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.

This is a facility for keeping waterfowl for behavioural and physiological research. The facility consists of an outdoor aviary and a building for waterfowl indoors.

The Aqua-flex Arena is a fenced terrain (2500 m2; 80 x 32m) for performing outdoor mesoscosm experiments throughout the year, in the immediate promixity of the NIOO Aquatic Laboratories. Experiments can be performed with > 100 experimental units. There is great flexibility in the spatial set up of experimental units.

The limnotrons are twelve stainless steel indoor mesocosms with a high level of control. The dimensions are: 0.97 m in diameter, 1.32 m (side) and 1.37 m (centre) depth, and a maximum volume of 922 L. In addition to the possibility of sampling vertically with specifically designed integrated water samplers, sampling can also be done by using the sampling ports positioned at three depths. The vessels are equipped with automatic sensors (oxygen, temperature, light), which can make pre-programmed depth profiles.

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) houses 36x10L microcosms (transparent polycarbonate carboys; NALGENE, Rochester, USA) for plankton research. The microcosms can be temperature-controlled in water baths (at 0.5 °C temperature resolution), and automatically stirred through magnetic stirrers mounted below the water baths.

Flowcytometry (FCM) is a technique that distinguishes individual particles based on light scatter and fluorescence. A large advantage is that FCM can analyse and sort cells at a very high speed of up to 10,000 cells/second.

Chemostats are bioreactors used for cultivation of phytoplankton and/or zooplankton. They can be operated as batch (no dilution rate), as chemostat (fixed dilution rate) or as turbidostats (dilution rate dependent on turbidity). They can be operated as open or closed system, and also axenically.

The aquatic laboratories facilitate researchers working with aquatic samples, sediments or organisms. They include laboratories with specialised equipment for aquatic analyses, dedicated rooms for controlled experiments, and they give access to separate storage areas for field equipment, sample storage, chemicals and disposables stocks.

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) houses 8 long glass aquaria (180 x 40 x 40 cm in length x width x height, 288L) and 24 shorter glass aquaria (90 × 50 × 50 cm in length x width x height, 225L). The aquaria can be kept at different temperatures which can be controlled by an automatic control system (Cascade Automation Systems, Ridderkerk, the Netherlands).

Here, we use a latitudinal gradient spanning 3,000 km across Europe to examine bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere and surrounding soils of range-expanding plant species. We selected range-expanding plants with and without congeneric native species in the new range and, as a control, the congeneric native species.