Droevendaalsesteeg 10
6708 PB Wageningen
The Netherlands
Geert de Snoo
Social
About
My aim is to contribute to science-based conservation of biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes
Biography
Geert de Snoo was director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology of the Royal Netherlands Society of Arts & Sciences (NIOO-KNAW) until October 2024. He is also full professor of Conservation Biology at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University.
His two main lines of research are:
- The effects of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystems. Here his focus is on nature conservation on farmland. How can we contribute to ecological recovery and transition to sustainable land use? Not only the impact of landscape elements, such as field margins, on biodiversity is examined, but also the socio-economic aspects are discussed.
- The impact of contaminants on biodiversity and ecosystems. More specifically, his focus is on the side effects of pesticides in both terrestrial and aquatic environments on invertebrates and vertebrates.
More recently, the conservation of large predators in human-dominated landscapes and the interaction between humans and wildlife have been added to his research portfolio.
Geert de Snoo studied biology at the Free University in Amsterdam and then became a researcher at the Centre of Environmental Sciences (CML) of Leiden University. During his PhD he investigated the potential of unsprayed field margins for enhancing environmental quality, promoting biodiversity and implications for agricultural practice. After his PhD, De Snoo acquired various grants from NWO, the EU, governments and the private sector. In 2003 De Snoo became a special professor in the field of nature conservation on farmland at Wageningen University. Since 2009 he is professor of Conservation Biology at Leiden University. So far, De Snoo has supervised about 35 PhD students.
Administrative positions:
De Snoo was member of the board of the Centre of Excellence for Netherlands Biodiversity Research. A combined research initiative of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute. He is member of the Dutch Council on Animal Affairs, the independent council for multidisciplinary issues in the field of animal welfare and health for the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. He is also member of the Dutch Biology Council.
From 2012-2019 De Snoo has been Dean of the Faculty of Science of Leiden University. Between 2009 and 2012, he was Director of the Centre of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University. From 2016-2022 he was member/chair of the the supervisory Board of the Netherlands Centre for One Health (NCOH). For five years he was member of the Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb).
CV
Employment
-
2019–2024Director Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW)
-
2009–PresentProfessor Conservation Biology at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University
-
2012–2019Dean of the Faculty of Science, Leiden University
-
2009–2012Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, and head of the Department of Conservation Biology
-
2003–2012Professor, special chair Nature Conservation on Farmland, Wageningen University, Department of Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology
-
2000–2008Associate professor and head of the Department of Environmental Biology of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University
-
1994–2000Assistant professor at of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, head of the Section Ecosystems and Environmental Quality
-
1996–1997Postdoc NWO-STIMULANS-grant
-
1990–1994Qualified researcher NWO, PhD project
-
1986–1990Researcher at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Leiden University
Education
-
1990–1995PhD Environmental Science, Leiden University, Leiden
-
1979–1986MSc Biology (Ecology / Ecotoxicology), Free University, Amsterdam
Ancillary activities
-
Publications
Peer-reviewed publications
Understanding the Utilization of Indigenous Institutions
https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041392Indigenous institutions may play a vital role in sustainable development at the local level by serving the people’s interests and supporting their livelihood. By distributing structured questionnaires to the households in our research area, this research aimed to find the determining factor of the utilization of community institutions, especially indigenous institutions. Per household, 26 features, including demographic, psycho-social, economic, and location variables, were collected to study the predictability of the utilization of community institutions. The results show that the location variables are the most crucial for explaining the utilization of community institutions in times of need.
