His research interests include geomorphology, soil erosion, landsliding, sediment dynamics and yield, soil degradation, reservoir sedimentation, sediment yield assessment at various spatial and temporal scales, hillslope hydrology, experimental geomorphical techniques, desertification processes and mitigation techniques, soil erosion control, soil and water conservation (including the human dimension), impact of environmental change (land use, climate) on soil erosion processes and landsliding under different ecological conditions, assessment of vulnerability related to natural hazards, human-environment interactions in general, geography of developing countries, geoheritage and geotourism. His research focuses on a better understanding of mechanisms and factors controlling land degradation, natural hazards, the impact of humans on landscape evolution in temperate humid, Mediterranean, and tropical environments, as well as on the optimization of soil and water conservation techniques and resilience with respect to natural hazards.
Jean Poesen has lead field-based research programs throughout Europe, Africa, SE Asia and South America. He has been involved in over 100 research projects. Jean Poesen has supervised or co-supervised 60 PhD. students.
Jean Poesen has authored or co-authored over 900 scientific publications in a range of national and international scientific journals, out of which 524 SCI-papers and papers in conference proceedings that are listed in the Web of Knowledge, “All Databases”, status 11 November 2019. He has also edited 31 books, special issues of international scientific journals, excursion guides and manuals.
According to the Web of Knowledge, “All Databases”, status November 2019, Jean Poesen has a h-index of 85. According to Google Scholar, status November 2019, his h-index equals 114.
In 2016 he received the Alexander von Humboldt Medal from the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and the David Linton Medal from the British Society for Geomorphology.
Jean Poesen also serves or served as editor and referee for several international journals, most notably being co-editor of the Journal ‘Catena’ and member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (Wiley). He is a co-founder of the European Society for Soil Conservation.
Some recent publications (2015-2020)
Vranken, L., Vantilt, G., Van Den Eeckhaut, M., Vandekerckhove, L., Poesen, J. 2015. Landslide risk assessment in a densely populated hilly area. Landslides (2015) 12:787–798.
Panagos, P., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Ballabio, C., Lugato, E., Meusburger, K., Montanarella, L., Alewell, .C. 2015. The new assessment of soil loss by water erosion in Europe. Environmental Science & Policy, 54:438-447.
Vannoppen, W., Vanmaercke, M., De Baets, S., Poesen, J. 2015. A review of the mechanical effects of plant roots on concentrated flow erosion rates. Earth-Science Reviews 150 (2015) 666–678.
Vigiak, O., Malagó, A., Fayçal Bouraoui, Vanmaercke, M., Poesen. 2015. Adapting SWAT hillslope erosion model to predict sediment concentrations and yields in large Basins. Science of the Total Environment 538 (2015) 855–875.
Sergeant, A., Poesen, J., Duchateau, P., Vranken, L. 2016. A methodological framework to assess the socio-economic impact of underground quarries: A case study from Belgian Limburg. Science of the Total Environment 541 (2016) 559–569.
Gebeyehu Taye, Poesen, J., Vanmaercke, M., van Wesemael, B., Martens, L., Teka, D., Nyssen, J., Deckers, J., Vanacker, V., Haregeweyn, N., Hallet, V. 2015. Evolution of the effectiveness of stone bunds and trenches in reducing runoff and soil loss in the semi-arid Ethiopian highlands. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, 59(4):477-493.
Ionita, I., Fullen, M., Zgłobicki, W., Poesen, J. 2015. Gully erosion as a natural and human-induced hazard. Natural Hazards 79:S1–S5
Nyssen, J., Frankl, A., Zenebe, A., Deckers, J., Poesen, J. 2015. Land management in the northern Ethiopian highlands: local and global perspectives; past, present and future. Land Degradation & Development 26: 759–764.
Haregeweyn, N., Tsunekawa, A., Nyssen, J., Poesen, J., Tsubo, M., Tsegaye Meshesa, D., Schütt, B., Adgo, E., Tegegne, F. 2015. Soil erosion and conservation in Ethiopia: A review. Progress in Physical Geography 2015, 39(6):750-774.
Vanmaercke M., Poesen J., Van Mele B., Demuzere M., Bruynseels A., Golosov V., Rodrigues Bezerra J., Bolysov S., Dvinskih A., Frankl A., Fuseina Y., Guerra A., Haregeweyn N., Ionita I., Fils Makanzu Imwangana, Moeyersons J., Moshe I., Nazari Samani A., Niacsui L., Nyssen J., Otsuki Y.,
Radoane M., Rysin I., Ryzhov Y., Yermolaev O. 2016. How fast do gully headcuts retreat? Earth-Science Reviews 154: 336–355.
