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Effects of non-lethal concentrations of pharmaceuticals on host and parasite fitness |
We are all taking medicines on a more or less regular basis, but these compounds are not broken down completely in our bodies. Therefore, residues from our medication end up in surface waters. There, they can affect fungi, plants and animals, either directly or by disrupting their chemical...Read more |
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Life history traits of hosts and parasites along environmental gradients |
Parasitism is one of the most common consumer strategies and can impose large costs on the fitness of host individuals and populations. At the same time, environmental conditions also affect the fitness of both, host and parasite, resulting in changes in the strength and outcome of the host-...Read more |
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Effects of nutrient addition and large herbivore grazing on insect communities in grassland ecosystems |
Grassland host a high diversity of insects, which comprise about half of earth's macroscopic biodiversity and maintain important ecosystem services. Nutrient availability and mammalian herbivory are two key drivers of insect abundance and diversity in grassland ecosystems. However, how these...Read more |
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Biotic resistance to plant invasion in tropical and temperate wetlands |
During the summer, we will be performing a major experiment where we want to determine the role of competition and herbivory, and the interaction between these two factors, in the establishment of invasive species. Biological invasions are recognized as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss...Read more |
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Dispersal of wetland plants by waterbirds |
Ever wondered how remote freshwater habitats such as oases in deserts can contain so many different species of freshwater plants and aquatic invertebrates? How can these species have travelled across kilometres of dry land to colonize these habitats? A potential answer to this intriguing question...Read more |
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Recovery of nutrients from wastewater by microalgae |
Welcome to the world where waste no longer exists. In this new world, waste is converted into resources that can be reused. This is the world where we have learned from Nature how to live in a cyclic natural balance, just like all other species: the waste of one is the resource of the other. In...Read more |
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Impacts of environmental factors on the absolute and relative abundances of cyanobacteria and their toxins in Dutch lakes |
Harmful cyanobacteria pose a major threat to human and animal health. Their dense summer blooms make many surface waters in the Netherlands unsuitable for recreation. The Dutch water boards have monitoring programs on harmful cyanobacteria, and relevant environmental parameters, in bathing waters...Read more |
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Closing the nutrient cycle from wastewater at Ecodorp Boekel |
Welcome to a world where waste no longer exists. In this new world, waste is converted into resources that can be reused. This is the world where we have learned from Nature how to live in a cyclic natural balance, just like all other species: the waste of one is the resource of the other. New...Read more |
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The impact of seed dispersal by animals on plant distributions |
Darwin was the first to recognize the importance of animals for the dispersal of plants and small invertebrates. Many organisms produce small seeds or resting stages that are ingested, transported and egested by larger, more mobile animals. This mechanism, known as endozoochory, contributes greatly...Read more |
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Emerging trends in Ecological Meta-analysis with the increased availability of datasets |
NIOO is one of the largest institutes within the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). With four departments – Animal, Aquatic, Microbial, and Terrestrial Ecology – NIOO leads top-quality interdisciplinary research. NIOO is situated opposite the Wageningen UR campus. See more at...Read more |
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Temperature aquatic herbivory |
We are looking for a student with a strong interest in aquatic animals and some background on aquatic ecology or animal ecology, for an internship on this topic. The project will last for 4-6 months, will start in the end of September 2016. Project background Climate warming has threatened our...Read more |
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The effects of eutrophication and mowing on aquatic plants |
Aquatic plants are of paramount importance to especially shallow aquatic ecosystems. They provide food and habitat for all kinds of organisms, thereby increasing biodiversity. They also help stabilize the ecosystem through many (a)biotic processes. However, under some conditions these same plants...Read more |
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Biotic resistance to plant invasion in tropical and temperate wetlands |
Overview Biological invasions are recognized as one of the main causes of biodiversity loss. Exotic species alter ecosystem structure and function and cause annual losses of billions of dollars worldwide. Freshwater ecosystems, in particular, harbor a large amount of invasive species, especially...Read more |
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Effect of omnivorous fish in shallow aquatic ecosystems: consequences for aquatic plants |
General context Fish have strong effects on aquatic ecosystems and the aquatic plants. This can be through direct consumption, but also indirectly, by bioturbation and uprooting of plants, or by consuming grazers of algae that otherwise shade and outcompete the plants. However, whereas these...Read more |