Rainfall Variability Shapes Lion Movement and Home Range Dynamics in Three Kenyan Parks
Variation in climatic conditions is expected to impact the distribution and abundance of herbivore species, which may, in turn, influence African lions (Panthera leo) ranging behaviour. This necessitates proactive management of lion populations, as ecosystems may exhibit site-specific responses to these variations. Using satellite and GPS-GSM data from 10 lions collared in three different national parks in Kenya—Meru, Nairobi, and Lake Nakuru—we calculated monthly home ranges and distance moved and studied how these were influenced by rainfall. Across all parks, lions increased their distance moved with an increase in rainfall, and male lions covered larger distances than females. Model comparisons revealed that lions in Lake Nakuru significantly expanded their home ranges with higher rainfall compared to those in Nairobi; however, lions in Nairobi covered larger distances than those in Lake Nakuru. Lions in Meru had larger home ranges compared to the other two parks, but the effect of rainfall on their home range size and movement was not significantly different from the other two parks. Our results give insight into the site-specific influence of rainfall on lion home range and movement across the parks. We call for prioritisation of conservation efforts and a site-specific, tailored approach to lion conservation and management.https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70003How much information is there in arthropod data about the landscape around sampling sites?
The importance of local versus landscape drivers of biodiversity is presently intensely discussed, which raises the question what information ecological sampling can provide about the relative importance of these factors and how the amount of information is distributed over different spatial scales. Here, we have tried to assess the amount of the information in sets of arthropod samples on four landscape characteristics, i.e., the percentage arable land, semi-natural area, urban area, and edge density, at spatial scales varying from 100 m to 3000 m around sample sites. A large, existing dataset of different studies from all over Europe was used for that. Random Forests were used for predicting the characteristic classes of the surrounding area. The accuracy of the predictions, calculated as the reversed Normalized Brier score, was used as measure of the amount of information. The results showed that, at least in Europe, the amount of information is different between edge density on the one hand, and arable land, semi-natural area, and urban area on the other hand. In case of edge density, the information decreased from 100 m to 250 m around the sample site, then increased to get a hump-shape between 250 and 3000 m, with the maximum amount at 1750 m. In case of the other three landscape characteristics, the information decreased from 100 m to 1000 m, and then stayed equal or slightly increased. These results could be explained by assuming that organisms present at a sample site are either site-specific, or non-site-specific. Site-specific organisms are thought to enable predictions of characteristics at the small scales, while non-site-specific organisms are thought to indicate characteristics of larger scales. The results implied that, for study designs, it is important to be aware of the type of processes that result in the presence of species at sample sites. For effective conservation measures for arthropods, the results showed that landscapes at a spatial scale of at least 9.6 km2 should be taken in consideration in Europe.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102645Dutch landscapes have lost insect‐pollinated plants over the past 87 years
The interruption of plant-pollinator interactions may threaten global plant diversity, food security and ecosystem stability. Recent reports of strong declines in both insects and plants point to insect decline as a driver of plant decline. However, it is still unknown whether these trends are related as plants often produce seeds without the need for insect pollinators, and to what extent insect-pollinated plants have declined in relation to plants not pollinated by insects.In this study, we hypothesise that natural plant communities have shifted away from insect-pollination. We combined 365,768 vegetation plots from 1930 to 2017 in the Netherlands and plant traits to assess the changes in occurrences of plants pollinated by different modes. Furthermore, we included key drivers in plant decline—specifically nitrogen, moisture and habitat types—as interaction factors to explore the persistence of the observed changes under different environmental conditions.The proportion of insect-pollinated plants has declined while that of wind-pollinated plants has increased over the last 87 years. This proportional change reflects an absolute decrease in the number of insect-pollinated species and an increase in the number of wind-pollinated species.Synthesis and applications. This study implies that Dutch landscapes are losing insect-pollinated