Self-organized landscape patterns help plants cope with climate change

New research shows how natural patterns in coastal meadows redistribute salt stress, helping vegetation remain productive under increasingly saline conditions. Such a mechanism can enhance the resilience of ecosystems to climate-related stress.

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Urban birch pollen doesn’t fall far from the tree

Research in Leiden shows that flowering birch trees can substantially increase the amount of airborne pollen in their immediate surroundings, even though this pollen can also travel over long distances. Much less birch pollen was measured 25 metres from the trees than closer to them. We therefore recommend avoiding planting large numbers of highly allergenic trees, such as birches, together.

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FlySafe service to observe bird migration and reduce bird strikes in military flights

The FlySafe Operational Service provides near real-time information and forecast on large scale bird movement in the air space of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium based on weather radars. The service can help predict bird migration and improve flight safety by reducing the number of collisions between birds and aircraft.

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Heatwaves inhibit antibiotic resistance in soils, but at a price

During extreme heatwaves, soil bacteria that produce and resist antibiotics switch into survival mode, temporarily reducing the number of resistance genes. At the same time, heat and drought are causing significant damage to soils and ecosystems, especially in cold, wet regions such as the Netherlands. This is evident from a large-scale European study by UvA's Franciska de Vries and colleagues.

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Sphagnum mosses and their keyrole in nature

Jeroen Helmer has created a new illustration of the sphagnum moss ecosystem, especially for the conference ‘Power to the Peatlands’. This illustration is available free of charge to participants and to anyone wishing to raise awareness of the crucial importance of restoring peatlands.

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Strong oyster reefs start with genetic diversity

Which oysters are released matters when restoring European flat oyster reefs. To preserve genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding, the origin and relatedness of the oysters should be considered for each restoration area. This is the conclusion of a new PhD project.

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Sharks and rays do not avoid power cables but do show behavioural changes

PhD research shows that sharks and rays are present in operational wind farms in the North Sea and that power cables do not form a barrier. Exposure to the electromagnetic fields does, however, affect behaviour and growth. Whether prolonged contact with electromagnetic fields affects behaviour, reproduction or survival remains uncertain.

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What an honor! Antlion named after Naturalis collection manager

A new species of antlion from South India has been named after Mónica Guimarães Cruz, collection manager at Naturalis. The type specimen is, in fact, part of the Naturalis insect collection, which she manages. This gesture is not only a tribute, but also highlights the importance of natural history collections.

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AI helps beachcombers identify fossils

There's black gold to be found on Dutch beaches: ancient fossils. But determining what you have found is no easy task. Researchers from Naturalis and other institutions have trained artificial intelligence to recognize fossils. Sometimes AI even outperforms professional experts, if the photos are good enough.

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DNA research highlights the genetic vulnerability of Asian elephants

The DNA of Asian elephants tells a concerning story. Although all four subspecies are under pressure, there are considerable differences in their genetic health. The Sri Lankan elephant appears to have a relatively large amount of genetic diversity. Especially for the Bornean elephant, inbreeding is lurking.

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Two new snail species for Montenegro

Mixed teams of scientists and citizens, including Leiden evolution biologist Menno Schilthuizen, have discovered two new snail species in northwestern Montenegro. The discovery underscores the region's importance for hidden biodiversity and the need for conservation.

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Urban airborne allergenic pollen has a strong local effect

People with hay fever may be exposed to much more allergenic pollen in one street than just a few streets away. Research in Leiden shows that pollen levels in urban air vary considerably at a local scale. Plants in public spaces are the main source of allergenic pollen in the areas investigated. By carefully designing public green spaces, municipalities can reduce exposure to allergenic pollen.

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New research shows: shorebirds find mobile prey in a predictable way

For shorebirds such as sanderlings, food availability is determined not only by the abundance of prey, but also by the precise locations and periods during which prey are available. Research by Emma Penning and others shows that mobile prey, such as shrimps and shore crabs, occur predictably in specific parts of intertidal mudflats throughout the season, contributing to better foraging success.

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How old is your sidewalk? The lichens know!

Most sidewalks are paved with square grey concrete slabs. If you look closely at older paving stones, you will often spot pale grey circular patches, about the size of the base of a soft drink can. These are lichens, living organisms that grow only a few millimetres each year. Scientists in the Netherlands have now measured exactly how fast they grow.

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Sponges use photosynthesis, boosting productivity of tropical coral reefs

In marine environments, sponges tend to eat other organisms to get their nutrients, but they can also use photosynthesis, in collaboration with microbes. This phenomenon can help with the productivity – the amount of energy and food produced – in tropical coral reefs, and perhaps also in other ecosystems where sponges are common.

