Ema is a PhD student in the Resilience project, focusing on developing mathematical models for pattern formation in ecosystems. Before joining Resilience, she completed her studies in applied mathematics at Leiden University, writing a master’s thesis on pattern formation in seagrass meadows. Her current research centers on periodic patterns in reaction‑diffusion equations for dryland ecosystems and on the effects of large localized perturbations.

Research Project: Human interventions and the resilience of an ecosystem

In the Human Interventions project, we study the impact of human activities on the resilience of an ecosystem. Existing theories are developed in the context of idealized domains: sufficiently large regions in which environmental conditions do not change. In a realistic setting, the region may be too small to enable the system to evade tipping.  Strong localized effects by human interventions, such as local logging, or ‘slash and burn’ agricultural land use, may also significantly reduce the flexibility and thus resilience of a patterned system. On the other hand, tailored localized perturbations may increase the resilience of the system to droughts by directing it to stable patterns rather than to bare soil. In this project, we embed the study of spatial patterns in complex systems and ecosystems and their impact on its resilience in a (mathematical) analysis of the impact of spatial restrictions of the domain and the effects of local and global, human induced effects. The intended end goal will include measures directed towards ecosystem restoration, evading and even reversing critical transitions.