plant species, which is likely due, at least in part, to the decline in pollination services. Our results of quantifying the decline in insect-pollinated plants support the necessity and urgency of taking conservation initiatives. Several management strategies and policy recommendations could be applied to alleviate the decline of insect-pollinated plants and ensure crop safety. For example, conserving natural environments by reducing nitrogen deposition may support local plants and insect pollinators. Additionally, there is a particular need for focused efforts to protect natural grasslands, as these areas harbour many insect-pollinated plants, which have experienced declines. Finally, monitoring and assessing the state of both pollinators and (insect-pollinated) plants is needed to assess the progress of conservation measures. While recognising the interdependence of pollinators and pollinated plants, it is crucial to extend efforts beyond pollinator conservation alone to effectively safeguard insect-pollinated plants and ensure crop safety.https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14649Genetic diversity of lion populations in Kenya
The decline of lions (Panthera leo) in Kenya has raised conservation concerns about their overall population health and long-term survival. This study aimed to assess the genetic structure, differentiation and diversity of lion populations in the country, while considering the influence of past management practices. Using a lion-specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) panel, we genotyped 171 individuals from 12 populations representative of areas with permanent lion presence. Our results revealed a distinct genetic pattern with pronounced population structure, confirmed a north-south split and found no indication of inbreeding in any of the tested populations. Differentiation seems to be primarily driven by geographical barriers, human presence and climatic factors, but management practices may have also affected the observed patterns. Notably, the Tsavo population displayed evidence of admixture, perhaps attributable to its geographic location as a suture zone, vast size or past translocations, while the fenced populations of Lake Nakuru National Park and Solio Ranch exhibited reduced genetic diversity due to restricted natural dispersal. The Amboseli population had a high number of monomorphic loci likely reflecting a historical population decline. This illustrates that patterns of genetic diversity should be seen in the context of population histories and that future management decisions should take these insights into account. To address the conservation implications of our findings, we recommend prioritizing the maintenance of suitable habitats to facilitate population connectivity. Initiation of genetic restoration efforts and separately managing populations with unique evolutionary histories is crucial for preserving genetic diversity and promoting long-term population viability.https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13676Effect of ecological and anthropogenic factors on grouping patterns in African lions across Kenya
Social carnivores frequently live in fission–fusion societies, where individuals that share a common territory or home range may be found alone, in subgroups, or altogether. Absolute group size and subgroup size is expected to vary according to resource distribution, but for species that are susceptible to anthropogenic pressures, other factors may be important drivers. African lions (Panthera leo) are the only truly social felid and lion prides are characterized by fission–fusion dynamics with social groups frequently splitting and reforming, and subgroup membership can change continuously and frequently. The number of individuals in a group can be reflective of social, ecological, and anthropogenic conditions. This dynamic behavior makes understanding lion grouping patterns crucial for tailoring conservation measures. The evolution of group living in lions has been the topic of numerous studies, and we drew on these to formulate hypotheses relating to group size and subgroup size variation. Based on data collected from 199 lion groups across eight sites in Kenya, we found that group sizes were smaller when lions were closer to human settlements, suggesting that edge effects are impacting lions at a national scale. Smaller groups were also more likely when they were far from water, and were associated with very low and very high levels of non-tree vegetation. We found significant differences between the study sites, with the Maasai Mara having the largest groups (mean ± SD = 7.7 ± 4.7, range = 1–19), and Amboseli conservation area the smallest (4.3 ± 3.5, range = 1–14). While long-term studies within a single site are well suited to thoroughly differentiate between absolute group size and subgroup size, our study provides unique insight into the correlates of grouping patterns in a vulnerable species at a national scale.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10982Well known indicator groups do not predict the decline of insects
