape Ecology group (VBL) at Wageningen Environmental Research (WEnR), part of Wageningen Univerity and Research (WUR).
- National Vegetation Database
- SynBioSys
2018: Post doctoral researcher at Radboud University Nijmegen
- “POV-Waddendijken: Assessing the relat
2018 : Post doctoral researcher at B-Ware and Radboud University Nijmegen
- “Temporal patterns in dry dune grasslands on a regional scale are driven by sea-climate interactions”
2017 : Post doctoral researcher at B-Ware and Radboud University Nijmegen
- “Flower Dikes: a preliminary guide towards biodiverse dike management.”
2012 – 2016: PhD KULeuven and Radboud University Nijmegen
- “The effects of Plant diversity on the stability of natural grassland ecosystem functioning”
2007-2011: Research MSc with research interns at:
- Alterra WUR: Phytosociological position of Anacamptis morio
- Environmental Monitoring Group, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa: Ecological position of Aspalathus linearis
and a minor in Limnogy and Oceanography at the University of Amsterdam
2004-2007: BSc in Biology at the Radboud University Nijmegen
1998-2004: Atheneum
Experience
2017 – present: Secretary of the Inspection committee of Stichting Nationale Plantencollecties (S.N.P.)
2015 – present: Victor Westhofflezing as organizer
2014- present: Co-initiator of Nova Flora Neerlandica
2010 – present: 2nd Secretary of the Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands
2010 – present: Guide at the Waddenvereniging
2010-2016: Editor at Flora van Nederland
2007 – 2016: Teacher and teaching assistant at KULeuven , Radboud University Nijmegen & Wageningen UR
2008-2009: Secretary at students MR of the Science faculty of the Radboud University Nijmegen
2007-2008: Treasurer at BeeVee for Biology students
Publications
Peer reviewed journals
Published
- N.M. van Rooijen (2017). Effects of Plant Diversity on the Stability of Natural Grassland Ecosystem Functioning, Doctoral thesis, KULeuven & Radboud University
- de Keersmaecker, N.M. van Rooijen, S. Lhermitte, L. Tits, J.H.J. Schaminée, P. Coppin, O. Honnay, B. Somers, (2016). Species‐rich semi‐natural grasslands have a higher resistance but a lower resilience than intensively managed agricultural grasslands in response to climate anomalies. Journal of applied ecology.
- N.M. van Rooijen, W. de Keersmaecker, W. Ozinga, P. Coppin, S. Hennekens, J.H.J. Schaminée, B. Somers, O. Honnay (2015). Plant Species Diversity Mediates Ecosystem Stability of Natural Dune Grasslands in Response to Drought. Ecosystems: 1-12.
- Ceulemans, C.J. Stevens, L. Duchateau, H. Jacquemyn, D.J. Gowing, R. Merckx, H. Wallace, N.M. van Rooijen, T.M.W.J. van Goethem, R. Bobbink, (2014). Soil phosphorus constrains biodiversity across European grasslands. Global change biology 20: 3814-3822.
Submitted
- N.M. van Rooijen, T.M.W.J. van Goethem, M. Vliegenberg, J.H.J. Schaminée, W.A. Ozinga, O. Honnay. Diversity-stability relationships are consistent across different natural grassland ecosystems in the Netherlands, Journal of Vegetation Science (in revision)
- M.W.J. van Goethem, M.A.J. Huijbregts, N.M. van Rooijen, G.W. Wamelink, J.H.J. Schaminée, A.M. Schipper. Opposing patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity along a pH gradient in grasslands.
- N.M. van Rooijen, H.G.J.M. van der Hagen, W.A. Ozinga, W. de Keersmaecker, S. Lhermitte, B. Somers, H. de Kroon, J.H.J. Schaminée, O. Honnay. Biodiversity promotes stability in nature
National journals
- N.M van Rooijen (2016) Elke soort telt. Hortus magazine
- Hameeteman, N.M. van Rooijen, J.H.J. Schaminée (2016). De kalkgrens in Nederland, een kwestie van perspectief. Holland’s Duinen 67: 10-13
- M.W.J. van Goethem, N.M. van Rooijen, C. Bruin, J.A.M. Janssen, J.H.J. Schaminee (2012). Plantengemeenschappen met Harlekijn (Anacamptis morio) in Nederland: verleden, heden, toekomst. Stratiotes 43: 7-21.
- N.M. van Rooijen and T.M.W.J. van Goethem (2011). Waar is de Harlekijn gebleven. De Levende Natuur: 112-4
Books & book chapters
- N.M. van Rooijen & J.H.J. Schaminée (2018), Het Levend Archief, in H. Ketelaar et al. (2018) Planten van Hier, KNNV
- C. Swinkels en N.M. van Rooijen (2018). Vasthouden of loslaten: duinbeheer onder veranderende klimaatomstandigheden, in J.H.J. Schaminée & J.A.M. Janssen (ed.) (2018) Buigen of Barsten, KNNV
- N.M. van Rooijen (2017). Effects of Plant Diversity on the Stability of Natural Grassland Ecosystem Functioning, Doctoral thesis, KULeuven & Radboud University
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Verscheidene hoofdstukken in: Roos en ’t Hart et al. (2017). Botanische Tuinen in Nederland, Nederlandse Vereniging Botanische Tuinen, Natuurmedia
- Weeda, J.H.J. Schaminée, N.M. van Rooijen (2016). Botanische Meesterwerken, KNNV uitgeverij, Zeist
- N.M. van Rooijen (2016), Vlijt en Volharding: over drukkers en uitgevers. In: E.J. Weeda, J.H.J. Schaminée, N.M. van Rooijen (2016) Botanische Meesterwerken, KNNV Uitgeverij Zeist
- H.J. Schaminée and N.M van Rooijen (2015), Botanische Meesterwerken: afbeeldingen van de natuur vervaardigd door onbekende kunstenaars, Kunst en Wetenschap
- N.M. van Rooijen and J.H.J. Schaminée (2014), De randen van Europa: duinen en duingraslanden. In: J.H.J. Schaminée and J.A.M. Janssen (2014), Het Oude Continent: beschouwingen over natuur in Europa, KNNV uitgeverij, Zeist
- Bongers, M. de Graaf, S. Hennekens, J.A.M. Janssen, H. van Loon, W. Ozinga, N.M. van Rooijen, J.H.J. Schaminee (2013). Wegwijs in de natuur: achtergronden, illustraties en toepassingen van het informatiesysteem SynBioSys. Alterra UR, Wageningen & Van Hall Larenstein, Velp
- N.M. van Rooijen and A. Corporaal (2009). Veranderende Landschappen als gevolg van veranderingen in het klimaat. In: J.H.J. Schaminée and E.J. Weeda (2009) Natuur als Nooit Tevoren. KNNV uitgeverij, Zeist
- N.M. van Rooijen (2009). Met beide Benen in de Natuur. In: Westhofflezing 2009: De Toekomst van het Platteland. Natuur en Landschap, last of lust? Door Cees Veerman. Uitgeverij Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen/KNNV.
Nils van Rooijen 
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