Michiel van Breugel

Michiel van Breugel is an Associate Professor in Geography at the National University of Singapore, focusing on tropical forest ecology in human-modified landscapes. He holds an MSc and PhD from Wageningen University and was a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. His research examines how land-use changes impact forest regeneration, biodiversity recovery, and ecosystem services.

Education:

• PhD in Ecology, Wageningen University (2007)
• MSc in Forestry and Nature Management, Wageningen University (1997)

Dr. van Breugel co-leads long-term studies on secondary forest dynamics in Panama and Singapore, investigating successional pathways, soil-microbe interactions, and blue carbon storage in coastal ecotones. His work integrates field experiments with LiDAR technology to quantify carbon sequestration and functional trait evolution during reforestation.

Recent publications (2024-2025) analyze microbial shifts during succession, drought impacts on sapling survival, and edge effects in mangrove carbon dynamics. This research supports climate-resilient forest restoration strategies across Southeast Asia.

As Co-Investigator in Future Cities Lab Global, he develops blue-green infrastructure solutions for flood-prone tropical cities. He contributes to international networks like the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, advancing large-scale carbon mapping.