In decision making for insect conservation, one depends largely on knowledge of the relationship between changes in environmental factors and abundance of a very limited number of species. The species we have knowledge on cannot be regarded as a representative sample of all insects. How accurately do changes in the abundance of these species predict the changes in other species? To answer this question, we studied 373 insect species belonging to the Apidae (bees), Lepidoptera (butterflies), Orthoptera (grasshoppers), Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Trichoptera (caddisflies), Odonata (dragonflies), and Plecoptera (stoneflies), with known population trends and attributes in the Netherlands. The 78 attributes included morphological and demographic trait values, as well as habitat requirements of species. We trained Random Forests (RFs) with random samples and with taxonomic groups to predict the decline of the species based on their attributes. Then we used the trained RFs to predict the decline of the species outside the training groups and checked the accuracy of the predictions. The results showed that accuracy of the predictions of the RFs trained by the random samples increased from 0 to 0.20 (maximum 0.40, on a scale of 0 to 1) with sample size increasing from 10 to 90% of the insects. Moreover, we found that the accuracy of the predictions by the RFs trained with the taxonomic groups were zero in case of butterflies and grasshoppers, and low in other groups (maximum 0.37, in case of bees predicting terrestrial insects). Accuracy depended significantly on the size of the taxonomic group. Large over- or underestimation of number of declining species occurred in all cases. Further, we found that the taxonomic groups had few attributes important for predicting in common. The attribute ‘Active dispersion’ had the highest importance when all insects were used for training the RF. Using ‘indicator groups’ for predicting the decline of insects has a high risk of over- or underestimating the actual number of declining species and should therefore be advised against unless the indicator group is sure to be representative.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111458People’s appreciation of colorful field margins in intensively used arable landscapes and the conservation of plants and invertebrates
Sown field margins can improve the conservation of biodiversity in rural areas and can contribute to the aesthetics of rural landscapes, thereby potentially increasing public support for agri-environmental measures. However, these two functions do not necessarily coincide. This raises the question whether field margins that are appreciated for their contribution to landscape aesthetics also deliver on the conservation of biodiversity. We conducted choice experiments with different groups of citizens and collected biodiversity data in the Netherlands, to investigate if the number of colors and vegetation cover in field margins increased respondents’ appreciation for them, and how these visual cues correlated with taxonomic diversity and abundance of plants and invertebrates in those field margins. Using manipulated photos, we also assessed whether the presence of colorful field margins in a range of different rural landscapes increased respondents’ appreciation of those landscapes. Respondents preferred colorful margins with high vegetation cover and showed a preference for green rural landscapes with colorful field margins. The presence of colorful field margins increased landscape aesthetics most in the least appreciated landscapes. The number of colors correlated positively with the diversity of sown and spontaneous plant species, and overall invertebrate abundance and abundance of predatory invertebrates, but was not related to invertebrate diversity. Our results show for the first time that colorful field margins support both public appreciation and diversity of plants and abundance of ground-dwelling invertebrates, with potential advantages to farmers in terms of natural pest control, at least in intensively used agricultural landscapes. However, management practices to maintain a high number of colors over time may be detrimental for invertebrate diversity. To optimize the different functions, we recommend that field margin layouts should consist of a perennial part that is allowed to develop over time, in combination with a part that is managed for its colorfulness.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-023-00933-5Scientists' warning on climate change and insects