Colen, L., Turkelboom, F., Van Steenwinkel, S., Kasem Al Ahmed, Deckers, J., Poesen, J. 2016. How the soil moves upward in the olive orchards of NW Syria: sustainability analysis of a local innovation. Land Degradation & Development. 27: 416–426.
Ranga, V., Poesen, J., Van Rompaey, A., Mohapatra, S.N., Pani, P. 2016. Detection and analysis of badlands dynamics in the Chambal River Valley (India), during the last 40 (1971–2010) years. Environmental Earth Sciences 75:183
Monsieurs, E., Mekete Dessie, Verhoest, N., Poesen, J., Enyew Adgo, Deckers, J. and Nyssen, J. 2016. Impact of draining hilly lands on runoff and on-site erosion: a case study from humid Ethiopia. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms 41:513–525.
Nigussie Haregeweyn, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Mitsuru Tsubo, Derege Meshesha, Enew Adgo, Jean Poesen, Brigitta Schütt. 2016. Analyzing the hydrologic effects of region-wide land and water
development interventions: a case study of the Upper Blue Nile basin. Regional Environmental Change, 16:951–966.
Broeckx, J., Vanmaercke, M., Bălteanu, D., Chendeş, V., Sima, M., Enciu, P., Poesen, J. 2016. Linking landslide susceptibility to sediment yield at regional scale: application to Romania. Geomorphology 268 (2016): 222–232.
Jacobs, L., Dewitte, O., Poesen, J., Delvaux, D., Thiery, W., Kervyn, M. 2016. The Rwenzori Mountains, a landslide-prone region? Landslides (2016) 13:519–536.
YU Han-qing, LI Yong, ZHOU Na, Adrian Chappell, LI Xiao-yu, Jean Poesen 2016. Soil nutrient loss due to tuber crop harvesting and its environmental impact in the North China Plain. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 2016, 15(7): 1612–1624.
Nigussie Haregeweyn, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Jean Poesen, Mitsuru Tsubo, Derege Tsegaye Meshesha, Ayele Almaw Fenta, Jan Nyssen, EnyewAdgo, 2017. Comprehensive assessment of soil erosion risk for better land use planning in river basins: Case study of the Upper Blue Nile River. Science of the Total Environment 574 (2017): 95–108.
Panagos, P., Imeson, A., Meusburger, K., Borrelli, P., Poesen, J., Alewell, C. 2016. Soil conservation in Europe: wish or reality? Land Degradation & Development 27: 1547–1551.
Jacobs, L., Maes, J., Mertens, K., Sekajugo, J., Thiery, W., van Lipzig, N., Poesen, J., Kervyn, M., Dewitte, O., 2016. Reconstruction of a flash flood event through a multihazard approach: focus on the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. Natural Hazards, 84:851–876.
Vannoppen, W., Poesen, J., Peeters, P., De Baets, S., Vandevoorde, B. 2016. Root properties of vegetation communities and their impact on the erosion resistance of river dikes. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 41: 2038–2046.
Frankl, A., Deckers, J., Moulaert, L., Van Damme, A., Mitiku Haile, Poesen, J., Nyssen, J., 2016. Integrated solutions for combating gully erosion in areas prone to soil piping: innovations from the drylands of Northern Ethiopia. Land Degradation & Development, 27: 1797–1804 (2016)
Helsen, K., Vannoppen, W., Honnay, O., Poesen, J. 2016. Both below-ground and above-ground functional traits can help predict levee grassland root length density as a proxy for flow erosion resistance. Journal of Vegetation Science 27 (2016) 1254–1263.
Guyassa, E., Frankl, A., Zenebe, A., Poesen, J., Nyssen, J. 2017. Effects of check dams on runoff characteristics along gully reaches, the case of Northern Ethiopia. Journal of Hydrology 545 (2017): 299–309.
Vannoppen, W., Verachtert, E., Poesen, J. 2017. Pipeflow response in loess‐derived soils to precipitation and groundwater table fluctuations in a temperate humid climate. Hydrological Processes 2017; 31: 586–596
Kołodyńska-Gawrysiak, R. and Poesen, J. 2017. Closed depressions in the European loess belt – Natural or anthropogenic origin? Geomorphology 288 (2017) 111–128.
Maes J., Kervyn M., de Hontheim A., Dewitte O., Jacobs L., Mertens K., Vanmaercke M., Vranken L., Poesen 2017 . Landslide risk reduction measures: A review of practices and challenges for the tropics, Progress in Physical Geography, 41(2):191-221.
