Railway systems occasionally get into a state of being out-of-control, meaning that barely any train is running, even though the required resources (infrastructure, rolling stock and crew) are available. Because of the large number of affected resources and the absence of detailed, timely and accurate information, currently existing disruption management techniques cannot be applied in out-of-control situations. Most of the contemporary approaches assume that there is only one single disruption with a known duration, that all information about the resources is available, and that all stakeholders in the operations act as expected. Another limitation is the lack of knowledge about why and how disruptions accumulate and whether this process can be predicted. To tackle these problems, we develop a multidisciplinary framework combining techniques from complexity science and operations research, aiming at reducing the impact of these situations and—if possible—avoiding them. The key elements of this framework are (i) the generation of early warning signals for out-of-control situations, (ii) isolating a specific region such that delay stops propagating, and (iii) the application of decentralized decision making, more suited for information-sparse out-of-control situations.@en

Dredged cohesive sediment is progressively being used for wetland construction. However, little is known about the effect of plant growth during the self-weight consolidation of this sediment. In order to check the feasibility of such a study, a new experimental setup has been constructed. As an example, the effect of Phragmites australis on the consolidation and drainage of dredged sediment from Lake Markermeer, the Netherlands was investigated. The changes in pore water pressures at 10 cm depth intervals during a 129-day period in a column with and without plants were measured, while the water level was fixed at a constant level. Water loss via evaporation and plant transpiration was measured using Mariotte bottles and the photosynthetic processes — including plant transpiration — were measured with a LI-COR photosynthesis system. The results show that several processes initiated by Phragmites australis interfere with the physical processes involved in sediment drainage and consolidation. Phragmites australis effectively altered the pore pressure gradient via water extraction, especially between 40 and 60 cm from the bottom of the column. In this zone, daily cycles in pore pressures were observed which could directly be linked to the diurnal cycle of stomatal gas exchange. On average, water loss via evaporation and transpiration of leaves of Phragmites australis amounted to 3.9 mm day−1, whereas evaporation of bare soil amounted on average to 0.6 mm day−1. The depth-averaged hydraulic conductivity increased on average by 40% in presence of Phragmites australis. This pilot experiment confirms that the pressures sensors coupled with the new set-up enable to study pore pressure development over time and to link the effect of plant growth with alterations in water pressures profiles. A more systematic study with this set-up will in the future enable to quantify the effects of plant growth on consolidation.@en

Railway systems occasionally get into a state of out-of-control, meaning that there is barely any train is running, even though the required resources (infrastructure, rolling stock and crew) are available. These situations can either be caused by large disruptions or unexpected propagation and accumulation of delays. Because of the large number of affected resources and the absence of detailed, timely and accurate information, currently existing methods cannot be applied in out-of-control situations. Most of the contemporary approaches assume that there is only one single disruption with a known duration, that all information about the resources is available, and that all stakeholders in the operations act as expected. Another limitation is the lack of knowledge about why and how disruptions accumulate and whether this process can be predicted. To tackle these problems, we develop a multidisciplinary framework aiming at reducing the impact of these situations and - if possible - avoiding them. The key elements of this framework are (i) the generation of early warning signals for out-of-control situations using tools from complexity science and (ii) a set of rescheduling measures robust against the features of out-of-control situations, using tools from operations research. @en

This study investigates the potential of bioturbating Tubificidae to alter biogeochemical processes by sediment aeration in order to enhance ecosystem development in eco-engineering projects. We introduced Tubificidae in three different densities (5000, 15,000, and 30,000 individuals m−2) in clay-rich sediment from lake Markermeer (The Netherlands). Redox potential, nutrients and major elements were measured from the water column and porewater at different depths. Mineral phase and redox transfers were chemically modelled and oxygen concentrations in bioturbated sediments for each density were mathematically predicted. The measured results of this experiment showed that Tubificidae oxygenated the upper 15 mm of the sediment. This resulted in decomposition of sedimentary organic matter with an associated sixfold increase in NH4 and NOx concentrations in the porewater and the water column. However, phosphorus concentrations were declining in the upper 16 mm, likely as a result of immobilization by pyrite oxidation and production of iron oxides. These bioturbation effects were highest in the treatment with an intermediate density of Tubificidae (15,000 worms m−2) as aeration effects in the treatment with the highest density of Tubificidae (30,000 worms m−2) was impeded by high respiration rates. Furthermore, with a two dimensional diffusion model, simulated effects of respiration and aeration on the oxygen concentration in the sediment suggest that the bioturbation effect is strongest at a density of 12,000 worms m−2. In ecological engineering projects where fast ecosystem development is important, introducing Tubificidae to aquatic sediments to optimal densities might enhance initial ecosystem development due to improved availability of nitrogen as nutrient.@en

This study addresses the challenging task of analysing multifunctional landscapes through an innovative integrated modelling approach. Acknowledging the limitations of disciplinary models in assessing diverse landscape functions, we present a conceptual framework for their integration. Demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach in a Netherlands case study, we assess alternative land use changes for drought and carbon sequestration. Results underscore the framework's efficacy in elucidating the intricate relationship between carbon and water across multiple model runs and iterations. Notably, the alternative land use scenario reveals an average increase in soil moisture during dry periods and an increase in soil organic carbon content across four model runs. This softly coupled approach offers valuable insights into environmental modelling, facilitating navigation of complex integration challenges for researchers and practitioners. Furthermore, it enhances modelling transparency by elucidating variable representation and processes, providing a foundation for informed decisions in sustainable landscape management.@en