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Using DNA to save nature

A landmark alliance of DNA experts across Europe signals the start of an unprecedented effort to build a continent-wide system that applies genomics for protecting European biodiversity. DNA barcoding and genome sequencing offer – together with taxonomic expertise and advanced data systems – new possibilities for understanding and protecting nature.

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Citizen scientists help understand new widow spider species

Scientists have discovered a new widow spider species in the Andes in South America. Latrodectus lucacha is a variant of the infamous black widow. The researchers described the habitat of the 'medically relevant' species by analyzing thousands of photos uploaded to iNaturalist by nature enthusiasts.

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Dutch nature is eroding from the inside out

A new analysis of hundreds of thousands of surveyed plots of land reveals that plant diversity is declining in many areas, particularly forests. Grasslands, on the other hand, are recovering. The study also shows that protecting existing nature reserves and looking merely at surface area of protected areas alone is not sufficient. More is needed to achieve the UN biodiversity goals for 2030.

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Young people for old peat

Few people realise how important peatlands are for biodiversity and climate. The youth collective RE-PEAT aims to change that. During their Young People Old Peat symposium, artists, scientists and activists explored new ways to reconnect people with peat landscapes. Wageningen University & Research collaborates with RE-PEAT to study how creative approaches can strengthen connections with nature.

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Mapping busy bird migration airspace together with the Air Force and the KNMI

For more than twenty years, researchers at the University of Amsterdam, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and KNMI have used radar to track bird movement in one of Europe’s busiest airspaces. Their work improves aviation safety, nature conservation and wind‑farm planning, and will be highlighted at the 5th International Radar Aeroecology Conference being held this week in Amsterdam.

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What the past of coral reefs can tell us about their future

Coral reefs are important ecosystems. They have encountered a lot of hardships across their existence on Earth and are facing significant threats again today. Mike Hynes discovered that the past of coral reefs can tell us a lot about their own future.

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Fishing does not attract lesser black-backed gulls away from windfarms

Lesser black-backed gulls from the colony at the Dutch island Neeltje Jans appear to avoid the wind farm off the Zeeland coast. NIOZ ecologist Rosemarie Kentie and her colleagues suspected the gulls were attracted by fishing boats outside the windfarm, and their bycatch thrown overboard. This was not the case: during weekends, when there is little fishing, the birds rarely visit the wind farm.

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The Biodiversity of the ABC Islands

Dutch and Antillean researchers are joining forces to improve our understanding of nature on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. A new project combines centuries old natural history collections with high tech image recognition and DNA barcoding.

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A new view on nature restoration: wilder nature as a source of new knowledge about biodiversity and climate

On 20 March, the symposium 'Evidence-based Rewilding' took place in Wageningen. This symposium focused on the results achieved with rewilding projects over the past thirty-five years. National and international speakers from science and practice explained how to collect solid evidence for rewilding and demonstrate its impact.

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A local approach is crucial for the sustainable control of the fall armyworm

The fall armyworm – the caterpillar of a moth species – can only be sustainably controlled with solutions tailored to regional differences. That is the conclusion of biologist Renée van Schaijk in her doctoral research. Her research explores how, in East and West Africa, the sex pheromones of the fall armyworm moth can be used to properly time biological control.

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Count the flowers and know a grassland’s biodiversity

New research shows that by simply counting the diversity of flowers, we can estimate how rich a grassland is in species of plants, insects and spiders. The flower richness of grasslands can be surveyed rapidly and it can indicate biodiversity patterns across the growing season, at all levels of land-use intensity.

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When to remove ghost nets – and when not: new study offers guidance

Some ghost nets continue to harm marine ecosystems, while others can provide valuable habitat for (protected) marine species. New research by Wageningen University & Research shows that removing ghost nets is therefore not always the most ecologically responsible option.

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Many subsidies harm biodiversity

A large share of the Dutch government’s financial schemes unintentionally contributes to biodiversity loss. This is the conclusion of a broad analysis of subsidies and tax incentives across five ministries. The study was carried out by Wageningen Social & Economic Research, CE Delft and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, and provides the overview the Netherlands needs to meet international commitment.

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Where the wild things are: tracking biodiversity at ARTIS

By recording biodiversity in the park by means of a one-day 'bioblitz', researchers are building a baseline for urban nature in Amsterdam. ARTIS Zoo is an urban green area, providing space to many wild species, in the middle of the city. Multiple parties are working together to eventually increase biodiversity in the Amsterdam canals.

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New food source Wadden Sea for bar-tailed godwits

Currently, some 40,000 bar-tailed godwits are eating large quantities of mud shrimps in Balgzand, near Den Helder. This beautiful spectacle can be seen from the dike until about May 20. It has not previously been established that these birds eat so many mud shrimps in spring – their diet consists mainly of worms. NIOZ and BirdEyes are lifting the veil on research that will be published shortly.

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