Research facilities

There are many ecological research facilities at NIOO: from experimental mini-ponds to research vessels, and from living labs to bacterial culture collections. 

  1. Nematode extraction & determination

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    Nematode communities play an important role in soil ecology research. To analyse different type of plant-soil nematodes, NIOO has a facility for extracting soil and root nematodes by Oostenbrink funnel and mistifier.
    Nematode extraction & determination
  2. NutNet Planken-Wambuis

    Faciliteit
    Dry sandy areas
    Agricultural and Rural Areas
    NIOO-KNAW
    Two of the most pervasive human impacts on ecosystems are alteration of global nutrient budgets and changes in the abundance and identity of consumers. In spite of the global impacts of these human activities, there have been no globally coordinated experiments to quantify the general impacts on ecological systems. The Nutrient Network (NutNet) is a grassroots, global research effort to address these questions within a coordinated research network comprised of more than 130 grassland sites worldwide.
    NUT-net Planken-Wambuis
  3. Passerine behavioural testing facility

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    The Passerine testing facility offers a unique oportunity to house and measure passerine birds for an array of behavioural tests in a controlled environment.
    Passerine behavioural testing facility
  4. Phytotron

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    The NIOO Phytotron is a complex of greenhouses and climate chambers. In addition to offering controlled growing and rearing environments, the Phytotron offers rooms to process, prepare, harvest or store experiments. The Phytotron also provides physiological analysis- and field equipment, ovens and has a large stock of disposables which can be used.

    Phytotron
  5. Soil ecotron

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    The ecotron consists of 60 cilinders with intact (non-disturbed) sand, peat or sea clay cores (20 each). For each soil treatment, ten of the cilinders are inoculated with soil from species-rich grassland with the same soil type. The other ten are inoculated with sterile soil from the same grassland. The cilinders are buried in an experimental garden.
    Bodembiodiversiteit onderzoeken
  6. Sperm lab

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    The sperm lab houses state-of-the-art equipment used for the analysis of sperm.This includes a computer-assisted sperm-analysis (CASA) system for accurate and automatic assessment of sperm motility and a microscope/camera/software combination for digital image analysis of sperm morphology.
    Sperm lab
  7. Stable isotope facility

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    The NIOO stable isotope facility is part of the chemical analytical lab, with equipment and facilities to perform stable isotope tracer experiments. Stable isotopes (13C) can be analysed in PLFA, gases (CO2/CH4) , (13C/15N) solid material (e.g. soil, plant material, bird feathers) as well as in DNA and RNA and breath samples of birds (D/H).
    Greenhouse and Trace gas analyses Facilities
  8. Veluwe grassland plant collection

    Faciliteit
    Dry sandy areas
    NIOO-KNAW
    This is a systematic collection of eight plant species from five grassland sites in the Veluwe, for which some tissue from individual plants is stored at -80 °C. For each site, up to 10 individuals from each species have been sampled along a transect at two time points (late May and early August).
    Veluwe grassland plant collection
  9. Vogeltrekstation (Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography)

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    Ringersvereniging (bird banding society)
    Vogeltrekstation (Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography) is a cooperation between NIOO-KNAW and the Ringersvereniging (bird banding society). It arranges the daily practicalities with relation to catching and ringing of wild birds for science, policy and conservation.
    house sparrow
  10. Volatile profiling and mVOCs database

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    Plants and microorganisms emit a wide range of chemically diverse volatile compounds. These volatiles mediate swift chemical interactions and communication in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, and carry out important ecological functions.
    Volatile profiling and mVOC's database
  11. Waterfowl facility

    Faciliteit
    NIOO-KNAW
    This is a facility for keeping waterfowl for behavioural and physiological research. The facility consists of an outdoor aviary and a building for birds indoors.
    Water fowl facility