Climate warming is considered to be among the most serious of anthropogenicstresses to the environment, because it not only has direct effects on biodiver-sity, but it also exacerbates the harmful effects of other human-mediated threats. The associated consequences are potentially severe, particularly interms of threats to species preservation, as well as in the preservation of anarray of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Among the most affectedgroups of animals are insects—central components of many ecosystems—forwhich climate change has pervasive effects from individuals to communities.In this contribution to the scientists’warning series, we summarize the effectof the gradual global surface temperature increase on insects, in terms ofphysiology, behavior, phenology, distribution, and species interactions, as wellas the effect of increased frequency and duration of extreme events such as hotand cold spells, fires, droughts, and floods on these parameters. We warn that,if no action is taken to better understand and reduce the action of climatechange on insects, we will drastically reduce our ability to build a sustainablefuture based on healthy, functional ecosystems. We discuss perspectives onrelevant ways to conserve insects in the face of climate change, and we offerseveral key recommendations on management approaches that can beadopted, on policies that should be pursued, and on the involvement of thegeneral public in the protection effort.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1553Enhancing the predictability of ecology in a changing world
Ecology is usually very good in making descriptive explanations of what is observed, but is often unable to make predictions of the response of ecosystems to change. This has implications in a human-dominated world where a suite of anthropogenic stresses are threatening the resilience and functioning of ecosystems that sustain mankind through a range of critical regulating and supporting services. In ecosystems, cause-and-effect relationships are difficult to elucidate because of complex networks of negative and positive feedbacks. Therefore, being able to effectively predict when and where ecosystems could pass into different (and potentially unstable) new states is vitally important under rapid global change. Here, we argue that such better predictions may be reached if we focus on organisms instead of species, because organisms are the principal biotic agents in ecosystems that react directly on changes in their environment. Several studies show that changes in ecosystems may be accurately described as the result of changes in organisms and their interactions. Organism-based theories are available that are simple and derived from first principles, but allow many predictions. Of these we discuss Trait-based Ecology, Agent Based Models, and Maximum Entropy Theory of Ecology and show that together they form a logical sequence of approaches that allow organism-based studies of ecological communities. Combining and extending them makes it possible to predict the spatiotemporal distribution of groups of organisms in terms of how metabolic energy is distributed over areas, time, and resources. We expect that this “Organism-based Ecology” (OE) ultimately will improve our ability to predict ecosystem dynamics.https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2023.1046185Landbouw en natuur:
We moeten meer rekening houden met natuur binnen het Nederlandse landbouwsysteem. De roep is actueler dan ooit, maar klinkt in feite al decennialang. Tegenwoordig kijken we daarbij vooral naar boeren en overheden en veel minder naar de machtige voedselketen. In dit artikel pleiten wij ervoor dat overheden hun rol oppakken én dat de keten verantwoordelijkheid neemt. Een organisatie à la de SER zou kunnen helpen helpen om stappen te maken.The distributions of insect, wind and self pollination of plants in the Netherlands in relation to habitat types and 3D vegetation structure.
https://doi.org/10.26786/1920-7603(2022)684Plants can be pollinated in many ways, with insect, wind and selfing as the most common modes. While it seems likely that the occurrence of pollination modes is correlated with environmental conditions, e.g. vegetation structure, and this remains uncertain. Here, we mapped the composition of pollination modes of different plant groups (woody species, herbs, and grasses) across (semi-)natural habitats and their distributions in relation to 3D vegetation structure in the Netherlands. We found insect pollination is the most common mode across (semi-)natural habitats for woody species and herbs. Woody species pollinated by insects showed an even higher percentage in dune, river swamp and swamp peat than in other habitat types, whereas herbs showed a higher percentage of insect pollination in dune than in other habitat types. Grasses were always pollinated by wind or wind-self in all habitats. Woody plants pollinated by wind showed a positive relationship with canopy densities in three different strata from 2 to 20 m vegetation, while insect pollination showed a positive relationship with the canopy density of 0.5 to 2 m vegetation. All grass presented negative relationships with canopy density. Herbs showed different relationships with canopy densities of different strata dependent on pollination modes. Insect-pollinated species increased with canopy densities of low strata but decreased with canopy density of high strata, whereas wind-pollinated species decreased with canopy density of both low and high strata. We conclude that habitat and vegetation structure are important factors driving the distribution of pollination modes.
