The catchment area of the Bovenmark has a total area of almost 40,000 hectares. The catchment area consists of a number of subsystems (Bavelse Leij, Chaamse beek, Galderse beek, Strijbeekse beek and 't Merkske) that together form the catchment area of the Bovenmark. In the 1990s, many development projects …

Ever since lake Volkerak got its status as a partially closed-off lake in the late ‘80s, excessive (cyanobacterial) algae blooms in the summer period have been a consistently occurring problem. This research aims to investigate the location-specific effectiveness of wetlands and floodplains in nutrient …

Climate change can be described as both a natural and an artificial process that affects all life on earth. One of its consequences is the rising of sea levels which can cause problems in coastal areas, such as increasing the pressure of saline groundwater. Due to this increased pressure, this saline …

This thesis covers the topic of ‘Optimal management of equine pastures’. From the equine sector, a request was made for more knowledge on the topic of pasture management. The main problem with gaining information on this topic is not the lack of existing knowledge, but the knowledge being spread over …

The culture of fear seems to be increasingly embedded in today’s society, especially on highly social unequal countries, such as Brazil. The rise of the “condomínios fechados” (gated communities) on recent years expose how this fear shapes our cities. People are sold by the idea of isolating themselves …

The turbidity in Lake Markermeer limits the primary production by phototrophic algae and the growth of plants. In turn, this limits the amount of fish and other organisms that live in and around Lake Markermeer in its food sources. To determine if there are organisms that limit the resuspension, a survey …

India is facing issues with the availability of vegetables and with water quality and availability especially in Maharashtra where the availability of water depends on the season. Drought years can have a severe impact on the agriculture production. The polyhouse can be a solution to increase the production …

Decomposition is an ecosystem process, mainly important in the carbon and nitrogen cycles. When looking at what drives decomposition, there are three major drivers. These are plant litter quality, microbes and soil animals (detritivores). A large problem in understanding the decomposition process is …

Increasingly, adding trees to the city is a new goal on the urban agenda in order to fight climate change. There is an interesting contrast when looking at the average lifespan of trees in the city: 30 years. The reason is that trees are still being seen from a utilitarian perspective and as urban furniture …

Designers of the Anthropocene era have to work with and for nature in order to reintroduce its beauty and functionality into our everyday life. As humans, we are colonising every single spot on earth. According to the United Nations, 55% of the human population is currently living in cities and by 2050 …