Vigiak, O., Malagóa, A., Bouraoui, F., Vanmaercke, M., Obreja, F., Poesen, J., Habersack, H., Fehér, J., Grošelj, S. 2017. Modelling sediment fluxes in the Danube River Basin with SWAT. Science of the Total Environment 599–600: 992–1012.
Van Eynde, A., Dondeyne, S., Isabirye, M., Deckers, J., Poesen, J. 2017. Impact of landslides on soil characteristics: Implications for estimating their age. Catena 157: 173–179.
Ayalew Talema, Poesen, J., Muys,B., Reubens, B., Hirko Dibaba, Diels, J. 2017. Multi-criteria-based plant species selection for gully and riverbank stabilization in a sub-humid tropical area. Land Degradation & Development 28: 1675–1686.
Bernatek-Jakiel, A., Vannoppen, W., Poesen, J. 2017. Assessment of grass root effects on soil piping in sandy soils using the pinhole test. Geomorphology 295 (2017) 563–571.
Poesen, J., Vanwalleghem, T., Deckers, J. 2018. Gullies and Closed Depressions in the Loess Belt: Scars of Human–Environment Interactions. In A. Demoulin (ed.), Landscapes and Landforms of Belgium and Luxembourg, World Geomorphological Landscapes, Springer, Chapter 15: 353-267.
Dewitte, O., Van Den Eeckhaut, M., Poesen, Demoulin, A. 2018. Landslides in Belgium—Two Case Studies in the Flemish Ardennes and the Pays de Herve. In A. Demoulin (ed.), Landscapes and Landforms of Belgium and Luxembourg, World Geomorphological Landscapes, Springer, Chapter 20: 335-355.
Mekete Dessie, Verhoest, Niko E. C., Enyew Adgo, Poesen, J. and Nyssen, J. 2017. Scenario-based decision support for an integrated management of water resources, International Journal of River Basin Management, 15(4):485-502.
Meron Tekalign, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Raf Aerts, Lindsey Norgrove, Jean Poesen, Jan Nyssen & Bart Muys. 2017. Effects of biodiversity loss and restoration scenarios on tree-related ecosystem services. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 13(1):434-443.
Vannoppen, W., De Baets, S., Keeble, J., Dong, Y., Poesen, J. 2017. How do root and soil characteristics affect the erosion-reducing potential of plant species? Ecological Engineering 109 (2017):186–195.
Kefelegn Getahun, Poesen, J., Van Rompaey, A. 2017. Impacts of Resettlement Programs on Deforestation of Moist Evergreen Afromontane Forests in Southwest Ethiopia. Mountain Research and Development 37(4):474-486.
Hayas, A., Poesen, J., Vanwalleghem, T. 2017. Rainfall and vegetation effects on temporal variation of topographic thresholds for gully initiation in Mediterranean cropland and olive groves. Land Degradation & Development 28: 2540–2552
Zeli Tan , L. Ruby Leung , Hongyi Li , Teklu Tesfa, Matthias Vanmaercke, Jean Poesen, Xuesong Zhang, Hui Lu , and Jens Hartmann 2017. A Global Data Analysis for Representing Sediment and Particulate Organic Carbon Yield in Earth System Models. Water Resources Research, 53, 10,674–10,700; 27 pp.
Poesen, J. 2018. Soil erosion in the Anthropocene: Research needs. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 43, 64–84 (2018).
Hanibal Lemma, Teshager Admasu, Mekete Dessie, Derbew Fentie, Jozef Deckers, Amaury Frankl, Jean Poesen, Enyew Adgo and Jan Nyssen 2018. Revisiting lake sediment budgets: How the calculation of lake lifetime is strongly data and method dependent. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms 43, 593–607 (2018). DOI: 10.1002/esp.4256
Maes, J., Parra, C., Mertens, K., Bwambale, B., Jacobs, L., Poesen, J., Dewitte, O., Vranken, L., de Hontheim, A., Kabaseke, C., Kervyn, M. 2018. Questioning network governance for disaster risk management: Lessons learnt from landslide risk management in Uganda. Environmental Science and Policy 85: 163–171.
Kołodyńska-Gawrysiak, R., Poesen, J., Gawrysiak, L. 2018. Asessment of long-term Holocene soil erosion rates in Polish loess areas using sedimentary archives from closed depressions. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 43, 978–1000 (2018).
