Welcome to nature's future on NIOO's grand Open Day
NIOO only opens its doors to visitors once every three years. On Saturday 5 October, everyone was welcome to look around our unique building and grounds, talk to our researchers and take part in some forty activities focusing on how nature works and how it is changing. Some 1600 people joined us, to find out more about nature's future! Nature in the 21st century is under constant pressure, and so...(read more)
05-10-2019
05-10-2019
Biology Hall of Fame: vote for the top ten
The Netherlands Insititute of Biology (NIBI) has compiled a list of highlights from 100 years of biology. From this Biology Hall of Fame, voters can choose their top ten inventions, discoveries, publications and/or pioneers. Included in the list are a number of familiar NIOO themes and faces. Voting ends on 30 September. To mark the centenary of its publication Bionieuws - previously Vakblad voor...(read more)
16-09-2019
16-09-2019
BES equality & diversity award for NIOO researcher Kelly Ramirez
One of the winners of this year's British Ecological Society (BES) awards is NIOO soil researcher Kelly Ramirez. She's a founder of 500 Women Scientists, an international grassroots organisation pledging to build an inclusive, diverse scientific community. Each year, the British Ecological Society recognises a small number of distinguished ecologists whose work has benefited the scientific...(read more)
11-09-2019
11-09-2019
Twenty million euros for the next generation of sustainable crops
Six consortia of top researchers are being awarded a total of 113.8 million euros to conduct groundbreaking scientific research programmes in the coming years, the Dutch Research Council (NWO) has announced. One of the principal members of the MiCRop consortium is NIOO researcher Jos Raaijmaker. He and his team will delve into the beneficial effects of the microbial community around crop plants,...(read more)
30-08-2019
30-08-2019
Majority of the world's most abundant creatures live in the far north
The first worldwide analysis of soil nematodes reveals that they are most abundant in arctic areas rather than in the tropics. The study was started by researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), and uses data from a global network of soil ecologists. They explain in the...(read more)
Published 24-07-2019
NWO Veni grants awarded to three (former) NIOO researchers
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded Veni grants of up to 250,000 euros each to 166 promising young scientists. Three of the laureates and their research have strong links to NIOO: Barbara Tomotani, Annette Janssen and Lysanne Snijders. The annual grants are part of the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme here in the Netherlands. They allow researchers who have recently obtained their...(read more)
17-07-2019
17-07-2019
Not all lakes are alike: spatial differences key to successful restoration
Degradation of lakes is a worldwide problem, with symptoms including toxic algae blooms. Restoration is possible, but takes a lot of time and effort. To determine what approach is most effective, spatial differences between lakes must be considered, argues a NIOO-led team of researchers in Science...(read more)
Published 16-07-2019
Concern over 'red tide' in Dutch coastal waters
Climate change could lead to an increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms in Dutch coastal waters in the future. NIOO-researchers Karen Brandenburg and Dedmer van de Waal have been studying the dense blooms formed by tiny organisms known as dinoflagellates. They warn that without timely...(read more)
Published 01-07-2019
10 million euros in funding for Dutch One Health research into vector-borne diseases
How can the Netherlands be better prepared for infectious diseases transmitted by mosquitoes? Over the next five years, research into this question will be carried out within the Netherlands Centre for One Health with funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), supplemented by seven public organisations. The multidisciplinatry character of the collaboration is unique...(read more)
12-06-2019
12-06-2019
World Biodiversity Day: close to home
It's World Biodiversity Day. Attempts to put biodiversity on the social and political agenda here in the Netherlands enter a new phase today, with a meeting of the Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery where interested parties can ask questions and share inspiration. Flowers, frogs, birds, bees: around the uniquely sustainable NIOO-building there is plenty of biodiversity on show. The same cannot...(read more)
22-05-2019
22-05-2019
Urgenda Foundation visits NIOO for launch of green roofs measure
A delegation from the Dutch Urgenda Foundation, which aims to speed up the transition towards a sustainable society, visited NIOO on Friday. The visit marked the launch of a new measure promoting green roofs, as well as NIOO director Louise Vet's appointment as chair of the Urgenda board. The green roofs measure is part of a broader package aimed at reaching out to the Dutch government, in order...(read more)
10-05-2019
10-05-2019
Biodiversity loss report: Dutch 'Delta Plan' suggests way forward
A new report on biodiversity loss is as alarming as it is comprehensive. But it also says the tide can still be turned, and a recent plan launched in the Netherlands shows what the way forward could look like.(read more)
06-05-2019
06-05-2019
Geert de Snoo appointed NIOO director
Geert de Snoo is the new director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). He will take over on 1 November from Louise Vet, who - after a twenty-year tenure as NIOO director - intends to devote herself to the broader importance of ecology to society. Geert de Snoo is currently Dean of the Faculty of Science and Professor of Conservation Biology at Leiden University. His research and...(read more)
04-04-2019
04-04-2019
Caterpillars retrieve 'voicemail' by eating soil
Leaf-feeding caterpillars greatly enrich their intestinal flora by eating soil. It's even possible to trace the legacy effects of plants that previously grew in that soil through bacteria and fungi in the caterpillars. Researchers of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) have just...(read more)
Published 19-03-2019
Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery: working together for a richer Netherlands
Parties in the Netherlands are being invited to join the 'Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery'. The plan, aimed at restoring the variety of species, ecosystems and landscapes needed for a rich nature, was launched in The Hague late last year and was recently endorsed by Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The launch of the Delta Plan in The Hague The rapid decline...(read more)
27-02-2019
27-02-2019
Climate change and polar bear blogs revisited: the importance of scientists speaking out
A paper by NIOO researcher Jeff Harvey on the fate of polar bears and its coverage by internet blogs has been widely read and cited by social and other media - including Newsweek and The New York Times - since coming out just over a year ago. But Harvey has also had to fend off some personal attacks from deniers of climate change. “Doom scenarios can be put on ice”, said a recent headline in...(read more)
30-01-2019
30-01-2019
Extreme weather of 2018 challenged ecologists "to think along broader lines"
The long, hot summer of 2018 goes down in Dutch history as the warmest in three centuries. But how long will its record stand? NIOO researchers Dedmer van de Waal, Annelein Meisner and Wietse de Boer are preparing for new challenges ahead. Dedmer van de Waal (NIOO-KNAW) Even before the summer started breaking weather records, aquatic ecologist Dedmer van de Waal was aware that something was out...(read more)
03-01-2019
03-01-2019
'Huge' mandate for worldwide soil biodiversity analysis
Biodiversity is under pressure throughout the world, but how much do we know about the worldwide state of that most vital of resources: the soil?(read more)
03-12-2018
03-12-2018
A matter of ratio(s): how to relate to the elements in your life
It's elementary, my dear Watson! All life on earth is composed of the same, vital elements. Carbon (abbreviated as capital C) is crucial for our energy supply in the form of carbs, fats and sugars. Nitrogen (N) is an important part of proteins, the 'workhorse' molecules of life. And phosphorus (P) is a component of DNA as well as a key to the growth and repair of tissue, including our bones...(read more)
19-11-2018
19-11-2018
Soil Animal Days 2018: Woodlice back on top, slugs deterred by drought
The 4th edition of the Dutch Soil Animal Days saw 856 'citizen scientists' comb through more than 200 gardens and parks to find some 7500 soil creatures. Findings that stand out after this year's long, dry summer: woodlice have regained their ubiquitous status, while slugs were spotted in fewer...(read more)
Published 08-11-2018
