This project has studied hoe reforestation in the tropics can contribute to rainfall generation in downwind areas that are sensitive to drought due to climate change and deforestation. For this, new simulation models were developed based on climate scenarios. By combining these new models in innovative ways with satellite data and other calculations, this project has laid the foundation for targeted rainfall enhancement through reforestation.

Measures for functional agrobiodiversity (FAB), such as flowery field margins and hedgerows, can stimulate natural enemies in agroecosystems. Despite the expected benefits for pest suppression, FAB measures are not yet often used. FABforward brings together (scientific) experts, the agrosector and public partners to develop the required specific ecological knowledge and practical tools, and to remove socioeconomic barriers. The expected impact of FABforward is the broad implementation of FAB measures in Dutch arable farming with minimal insecticide applications. Hence, we accelerate the urgently needed transition to sustainable farming in a biodiverse and attractive landscape.

Coastal eutrophication and climate change are interrelated problems. Coastal eutrophication is largely caused by increased river transport of nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C). Changes in hydrology, climate change, land use and other human activities largely affect trends in nutrient export by rivers. This research aims to increase our understanding of trends in nutrient export to the coastal waters of China, as affected by changes in climate, hydrology and human activities. This will be done by developing and applying integrated models of nutrient export by rivers to coastal waters, based on local information. The NEWS models will be used as a starting point. These are global models, simulating spatially explicit nutrient export by over 6000 rivers as a function of climate, hydrology, biophysical characteristics of river basins, and human activities on the land. NEWS models have been developed for different nutrients, including dissolved and particulate forms of N, P and C. Recently, the NEWS models have been used to explore future trends in nutrient export by rivers up to the year 2050. We propose to further develop and apply integrated models of nutrient export by rivers to the coastal waters of China. Novel aspects of our approach will be the spatial and temporal level of detail (sub-basin and within year), while maintaining the pan-Chinese coverage of the model. In addition, we will take a more mechanistic modelling approach to better understand the interrelations between climate change, hydrology, human activities and coastal eutrophication. We will use local information on nutrient loadings of rivers for validation. Using our models, we will analyze past and future trends in nutrient export by rivers to the coastal waters in China. This further regionalisation is an innovative step in the development and application of the NEWS approach.

Episodic memory is a hallmark of cognition and comprises remembered events embedded within a spatiotemporal context. Despite a wealth of research on spatial representations, little is known about how the human brain encodes temporal aspects of memories. By combining functional neuroimaging, multivoxel pattern-analyses and novel behavioural tasks, we aim to characterize (1) the neural mechanisms underlying time processing, (2) how these temporal representations relate to sequential episodic information and (3) how temporal and spatial context processing converge in hippocampal subfields. This project will expand understanding of mnemonic representations in the brain, with implications for research on normal and pathological ageing.

This project uses the crane radar to make science communication more interactive. The radar combines mathematical models, ecological knowledge, AI, and user observations to simulate the crane migration over the Netherlands in real time. Through co-creation, the radar is improved to enhance user-friendliness. A virtual crane is also added, allowing people to ask questions about the migration and the science behind it. This makes complex ecological knowledge accessible to a broad audience. The insights from this project contribute to better ways of communicating science and help implement digital twin technology more effectively in education and nature conservation.