Shining a light on nature – the importance of darkness
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Kamiel Spoelstra / NIOO-KNAW
Shining a light on nature – the importance of darkness
Since 2012, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has been conducting research into the effect of artificial light at night on our natural environment. For this research – Light on Nature – streetlights have been installed at four locations in the Veluwe and one location in Drenthe. Since then, they have been lit year-round from sunset to sunrise. Various institutes, universities and organisations are using these streetlights to measure the effects on different species groups.
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News
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Arctic-bound birds can still keep up with climate change – for now
As climate change drives earlier spring conditions in the Arctic, birds species that travel there to breed there are under pressure to migrate faster. A new study led by researchers from the University of Amsterdam and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology reveals that many Arctic-breeding waterfowl still have some flexibility when it comes to speeding up their migrations. However, this strategy may only work for a limited time.
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Celebrating the first World Lake Day with water research & water news
"We celebrate all things that lakes do for us and spotlight the problems of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss that threaten their ecological integrity," states Suzanne McGowan, NIOO's department head of Aquatic Ecology on the first UN World Lake Day.
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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.’
