Max Rietkerk

Prof. Max Rietkerk is a Full Professor of Spatial Ecology and Global Change at Utrecht University, leading the Environmental Sciences department at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. His research focuses on ecological complexity, resilience, and spatial patterns in ecosystems, particularly in drylands and Mediterranean environments. He explores how ecosystems self-organize, respond to global change, and exhibit critical transitions. Rietkerk has published over 100 articles in top journals like Nature and Science, and his work addresses climate-vegetation feedbacks, biodiversity, and fire-grazing interactions.

He received the Research Award from Utrecht University's Department of Innovation and Environmental Sciences (2003, 2005) and secured an ERC Synergy Grant for the RESILIENCE project (2022). Rietkerk is editor for journals like Sustainability and Ecological Complexity, and chairs the SENSE Research School. His teaching includes courses on Global Environmental Change and Ecosystem Dynamics. Media highlights include collaborations with the New York Times and Princeton University on topics like fairy circles and wetland carbon sequestration. He advises on policy and sustainability, emphasizing ecosystem services and coastal resilience.

Key projects include CASCADE (dryland degradation prevention) and studies on coral mound dynamics. His team investigates early-warning signals for critical transitions, spatial resilience, and biogeomorphic feedbacks in wetlands. Rietkerk’s interdisciplinary approach bridges ecology, physics, and policy to tackle global sustainability challenges.