Rita Mak

Ecological resilience in the flow: Modeling spatiotemporal population dynamics in rivers

Project affiliation:   A3

Rita Mak joined the ECORISK Research Training Group as a PhD student with a background in mathematics and a strong interest in mathematical biology and ecology. She completed her Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences at Utrecht University (2022–2025), specialising in the Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems track with a focus on biological applications. In her Master’s thesis, Rita investigated the effects of different time scales on pattern formation using an extended Klausmeier model.

In her PhD project, Rita focuses on river ecosystems, which are characterised by a dynamic spatio-temporal mosaic of environmental conditions. Her research explores how species distributions respond to changing habitat conditions, where favourable habitats can serve as temporary footholds during adverse periods and unfavourable habitats may become traversable under opportune conditions. Using dynamic, spatially explicit models, she aims to identify spatiotemporal patterns of agricultural, hydromorphological and hydrometeorological perturbations that may trigger regime shifts in species distributions.