City dandelions grow better in hot summers and flower better after mild winters than their rural counterparts. This is according to research by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) that compared dandelions from the centre of Amsterdam with plants outside the city. These experiments - published in the December edition of Evolution Letters - show that dandelions evolved to adapt to urban heat. Such knowledge is essential for sustainable urban planning.

We are happy to welcome Ciska Veen as the new head of the department of Terrestrial Ecology of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Ciska will start on 1 February 2025.

Lakes play a major role in providing ecosystem services. But the ecological status and water quality of these lakes is often still not good enough, and is further threatened by the effects of climate change. Two new projects at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) will look for solutions to this problem.

Three NIOO researchers are on this year's Clarivate Analytics' “Highly Cited Researchers” list. Paolina Garbeva for the first time, two others for the seventh consecutive year: Jos Raaijmakers and Wim van der Putten.

From 1 October, the Belgian university KU Leuven has appointed Steven Declerck as professor at the Department of Biology. Steven Declerck is an aquatic ecologist at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), where his research focuses on the ability of zooplankton to adapt to environmental changes. In this interview, Declerck talks about his career and field of research.

Of all the components of dead plants, wood is the hardest to break down. How come fungi know how to do this? What issues did they need to solve to achieve this? The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) tries to find answers to these questions. The research has yielded surprising discoveries. These could be useful for sustainable forest and nature management, sustainable agriculture and even the development of new medicines.

‘Outstanding research’, an ‘impressive societal impact’ and ‘highly viable’. This is how the independent international assessment committee sees the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Such an evaluation visit takes place once every six years to assess quality, relevance and viability of research. The evaluation report and its responses have now been finalised and published.

Societal developments with a link to ecology and ecological research are easy to find. How can the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) support these? How will we share and use ecological knowledge? To achieve this, the institute will from now on receive help from the new Societal Advisory Board.

Oystercatchers will decline by 56 to 79 percent on three Wadden Islands over the next 100 years. This is according to results from James Cook University in Australia which continues on previous research by NIOO.

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.

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?

Young, naïve starlings are looking for their wintering grounds independently of experienced conspecifics. Starlings are highly social birds throughout the year, but this does not mean that they copy the migration route from each other. By revisiting a classic ‘displacement’ experiment and by adding new data, a team of researchers at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and the Swiss Ornithological Institute (Vogelwarte Sempach) have settled a long-lasting debate. Their findings are now published in the scientific journal Biology Letters.