Distribution of ground-dwelling arthropods across landscapes with intensive agriculture in temperate areas
The idea that land use in the surroundings may affect the abundance of arthropods on a location plays an important role in the argument that agriculture is the prime cause of the recently discovered general decline of insects. We studied the abundance of ground-dwelling arthropods in agricultural fields along a gradient of increasing distance from (semi)natural areas and in relation to landscape complexity in both the North America (Illinois, USA) and Europe (The Netherlands) using pitfalls. Our results showed that the total abundance did not change with distance when we controlled for vegetation height and landscape complexity around the sample locations. Vegetation height affected abundance positively in crop land and negatively in grassland. Landscape complexity only affected abundance when it was measured in a 6000 m radius around sample location, not at lower levels of scale. We conclude that an effect of increasing landscape complexity may be expected when that is done on a large enough scale.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109042Importance of natural land cover for plant species’ conservation: A nationwide study in The Netherlands
While shifts to high-intensity land cover have caused overwhelming biodiversity loss, it remains unclear how important natural land cover is to the occurrence, and thus the conservation, of different species groups. We used over 4 million plant species’ observations to evaluate the conservation importance of natural land cover by its association with the occurrence probability of 1 122 native and 403 exotic plant species at 1 km resolution by species distribution models. We found that 74.9% of native species, 83.9% of the threatened species and 77.1% rare species preferred landscapes with over 50% natural land cover, while these landscapes only accounted for 15.6% of all grids. Most species preferred natural areas with a mixture of forest and open areas rather than areas with completely open or forested nature. Compared to native species, exotic species preferred areas with lower natural land cover and the cover of natural open area, but they both preferred extremely high and low cover of natural forest area. Threatened and rare species preferred higher natural land cover, either cover of natural forest area or cover of natural open area than not threatened and common species, but rare species were also more likely to occur in landscapes with 0–25% cover of natural open area. Although more natural land cover in a landscape will not automatically result in more native species, because there is often a non-linear increase in species occurrence probability when going from 0% to 100% natural land cover, for conserving purposes, over 80% natural land cover should be kept in landscapes for conserving threatened and very rare species, and 60% natural land cover is the best for conserving common native species. Our results stress the importance of natural areas for plant species’ conservation. It also informs improvements to species conservation by increasing habitat diversity.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259255Experimental evidence for neonicotinoid driven decline in aquatic emerging insects
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2105692118There is an ongoing unprecedented loss in insects, both in terms of richness and biomass. The usage of pesticides, especially neonicotinoid insecticides, has been widely suggested to be a contributor to this decline. However, the risks of neonicotinoids to natural insect populations have remained largely unknown due to a lack of field-realistic experiments. Here, we used an outdoor experiment to determine effects of field-realistic concentrations of the commonly applied neonicotinoid thiacloprid on the emergence of naturally assembled aquatic insect populations. Following application, all major orders of emerging aquatic insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera) declined strongly in both abundance and biomass. At the highest concentration (10 mg/L), emergence of most orders was nearly absent. Diversity of the most species-rich family, Chironomidae, decreased by 50% at more commonly observed concentrations (1 mg/L) and was generally reduced to a single species at the highest concentration. Our experimental findings thereby showcase a causal link of neonicotinoids and the ongoing insect decline. Given the urgency of the insect decline, our results highlight the need to reconsider the mass usage of neonicotinoids to preserve freshwater insects as well as the life and services depending on them.
Distribution of flying insects across landscapes with intensive agriculture in temperate areas
