Spring has started in the Netherlands, and that means our soil life is very active again. How much do we know of the creatures living under our feet? That is where the citizen science project of the Soil Animal Days comes in. What did the results of 2023 show us? Earthworms like wet weather and managed to retain their position in the national soil animals Top 3: they were spotted in 87% of gardens. And in Leeuwarden, people searched for soil animals with such enthusiasm and a clear focus on the importance of soil animals that the Frisian capital may proudly call itself Soil Animal City of the Year.

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.

Meet the new Special Professor of Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics: Suzanne McGowan. As of 2024 she is appointed at Utrecht University. Her chair offers a unique combination between the university's faculties of Science and Geosciences. McGowan integrates this with her main affiliation as the Head of Aquatic Ecology at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). As a professor, she aims to uncover how water ecosystems have been functioning, and how the major changes on our planet affect this.

Today saw the launch of the Wageningen Microbiome Center, during the yearly Dies celebration of Wageningen University. Within this new Wageningen-wide collaboration, NIOO is jointly working with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and UNLOCK on stimulating microbiome research - by sharing research infrastructure and knowledge.

The Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW) has appointed Jos Raaijmakers, professor of Microbial Interactions and diversity, as a new scientific member.

At the current population sizes, the practice of scaring geese off pastures in the province of Friesland probably ends up costing more than it saves. Ecologist Monique de Jager and colleagues from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Utrecht University, Wageningen University & Research and the University of Amsterdam conclude this based on a model study, that was conducted as part of the Dutch contribution to European goose management. The results suggest that scaring geese is cost-effective only when there are few geese in the area.

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.

Clarivate Analytics has published its annual list of highly cited researchers. NIOO-researchers Jos Raaijmakers and Wim van der Putten are included for the sixth year running.

How unique and diverse is the invisible life of the Galápagos Islands? That is the key question to which a team of international researchers, led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), is seeking answers. This year, they went on an expedition to the iconic islands to study the microbial life there. Insights from their research can contribute to the conservation of indigenous plant species and, in particular, Scalesia: the giant daisy.

Bewick’s swans fly less far during their autumn migration when the weather is warm. Climate change has therefore led to a shift in their common wintering areas. Now, for the first time, bird researchers have been able to use long-term GPS data to pinpoint the specific choices that individual swans make.

How important is cognitive flexibility for the ability of great tits to adapt to climate change? Krista van den Heuvel did her PhD research at NIOO on this question.

How much earlier can great tits lay their eggs to keep up with climate change? A team from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) took a sneak peek into the birds’ future.