Unfortunately, this lecture has to be postponed because of personal circumstances of the speaker.
There will be no Studium Generale lecture on Wednesday 23 September. Please check our agenda for upcoming programs.
As the climate changes we are facing longer periods of drought. Prof. Franciska de Vries discusses the effects climate change has on the world's soils and the organisms that live there, and the problems this might create for humans.
The soil is full of creatures we barely know of. Fungi, bacteria, mites; a range of hardly visible organisms perform key processes of carbon and nutrient cycling that form the basis for important services our ecosystem provides, like climate mitigation, food production, and supporting aboveground biodiversity.
However, climate change, land use change, agricultural intensification, and the loss and gain of plant species all threaten the diversity and functioning of soil communities, with direct consequences for the functions they perform. Franciska de Vries will demonstrate the importance of understanding processes that happen in the soil and will leave you with a new-found appreciation for the world beneath your feet.
Prof. dr. ir. Franciska de Vries is a soil ecologist and professor of earth surface science at the University of Amsterdam. She studies how human-induced disturbances affect soil communities, and how we can protect these to conserve our ecosystems, mitigate climate change, and to make agriculture more sustainable. In a recent publication in Science, she explains the importance of the microbiome of plant roots for the protection of crops from the effects of droughts.
Please note: only book a ticket if you want to attend this program on the campus.
You can visit this program on campus or watch it online via a livestream.
On campus
This program will take place on campus for a limited group of visitors. The number of visitors that we can accommodate for this program is limited due to RIVM corona measures. Making a reservation via the website (black "order" button) is therefore mandatory if you want to attend this program on campus.
Via livestream
This program will also be streamed live to our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive a notification when we go live. You do not need to book a ticket to view the livestream.
SG & USE registration
- On campus: please register your participation on the spot when attending the program on campus, by scanning your student card before the start of the program at the venue.
- Online via livestream: Please note: do NOT make a reservation if you want to watch the program online via the livestream. You can only register for SG&USE if you watch the program live (so not watching it at a later time) and if you complete an online SG&USE registration form within five minutes after the end of the program. During the lecture we will explain where and when you can find the link to the registration form. In the program info on the website you will find where you can view the livestream.
Keep your student ID number at hand, because you'll need to fill it out in the form.
Please make sure your registration is done properly, otherwise we cannot verify that you were present.
More information about SG & USE can be found here.