Dr. ir. Kamiel Spoelstra
ResearcherAnimal Ecology |
Research expertiseBehavioural ecology Circadian biology Experimental field studies Temporal analysis
Page last updated: 08-10-2021
Dr. Ir. Kamiel Spoelstra works on the presence and activity of species: what is our influence on how species organize their activity? And how do animals change the organization of their activity as a result of human disturbance – do species occupy different niches, in time and place? How do possible changes affect species’ populations, and how do they interact? His drive is to visualize the invisible in ecosystems: hidden effects, latent processes, secretive behaviour by inconspicuous species.
He graduated at the University of Groningen in 2005, and continued there with a post-doc position (2005-2007), followed by post-docs at Princeton University (2007-2009), Max Planck Institute for Ornithology (2009-2010), and Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KANW, 2011-2019). He currently has a research position there.
Currently, his main project is about the impact of light pollution for which he maintains a large-scale setup with experimental illumination of forest-edge habitat, studying the impact of the spectral composition of light, and light intensity on several species groups. For more information on this project, please check www.lichtopnatuur.org.
- Barré, K., Spoelstra, K., Bas, Y., Challéat, S., Kiri Ing, R., Azam, C., Zissis, G., Lapostolle, D., Kerbiriou, C., & Le Viol, I. (2021). Artificial light may change flight patterns of bats near bridges along urban waterways. Animal Conservation, 24(2), 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12635
- Barré, K., Kerbiriou, C., Ing, R. K., Bas, Y., Azam, C., Le Viol, I., & Spoelstra, K. (2021). Bats seek refuge in cluttered environment when exposed to white and red lights at night. Movement Ecology, 9(1), [3]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-020-00238-2
- Dominoni, D. M., Kjellberg Jensen, J., de Jong, M., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2020). Artificial light at night, in interaction with spring temperature, modulates timing of reproduction in a passerine bird. Ecological Applications, 30(3), [e02062]. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2062
- van Grunsven, R. H. A., van Deijk, J. R., Donners, M., Berendse, F., Visser, M. E., Veenendaal, E., & Spoelstra, K. (2020). Experimental light at night has a negative long-term impact on macro-moth populations. Current Biology, 30(12), R694-R695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.083
- Boom, M. P., Spoelstra, K., Biere, A., Knop, E., & Visser, M. E. (2020). Pollination and fruit infestation under artificial light at night: light colour matters. Scientific Reports, 10, 1-6. [18389]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75471-1
- Vazquez, C., Rowcliffe, J. M., Spoelstra, K., & Jansen, P. A. (2019). Comparing diel activity patterns of wildlife across latitudes and seasons: Time transformations using day length. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10(12), 2057-2066. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13290
- Laine, V. N., Atema, E., Vlaming, P., Verhagen, I., Mateman, C., Ramakers, J. J. C., van Oers, K., Spoelstra, K., & Visser, M. E. (2019). The Genomics of Circadian Timing in a Wild Bird, the Great Tit (Parus major). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7, [e00152]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00152
- Ulgezen, Z. N., Käpylä, T., Meerlo, P., Spoelstra, K., Visser, M. E., & Dominoni, D. M. (2019). The preference and costs of sleeping under light at night in forest and urban great tits. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 286(1905), [20190872]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0872
- Spoelstra, K., Verhagen, I. C., Meijer, D., & Visser, M. E. (2018). Artificial light at night shifts daily activity patterns but not the internal clock in the great tit (Parus major). Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 285(1875), [2751]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2751
- de Jong, M., Lamers, K. P., Eugster, M., Ouyang, J. Q., Da Silva, A., Mateman, A. C., Grunsven, R. H. A., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2018). Effects of experimental light at night on extra-pair paternity in a songbird. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 329(8-9), 441-448. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2193
- Spoelstra, K., Ramakers, J. J. C., van Dis, N. E., & Visser, M. E. (2018). No effect of artificial light of different colors on commuting Daubenton's bats (Myotis daubentonii) in a choice experiment. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, 329(8-9), 506-510. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2178
- de Jong, M., Van den Eertwegh, L., Beskers, R., De Vries, P. P., Spoelstra, K., & Visser, M. E. (2018). Timing of avian breeding in an urbanized world. Ardea, 106(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.5253/arde.v106i1.a4
- Welbers, A., van Dis, N., Kolvoort, A., Ouyang, J. Q., Visser, M. E., Spoelstra, K., & Dominoni, D. M. (2017). Artificial Light at Night Reduces Daily Energy Expenditure in Breeding Great Tits (Parus major). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, [2017.00055]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2017.00055
- de Jong, M., Caro, S. P., Gienapp, P., Spoelstra, K., & Visser, M. E. (2017). Early Birds by Light at Night: Effects of Light Color and Intensity on Daily Activity Patterns in Blue Tits. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 32(4), 323-333. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730417719168
- Da Silva, A., de Jong, M., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Visser, M. E., Kempenaers, B., & Spoelstra, K. (2017). Experimental illumination of a forest: no effects of lights of different colours on the onset of the dawn chorus in songbirds. Royal Society Open Science, 4(1), [160638]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160638
