dr.ir. E.M. Horstman (Erik)

Associate Professor
ET-CEM-CSNBE
Horst Complex W215
e.m.horstman@utwente.nl
+31534891539
Business card

I am trained as a Civil Engineer (BSc, MSc) at the University of Twente. For my PhD (completed in 2014, University of Twente/National University of Singapore) I studied short-term biophysical interactions in mangrove forests in Thailand. I joined the University of Waikato (New Zealand) as a Research Fellow in 2015, studying thresholds to sediment dynamics in mangroves. In 2018 I obtained my current position as Assistant Professor at the University of Twente, combining my Mangrove-RESCUE research with training the next generation of civil engineers/coastal scientists.

Check out my story on this website!

Expertise

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences

    • Mangrove
    • Vegetation
    • Forest
    • Investigation
    • Model
    • Beach
    • Datum
    • Sediment

Organisations

My scientific interests revolve around pioneering research into the biophysical interactions in mangrove ecosystems. Thriving at the dynamic interface between land and sea, mangroves form a significant source of drag, attenuating tidal currents and waves. Consequently, mangroves are known as sediment-trapping environments.

I believe that observations are the basis for understanding natural systems, so my work hinges on the collection of field and experimental data. In numerous challenging field campaigns, I collected datasets with comprehensive observations of hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics, vegetation parameters and related physical and biological parameters. These observations have directly enhanced our understanding of for example tidal flow routing, wave attenuation and deposition patterns in mangroves.

In my PhD research, I employed field data for the calibration and validation of a numerical model simulating sediment dynamics in mangroves. This endeavour showed great potential for predicting longer-term mangrove development, but also revealed the relevance of unknown system parameters related to drag forces and sediment dynamics.

My current research addresses turbulent processes in mangroves, aiming to unravel spatial and temporal variations in these drag forces and sediment dynamics. These unique observations from the field will feed into more accurate process-based models of the short-term dynamics in mangroves.

Building upon these obtained insights, I aim to develop accurate yet efficient models simulating the long-term biophysical development of mangrove ecosystems. Such models will help predict and assess the contribution of mangroves to coastal stability and safety and to address potential compromising effects of human activities on these regulating services provided by mangroves.

Publications

2024
Coastal Flood Risk Reduction by Mangroves: An Engineering Perspective. University of Twente. Gijsman, R.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036560955Biophysical Modeling of Mangrove Seedling Establishment and Survival Across an Elevation Gradient With Forest Zones, Article e2024JF007664. Gijsman, R., Horstman, E. M., Swales, A., Balke, T., Willemsen, P. W. J. M., van der Wal, D. & Wijnberg, K. M.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF007664Mangrove forest drag and bed stabilisation effects on intertidal flat morphology, 1117–1134. Gijsman, R., Horstman, E. M., Swales, A., MacDonald, I. T., Bouma, T. J., van der Wal, D. & Wijnberg, K. M.https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5758Long-term beach-dune evolution of mega-nourishments: a Cellular Automata approach. Teixeira Manion, M., Horstman, E. M. & Wijnberg, K. M.Mangrove Ecosystem Engineering Effects Across an Elevation Gradient with Forest Zones. Gijsman, R., Horstman, E. M., Swales, A., van der Wal, D. & Wijnberg, K. M.https://www.nck-web.org/boa-2024/815-mangrove-ecosystem-engineering
2023
Influence of Beach Slope on Morphological Changes and Sediment Transport under Irregular Waves, Article 2244. Dionisio Antonio, S., van der Werf, J., Horstman, E., Cáceres, I., Alsina, J., van der Zanden, J. & Hulscher, S.https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11122244Protective structures as adaptive management strategy in Nature-based Solutions to mitigate sea level rise effects, Article 107079. Siegersma, T. R., Willemsen, P. W. J. M., Horstman, E. M., Hu, Z. & Borsje, B. W.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107079Mangrove ecosystem engineers: How a mangrove forest influences intertidal flat morphology-Insights from numerical modelling, 3-4. Gijsman, R., Horstman, E. M., MacDonald, I. & Swales, A.Conceptualizing Aeolian Sediment Transport in a Cellular Automata Model to Simulate the Bio-Geomorphological Evolution of Beach–Dune Systems, Article 1278. Teixeira, M., Horstman, E. M. & Wijnberg, K. M.https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11071278Shaping the beach: Cross-shore sand transport in the swash zoneIn Coastal Sediments 2023 (pp. 1923-1932). van der Werf, J., Dionísio António, S., Kranenborg, J., Chen, W., Campmans, G., Horstman, E., Reniers, A. & Hulscher, S.https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811275135_0176

Research profiles

Mangrove-RESCUE: Mangrove Resilience for Enhanced Safety of Coastal Urbanisations and Environments

Mangrove ecosystems shelter tropical and subtropical shorelines. Their natural resilience allows them to recover from erosion events and to adapt to changing conditions. This study measures and simulates processes that influence this resilience, enabling the long-term prediction and protection of mangrove development and their contribution to coastal safety.

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room W215
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations

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