Successful prediction of pathways of storm runoff generation and associated soil erosion is of considerable societal importance, including off-site impacts such as water quality and the provision of related ecosystem services. Recently, the role of connectivity in controlling runoff and erosion has received significant and increasing scientific attention, though in a disparate and uncoordinated way. There is a wealth of experience and expertise in connectivity across Europe that could be harnessed to ensure that the potential already demonstrated in key studies can be more widely fulfilled; to move forward along agreed lines and identify emerging goals, and to benefit from cross-fertilization of ideas from the fields of Hydrology, Soil Science, Geomorphology and Ecology. COST is the appropriate vehicle for funding this activity because it will gather together existing expertise to advance the field of connectivity in a concerted way. The key benefit of this Action will therefore be to establish connectivity as a research paradigm. The Action will then permit transfer of current understanding into useable science, by developing it’s conceptual basis and transferring it into a series of monitoring and modelling tools that will provide the platform for indices that will inform holistic management of catchment systems.
Action scientific officer: Deniz Karaca
For a list of countries that are already participating, click here
If you would like some more detailed information about the action, please read the MoU, or contact us via e-mail.
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Action Chair |
Action vice Chair |
Action Grant Holder administrator |
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Dr. Saskia Keesstra |
Prof. Artemi Cerdá |
Rens Masselink, MSc |
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Soil Physics and Land Mangement Group, Wageningen University |
Department of Geography, University of Valencia |
Soil Physics and Land Mangement Group, Wageningen University |
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My research Interests: Catchment system dynamics: Processes and feedbacks My main research focus revolves around understanding catchment system dynamics in a holistic way by incorporating both processes on hillslopes (soil erosion/connectivity), as well as processes in the river channel, (sediment and water retardation). Process knowledge enables explanation of the impact of natural (e.g.. wildfires/reforestation) and human drivers (e.g.. land management) on the catchment systems and which consequences these drivers have for water and sediment connectivity. Improved understanding of the sediment and water dynamics will empower sustainable land and river management and mitigate soil threats like erosion and off-site water and sediment accumulation with the help of nature’s forces.
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My research Interests: Soil Erosion, Soil Hydrology, Land Degradation, Soil-Water-Biota interactions
My scientific career focusses on how human impact changes soil hydrological properties, soil erosion rates and the interaction between water, soil and biota (flora and fauna) in man-made landscapes such as the Mediterranean. To understand the landscape evolution it is necessary to study the socio-economic and biophysical processes and rates involved. This is why soil erosion, which has been accelerated by humankind, soil aggregate stability as an indicator of soil quality, soil infiltration capacity as partitioning process of the rainfall were researched. Agriculture and forest fires are the main topics researched in the framework of man-made landscapes, where human and physical processes interact. This approach needs to be applied at different scales and the link from different scales is the connectivity. |
My research interests: Sediment transport, modelling, GIS & RS I am currently busy doing my PhD on sediment connectivity at Wageningen University. In my research I try to measure and model processes that play a role at wide spatial and temporal ranges, i.e. from plot to catchment scale and from events to decades. I am currently mainly looking at hydrological and sediment connectivity in agricultural catchments, where I use e.g. overland flow sensors, high resolution DEM’s from photogrammetry and sediment tracers. |