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Rewilding: the role of large herbivore in shaping their environment |
General context Large herbivores are globally increasingly disappearing in the wild. Apart from the loss of charismatic animals, we may also lose their ecosystem functions. But what are these functions? Currently, large herbivores are increasingly being reintroduced in nature reserves in Europe, so...Read more |
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Large herbivore impact on biogeochemistry: nutrient availability and transport |
General context Herbivores eat plants and excrete part of the nutrients in the form of feces and urine. Through this process they may accelerate nutrient cycling, as these nutrients become faster available than through senescence of plants. However, large herbivores also indirectly affect nutrient...Read more |
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Herbivory in aquatic omnivores: effects of climate change |
General context Most aquatic herbivores that consume aquatic plants are in fact omnivorous. As most animal food contains higher nutrient concentrations than plants, the question is why they eat plants and under which conditions. This may be due to environmental conditions. For cold-blooded animals...Read more |
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Recovery of nutrients from wastewater by microalgae |
Welcome to a world where waste no longer exists. In this new world, waste is converted into resources that can be reused. This is the world where we have learned from Nature how to live in a cyclic natural balance, just like all other species: the waste of one is the resource of the other. In this...Read more |
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Scientific use of GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) data |
For a project on the scientific use of GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) data, we offer an internship for a master student at the NIOO in 2016. GBIF and NLBIF (the Dutch branch) provide free online access to biodiversity data. Although many scientists already use GBIF data, there is...Read more |
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Het maaien van woekerende waterplanten |
Achtergrond Waterplanten (macrofyten) zijn essentieel voor het goed functioneren van een aquatisch ecosysteem. Ze houden het water helder door directe concurrentie om voedsel met de algen aan te gaan. Ook bieden ze beschutting aan jonge en volwassen dieren, zoals vissen en (macro)invertebraten. Ze...Read more |
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Combined effects of climate change and nutrient limitation on marine phytoplankton |
Marine phytoplankton is responsible for about half of the global net primary production, and thereby sustains input into the marine food web and facilitates CO 2 drawdown from the atmosphere. Primary production in open oceans areas is fuelled by sporadic upwelling of nutrients, but due to the...Read more |
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Spatial patterns in biodiversity in Dutch fen meadow ditches in agricultural landscapes |
Outline : This project focuses on spatial patterns of aquatic biodiversity in dutch agricultural polder landscapes. Specifically, cladocera zooplankton and aquatic and helophyte vegetation are studied in relation to local environment and larger scale processes such as connectivity and environmental...Read more |
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Modelleren van aquatische voedselwebben |
Om voedselwebben te onderzoeken, worden twee benaderingen naast elkaar toegepast: computermodellen en modelecosystemen (voedselwebjes). De belangrijkste experimentele ecosystemen die gebruikt worden zijn zogenaamde chemostaten: vaten van 1,6 liter waarin het plankton zich bevindt en die een...Read more |
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Eco-physiology of harmful algae and cyanobacteria |
Harmful algal and cyanobacterial blooms pose a severe threat to human health and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Proliferation of toxic phytoplankton species has been promoted by eutrophication, and is expected to be aggravated by climate change. We study the potential impacts of global...Read more |
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Well-hidden but still there: patterns of cryptic speciation in Dutch rotifer populations |
General context Before the advent of molecular genetic techniques, zooplankton taxa were believed to be not exceedingly rich in species. Many species were also assumed to have a wide biogeographic distribution pattern. Recently, however, it has become more and more obvious that cryptic species (i.e...Read more |
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Getting awake after a long cold sleep: optimization of cryo-preservation techniques for subitanous rotifer eggs |
General context The rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus is a very useful model organism for experimental research in ecology and evolution. This is because this organism is easy to manipulate for experiments and it can be cultured at high densities in the laboratory. Furthermore, the species has short...Read more |
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Bad or good food, that’s the question! |
General context Every organism needs carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for its growth and body maintenance. Consequently, the element that is shortest in supply will limit the maximal size of populations. Plants have been shown to be highly variable in their C:N:P ratios. In contrast,...Read more |
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Pathogen determination in black water |
Introduction Pathogens can be categorised as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths (Awuah, 2006). The most common pathogen found in wastewater is Salmonella. However, there are many other pathogens harmful to human health, such as E. coli, Pseudomonas, Shigella, Vibrio, Mycobacterium,...Read more |
