Does north-south adaptation of animals also protect against climate change?
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Refhan / NIOO-KNAW
Does north-south adaptation of animals also protect against climate change?
‘Can animal populations adapt to climate change by becoming genetically similar to more southerly populations?’ That is the question posed by ecologist Natalie van Dis. Knowledge about this could indicate which populations are most at risk from the changing climate. She has been awarded a Veni grant from NWO to investigate this at NIOO over the next three years.
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Adapting to heat stress helps against heavy metals
Small aquatic organisms called rotifers have been found to also become tolerant to copper pollution after adapting to rising temperatures. Interestingly, the reverse is not true. An evolutionary experiment led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) shows this today in the journal Global Change Biology. ‘Understanding such long-term hereditary consequences of stress is crucial for informed environmental management and nature restoration.’
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Soil ecology runs deep
For a long time, the soil was the domain of chemistry and physics. This only changed forty years ago. Then attention also started to be paid to the biology and ecology of soils. Today, the soil has become a large and indispensable field of research. The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has been uncovering the role of soil life for a healthy underground and aboveground ecosystem for several decades. Soil life also contributes to nature restoration, for example through soil transplantation and tackling invasive plants.
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Under the bird ring's spell
Ringing of wild birds has become indispensable as a research method to track individual birds. Since 1911, some 16 million birds have been fitted with a metal ring in the Netherlands. What has that brought in terms of knowledge, protection and policy? And what do new tracking techniques add? We dive into the world of meadow birds, goose visits and infectious diseases.
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Funding granted to create SMART experimental hub for aquatic processes
A consortium for aquatic research facilities has received funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) programme for large research infrastructure consortia.