The abundance of insects has been strongly decreasing over the last decades, at least in the temperate zones of North America and Europe. This decrease has generally been attributed to increased human activity, especially increased agricultural production. Therefore, one would expect that insect abundance is spatially distributed according to human land use, more specifically that the abundance of insects in agricultural fields should be affected by the distance to (semi)natural areas. We tested this expectation on an extensive dataset of flying insects from Illinois, USA, and the Netherlands, Europe. Flying insects were collected with yellow sticky boards in agricultural fields at distances up to 566 m from (semi)natural areas. We did not find any effect of distance to (semi)natural area on the abundance of flying insects, after correcting for the confounding variables ‘landscape complexity’, ‘vegetation height’ and ‘plot locations’ (interior vs edge of the field). One might prematurely infer from this that (semi)natural areas do not affect flying insect abundance. We argue that knowing that flying insects are highly mobile, both active and passive, although sticky boards sample local insect abundance, abundance may be homogenized over a relatively large area in open landscapes. Therefore, the study of the effect of nature conservation management on flying insects should be done on spatially large scales, e.g., the landscape level.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107889
Popular-scientific publications
Steek die 500 miljoen in écht verstandige landbouw
Agrarisch natuurbeheer lijkt dé manier om duurzaam boeren mogelijk te maken. Helaas is het weggegooid geld, schrijven Dick Melman en Geert de Snoo.Tijd om keuzes te maken die natuur en landbouw verder brengen
Het kabinet kiest ervoor om het agrarisch natuurbeheer een extra impuls te geven. Vanaf 2026 is en extra budget beschikbaar van 500 miljoen per jaar. In de huidige situatie ligt de bijdrage op circa 120 miljoen per jaar. De extra miljoenen zijn dus substantieel meer, zeker als je bedenkt dat het bedrag dat jaarlijks aan natuur en landschap wordt besteed ongeveer 1,4 miljard bedraagt.Het belang van de lange termijn
De gevolgen van veranderingen in de natuur komen soms pas na jaren aan het licht. Langetermijnonderzoek is daarom essentieel. De lange adem die nodig is om dat jaar in jaar uit te meten, is een grote uitdaging. Het Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie, dat deze maand zijn zeventigste verjaardag viert, doet dit soort onderzoek. Wat kunnen we daarvan leren?Het belang van de lange termijn
De gevolgen van veranderingen in de natuur komen soms pas na jaren aan het licht. Langetermijnonderzoek is daarom essentieel. Als er in een jaar veel minder koolmezen of wintervlinders zijn, is dat dan een uitzondering of een nieuwe trend door klimaatverandering? De lange adem die nodig is om dat jaar in jaar uit te meten, is een grote uitdaging. Het nationale instituut voor ecologisch onderzoek NIOO-KNAW dat deze maand zijn 70 ste verjaardag viert, doet dit soort onderzoek. Wat kunnen we daarvan leren?Minder gezoem heeft effect op ons groen: steeds minder insect-bestoven planten in Nederland
Nederland verliest plantensoorten die afhankelijk zijn van bestuiving door insecten. Milieuwetenschapper Kaixuan Pan toont dat aan na een analyse van 87 jaar aan metingen van meer dan 365.000 locaties. Het nieuws is verontrustend voor onze biodiversiteit en de voedselzekerheid. "75 procent van onze gewassen en 90 procent van de wilde planten zijn afhankelijk van insecten."
Outreach
Categories
-
-
-
Featured in
-
70 years of ecology: overview of events
On 26 June 2024, it is exactly 70 years since the founding of the IOO, the predecessor of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Below is a growing overview of activities in the lustrum year.
-
Departure of NIOO director and appointment of interim director
As of 1 October, current director Geert de Snoo will leave the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Wim van der Putten is appointed as interim director by the KNAW.
-
The value of long-term studies
It can take years to notice the effects of changes in nature. Long-term research is therefore essential. If there are far fewer great tits or winter moths in a year, is that an exception or a new trend due to climate change? The long haul needed to measure this year-on-year is a big challenge. The National Institute for Ecological Research NIOO-KNAW, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this month, does this kind of research. What does it teach us?
-
New Board of Management KNAW appointed
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences announced the appointment of three members of the Board of Management, effective 1 October 2024. The current director of NIOO Geert de Snoo has been appointed Director of Research Policy, Adriana Esmeijer Director of General Affairs, Iwan Holleman Director of Operational Management. The new Board of Management succeeds the Academy’s acting Board.
-
70
Starting 26 June, we will celebrate NIOO's 70th birthday. On this page, we will keep you updated of events in this special year. -
Buzzing decline: Dutch landscape is losing insect-pollinated plants
The Netherlands is losing plant species that rely on pollination by insects. Leiden environmental scientist Kaixuan Pan demonstrates this after analysing 87 years of measurements from over 365,000 plots. The news is alarming for our biodiversity and food security. "75 per cent of our crops and 90% of the wild plants rely on insects."
-
National Growth Fund finances Dutch Holomicrobiome Institute
The government of the Netherlands has allocated €200 million from the country’s National Growth Fund for a public-private consortium that will conduct research into 'microbiomes' and economically interesting applications thereof. In the consortium, NIOO is partnering with ten Dutch universities, five university-medical centres, four universities of applied sciences, many other knowledge organisations and together with dozens of small and large companies and societal organisations.
