Dr. Merel Soons

Biography

Merel Soons is a Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, where she also serves as Chair of the University's Biodiversity Council. Her primary research interests lie in landscape ecology, focusing on mechanisms of dispersal, colonization, and migration of plants and animals, as well as the factors regulating biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. She investigates the interactions and mechanisms involved in ongoing global changes, including land use change, habitat fragmentation, and climate change, and their consequences for biodiversity conservation and recovery. Through her research, Soons explores ecological processes at the ecosystem landscape scale using a combination of field data collection, experiments, and modeling approaches. Her work in dispersal research employs a movement ecology framework to study plant and animal movement. Soons advocates for a blend of fundamental ecological theory and practical ecological knowledge to address key environmental problems facing society. Her research highlights the importance of wetlands and grasslands, which are globally significant ecosystems for biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. Soons is a multiple NWO laureate, having received Meervoud, VIDI, and Aspasia personal grants. She works with a diverse research team, including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.

Research Interests

Experience