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Projects - prof.dr.ir. W (Wim) de Vries

Soil chemistry with special reference to soil acidification, nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions and heavy metal pollution Impacts of the changes in land use/land management, air quality and climate change on carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, plant species diversity and soil and water quality.

 1982-1983:                

Effects of saline seepage on the quality of drinking water; Experience in modelling effects of land use changes on the quality (salinity) of a drinking water reservoir.

 1983-1988

Effects of inputs of nitrogen, phosphate and acidity on the accumulation and leaching of nutrients, aluminium and acidity in soils; Experience (i) laboratory studies on aluminium and base cation release in response to acid inputs and (ii) model development and applications on a regional scale.

 1989-present

Effects of atmospheric inputs of nitrogen and sulphur on the chemical composition of soil, soil solution and surface water in relation to effects on growth, vitality and species diversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Experience (i) large scale field studies on soil acidification and effects on forest ecosystems in relation to acid atmospheric deposition and (ii) development, validation and application of soil models at a local, national and European scale to assess critical loads and long-term impacts of atmospheric deposition on (forest) soils. The methods developed have been presented at many congresses and workshops in Europe and in several international scientific journals and have been applied by nearly all countries in Europe, in the context of the UN-ECE ICP on ICP “Modelling and Mapping of Critical Loads & Levels”.

 1994-present

Impacts/ risks of heavy metal input in agriculture and non-agricultural systems on a regional scale. Experience in development of metal models at a national and European scale to assess critical loads. The methods developed have been presented at many congresses and workshops, brought into manuals and been applied by many countries in Europe within the context of the UN-ECE Working Group on 'Mapping Critical loads'.

 1999-present

Impacts/risks of excess manure input in agriculture on air quality (emissions  of ammonia, greenhouse gases and fine particles) and soil and water quality  (accumulation and leaching of carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, base cations and heavy metals) on a regional, national and continental scale, using an integral systems analyses approach.

 2010-present

Impacts of changes in air quality (nitrogen deposition, CO2 and ozone exposure) and climate on emissions  of greenhouse gases/global warming potential on continental and global scale; Impacts of fertilizer and manure inputs in agriculture on soil and water quality (accumulation and leaching of nitrogen and phosphate) on a  global scale.

In all studies, results have been used by policy makers to set standards for the inputs of nutrients and pollutants to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.