-
How genetic research contributes to effective lion conservation
Human measures to protect lions have an impact on the genetic health of populations. Dutch and Kenyan scientists discovered this by analysing the DNA of 171 Kenyan lions. "By fencing reserves, for example, the chance of inbreeding increases." With the knowledge and tools from the research, management authorities in Kenya can better protect their valuable wildlife in the future.
-
Honorary fellows of NIOO-KNAW
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) collaborates with many researchers in the Netherlands and abroad. The honorary fellows are a special category in this respect. From within their own institute or university, they collaborate with NIOO colleagues to strengthen the working field by sharing knowledge and ideas. Consequently, they also regularly conduct joint research at NIOO, set up new projects or publish research results together. We currently have nine talented honorary fellows.
-
Impact of nutrients
Nutrient availability in natural ecosystems has increased due to anthropogenic activities like spill-over from agricultural ecosystems. In the Netherlands, this has led to the acidification of natural areas for example. At NIOO, we aim to understand the impact of nutrients on natural systems in more detail, to help to bring back the balance.
-
The Centre for Soil Ecology goes national
Today, on World Soil Day, it is the perfect moment to present the new National Centre for Soil Ecology. All soil ecologists working in the Netherlands can now connect to the initiative that originally started in Wageningen.
-
‘Insects need our help in a warming world, now’
‘If no action is taken to better understand and reduce the impact of climate change on insects, we will drastically limit our chances of a sustainable future with healthy ecosystems.’ This warning in a very topical paper in Ecological Monographs comes from 70 scientists from 19 countries around the world. But, they also provide ways to help insects in a warming world complete with management strategies.
-
KIMA (Knowledge and Innovation Programme Marker Wadden) final conference
Results of the Knowledge and Innovation Program Marker Wadden (KIMA) will be presented during a three-day conference in Amsterdam that includes a visit to the new man-made archipelago.
-
Impression of the King's visit to NIOO
Earlier this month, His Royal Highness King Willem-Alexander paid a working visit to the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). The visit included a tour, an introduction to NIOO's three major research themes, and a number of hands-on ecological measurements and experiments in which the King took part.
-
NIOO Theme Sustainable use of land and water
Healthy surface water and soils are essential for life on earth. They provide a range of life-supporting functions, including carbon storage, oxygen generation, and nutrient cycling. At NIOO, we combine research on the ecosystem services provided to society with research on how these ecosystem services are impacted by society.
-
King Willem-Alexander to visit NIOO on 6 July
On 6 July, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander will pay a working visit to the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in Wageningen.
-
NIOO Theme Climate change
We are in the midst of a climate crisis. Our climate system is undergoing a dramatic number of changes, many of which can be attributed to anthropogenic influences, including greenhouse gas emission-induced changes to global surface temperatures, precipitation, glacier mass loss, sea levels, salt intrusion, and ocean heat content.
-
NIOO Research Day
This will be an extraordinary event. Wait and see, and join of course!
-
Common insecticide linked to extreme decline in freshwater insects
Thiacloprid, a widely-used pesticide, can cause a large-scale decline in freshwater insects. This was discovered by a team of researchers from Leiden University, including current NIOO-director Geert de Snoo.
-
Sustainable use of land & water
Healthy surface water and soils are essential for life on earth, providing diverse life-support functions. How are these ecosystem services affected by human activity, and how can we change this?
-
Climate change
Our climate system is undergoing dramatic changes. We use our expertise to understand the impact on biodiversity, and the capacity of natural systems to help mitigate climate change.
-
Centre of Excellence launched at Naturalis Biodiversity Gala
02/10/2020 At the Naturalis Biodiversity Gala, NIOO-director Geert de Snoo presented the new Centre of Excellence for Netherlands Biodiversity Research: a joint venture that brings together four leading Dutch knowledge institutes.
-
Nationwide approach to boosting knowledge of biodiversity in the Netherlands
10/07/2020 To boost knowledge about biodiversity in the Netherlands, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, NIOO-KNAW, NIOZ-NWO and Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute have joined forces.
-