Taye, G, Vanmaercke, M, Poesen, J, Van Wesemael, B.; Tesfaye, S.; Teka, D., Nyssen, J; Deckers, J, Haregeweyn, N. 2018. Determining RUSLE P- and C-factors for stone bunds and trenches in rangeland and cropland, North Ethiopia. Land Degradation & Development, 29 (3): 812-824
Broeckx, J., Vanmaercke, M., Duchateau, R., Poesen, J. 2018. A data-based landslide susceptibility map of Africa. Earth-Science Reviews 185: 102–121
Hailemariam Meaza, Amaury Frankl, Jean Poesen, Amanuel Zenebe, Veerle Van Eetvelde, Biadgilgn Demissie, Tesfaalem Ghebreyohannes Asfaha, Jozef Deckers, Dirk Raes & Jan Nyssen 2018. Water balance variability in the confined Aba’ala limestone graben at the western margin of the Danakil depression, northern Ethiopia, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 63 (6):957-977,
Meron Tekalign, Charlotte Flasse, Amaury Frankl, Anton Van Rompaey, Jean Poesen, Jan Nyssen, Bart Muys 2018. Forest cover loss and recovery in an East African remnant forest area: Understanding its context and drivers for conservation and sustainable ecosystem service provision. Applied Geography 98 (2018) 133–142.
Wojciech Zgłobicki, Jean Poesen, Michael Daniels, Maurizio Del Monte, Antonio J.T. Guerra, Veena Joshi, Garry Paterson, Jeffrey Shellberg, Albert Solé-Benet, Zheng’an Su 2018. Geotouristic Value of Badlands. In Estela Nadal-Romero, Juan F. Martínez-Murillo and Nikolaus J. Kuhn (eds.). Badland Dynamics in the Context of Global Change, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 277 – 313.
Etefa Guyassa, Frankl, A., Amanuel Zenebe, Lanckriet, S., Biadgilgn Demissie, Gebreyohanis Zenebe, Poesen, J., Nyssen, J., 2018. Changes in Land Use/Cover mapped over 80 Years in the Highlands of Northern Ethiopia. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 28(10): 1538–1563.
Torri, D., Poesen, J., Rossi, M., Amici, V., Spennacchi, D., Cremer, C. 2018. Gully head modelling: A Mediterranean badland case study. Earth Surf. Process. Landforms 43, 2547–2561.
Zegeye A.D., Langendoen E.J., Tilahun S.A., Mekuria W., Poesen, J., Steenhuis, T.S. 2018. Root reinforcement to soils provided by common Ethiopian highland plants for gully erosion control. Ecohydrology. 11:e1940.
Bernatek-Jakiel A., Poesen J. 2018. Subsurface erosion by soil piping: significance and research needs. Earth-Science Reviews, 185: 1107-1128.
Meron Tekalign, Nicole Groot Zevert, Amanuel Weldegebriel, Jean Poesen, Jan Nyssen, Anton Van Rompaey, Lindsey Norgrove, Bart Muys and Liesbet Vranken, 2018. Do Tourists’ Preferences Match the Host. Community’s Initiatives? A Study of Sustainable Tourism in One of Africa’s Oldest Conservation Areas. Sustainability: 10, 4167: 20 pp. doi:10.3390/su10114167
Meron Tekalign, Charlotte Flasse, Amaury Frankl, Anton Van Rompaey, Jean Poesen, Jan Nyssen, Bart Muys 2018. Forest cover loss and recovery in an East African remnant forest area: Understanding its context and drivers for conservation and sustainable ecosystem service provision. Applied Geography 98: 133–142.
Maes, J., Mbella Molombe, J., Mertens, K., Parra, C., Poesen, J., Bih Che, V., Kervyn, M. 2018. Socio-political drivers and consequences of landslide and flood risk zonation: A case study of Limbe city, Cameroon. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space.( EPC: Politics and Space), 37(4): 707–731.
Rey F., Bifulco C., Bischetti G.B., Bourrier F, De Cesare, G., Florineth, F., Graf F., Marden M., Mickovski, C. Phillips S.B., Peklo K., Poesen J., Polster D., Preti F., Rauch H.P., Raymond P., Sangalli P., Tardio G., Stokes A. 2019. Soil and water bioengineering: Practice and research needs for reconciling natural hazard control and ecological restoration 2019. Science of the Total Environment 648: 1210–1218.
Panagos P., Borrelli P., Poesen J. 2019. Soil loss due to crop harvesting in the European Union: A first estimation of an underrated geomorphic process. Science of the Total Environment 664: 487–498.
Ayalew Talema, Poesen, J., Muys, B., Padro, R., Dibaba, H., Diels, J. 2019. Survival and growth analysis of multipurpose trees, shrubs, and grasses used to rehabilitate badlands in the subhumid tropics. Land Degradation and Development 2019, 30:470–480.
Henok Kassa, Frankl, A., Dondeyne, S., Poesen, J., Nyssen, J. 2019. Sediment yield at southwest Ethiopia's forest frontier. Land Degradation and Development 30:695–705.
Zbelo Tesfamariam, Jan Nyssen, Jean Poesen, Tesfaalem Ghebreyohannes, Kelemework Tafere, Amanuel Zenebe, Seppe Deckers and Veerle Van Eetvelde 2019. Landscape research in Ethiopia: misunderstood or lost synergy? The Rangeland Journal 41:109–124.
Wojciech Zgłobicki, Jean Poesen, Marianne Cohen, Maurizio Del Monte, José M. García-Ruiz, Ion Ionita, Lilian Niacsu, Zora Machová, José F. Martín-Duque, Estela Nadal-Romero, Alessia Pica, Freddy Rey, Albert Solé-Benet, Miloš Stankoviansky, Christian Stolz, Dino Torri, Juris Soms, Francesca Vergari. 2019. The Potential of Permanent Gullies in Europe as Geomorphosites. Geoheritage 11:217–239.
Miruts Hagos, Jan Nyssen, Kassa Amare, Jean Poesen 2019. Geosites, geoheritage, human-environment interactions, and sustainable geotourism in Dogu'a Tembien. Chapter 1 in Nyssen, J., Jacob, M., Frankl, A. (eds), Geo-Trekking in Ethiopia’s Tropical Mountains, the Dogu’a Tembien District. Springer GeoGuide: 3-27.
Hailemariam Meaza, Laurens Hermans, Jan Nyssen, Amaury Frankl,, Amanuel Zenebe, Biadgilgn Demissie, Tesfaalem Ghebreyohannes Asfaha, Veerle Van Eetvelde, Jozef Deckers, Jean Poesen 2019. Spatial and temporal patterns of water salinity in the marginal grabens of Ethiopia's Danakil Depression. Land Degrad Dev. 30:1407–1422.
Lemma H, Frankl A, van Griensven A, Poesen J, Adgo E, Nyssen J. 2019. Identifying erosion hotspots in Lake Tana Basin from a multisite Soil and Water Assessment Tool validation: Opportunity for land managers. Land Degrad. Dev. 30:1449–1467.
Zbelo Tesfamariam, Nyssen, J., Tesfaalem Ghebreyohannes, Kelemework Tafere, Amanuel Zenebe, Poesen, J., Deckers, J., Van Eetvelde, V., 2019. Transhumance as a driving force of landscape change in the marginal grabens of northern Ethiopia. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 40(3): 476-495.
Maes, J., Mertens, K., Jacobs, L., Bosco Bwambale, Vranken, L., Dewitte, O., Poesen, J., Kervyn, M. 2019. Social multi-criteria evaluation to identify appropriate disaster risk reduction measures: application to landslides in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. Landslides (2019) 16:1793–1807.
Broeckx, J., Maertens, M., Isabirye, M., Vanmaercke, M., Namazzi, B., Deckers, J., Tamale, J., Jacobs, L., Thiery, W., Kervyn, M., Vranken, L., Poesen, J., 2019. Landslide susceptibility and mobilization rates in the Mount Elgon region, Uganda. Landslides (2019) 16:571–584.
Nyssen, J., Tielens, S., Tesfamichael Gebreyohannes, Tigist Araya, Kassa Teka, Van de Wauw, J., Degeyndt, K., Descheemaeker, K., Kassa Amare, Mitiku Haile, Amanuel Zenebe, Munro, N., Walraevens, K., Kindeya Gebrehiwot, Poesen, J., Frankl, A. Alemtsehay Tsegay, Deckers, J., 2019. Understanding spatial patterns of soils for sustainable agriculture in northern Ethiopia’s tropical mountains. PLoS ONE 14(10): e0224041.
Ayele Almaw Fenta, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Nigussie Haregeweyn, Jean Poesen, Mitsuru Tsubo, Pasquale Borrelli, Panos Panagos, Matthias Vanmaercke, Jente Broeckx, Hiroshi Yasuda, Takayuki Kawai, Yasunori Kurosaki 2020. Land susceptibility to water and wind erosion risks in the East Africa region. Science of the Total Environment 703 (2020) 135016: 1-19.