- Dominoni, D. M., Akesson, S., Klaassen, R. H. G., Spoelstra, K., & Bulla, M. (2017). Methods in field chronobiology. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 372(1734), [0247]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0247
- Spoelstra, K., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Ramakers, J. J. C., Ferguson, K. B., Raap, T., Donners, M., Veenendaal, E. M., & Visser, M. E. (2017). Response of bats to light with different spectra: light-shy and agile bat presence is affected by white and green, but not red light. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 284(1855), [0075]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0075
- Ouyang, J. Q., de Jong, M., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Matson, K. D., Haussmann, M. F., Meerlo, P., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2017). Restless roosts: Light pollution affects behavior, sleep, and physiology in a free-living songbird. Global Change Biology, 23(11), 4987-4994. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13756
- Ouyang, J. Q., de Jong, M., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Matson, K. D., Haussmann, M. F., Meerlo, P., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2017). What type of rigorous experiments are needed to investigate the impact of artificial light at night on individuals and populations? Response to editor. Global Change Biology, 23(12), e9-e10. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13894
- De Jong, M., Jeninga, L., Ouyang, J., van Oers, K., Spoelstra, K., & Visser, M. E. (2016). Dose-dependent responses of avian daily rhythms to artificial light at night. Physiology & Behavior, 155(1), 172-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.12.012
- De Jong, M., Ouyang, J., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2016). Do wild great tits avoid exposure to light at night? PLoS One, 11(6), [0157357]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157357
- Spoelstra, K., Wikelski, M., Daan, S., Loudon, A., & Hau, M. (2016). Natural selection against a circadian clock gene mutation in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(3), 686-691. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516442113
- Swaddle, J. P., Francis, C. D., Barber, J. R., Cooper, C. B., Kyba, C. C. M., Dominoni, D., Shannon, G., Aschehoug, E., Goodwin, S. E., Kawahara, A. Y., Luther, D., Spoelstra, K., Voss, M., & Longcore, T. (2015). A framework to assess evolutionary responses to anthropogenic light and sound. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 30(9), 550-560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2015.06.009
- De Jong, M., Ouyang, J. Q., Da Silva, A., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Kempenaers, B., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2015). Effects of nocturnal illumination on life-history decisions and fitness in two wild songbird species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 370(1667), [20140128]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0128
- Spoelstra, K., van Grunsven, R. H. A., Donners, M., Gienapp, P., Huigens, M. E., Slaterus, R., Berendse, F., Visser, M. E., & Veenendaal, E. (2015). Experimental illumination of natural habitat—an experimental set-up to assess the direct and indirect ecological consequences of artificial light of different spectral composition. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 370(1667), [2014.0129]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0129
- Ouyang, J. Q., de Jong, M., Hau, M., Visser, M. E., van Grunsven, R. H. A., & Spoelstra, K. (2015). Stressful colours: corticosterone concentrations in a free-living songbird vary with the spectral composition of experimental illumination. Biology Letters, 11(8), [20150517]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0517
- Spoelstra, K., Comas, M., & Daan, S. (2014). Compression of daily activity time in mice lacking functional Per or Cry genes. Annual Review of Chronopharmacology, 31(5), 645-654. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2014.885529
- Spoelstra, K., & Visser, M. E. (2013). The impact of artificial light on avian ecology. In D. Gils, & H. Brumm [Eds.], Avian Urban Ecology (Vol. Part 1: Chap 2, pp. 21-28). Oxford University Press. http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199661589.do#.Ujhm5cZSjTp
- Steiger, S., Valcu, M., Spoelstra, K., Helm, B., Wikelski, M., & Kempenaers, B. (2013). When the sun never sets: Diverse activity rhythms under continuous daylight in free-living arctic-breeding birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 280. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1016
- Titulaer, M., Spoelstra, K., Lange, C., & Visser, M. E. (2012). Activity patterns during food provisioning are affected by artificial light in free living great tits (Parus major). PLoS One, 7(5), [e37377]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0037377
- Lehmann, M., Spoelstra, K., Visser, M. E., & Helm, B. (2012). Effects of temperature on circadian clock and chronotype: an experimental study in a passerine bird. Annual Review of Chronopharmacology, 29(8), 1062-1071. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.707159
- Daan, S., Spoelstra, K., Albrecht, U., Schmutz, I., Daan, M., Daan, B., Rienks, F., Poletaeva, I., Dell'Omo, G., Vyssotski, A., & Lipp, H. P. (2011). Lab mice in the field: unorthodox daily activity and effects of a dysfunctional circadian clock allele. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 26(2), 118-129. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730410397645
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- Spoelstra, K. (2020). Ändrat ljusspektrum kan minska de ekologiska effekterna. Biodiverse, (3), 16-17. http://www.biodiverse.se/articles/spectrum-dependent-effects-of-artificial-light-at-night/
- NIOO-KNAW, & Spoelstra, K. (2020). Kunstlicht leidt tot afname nachtvlinders. Nature Today.
- Spoelstra, K. (2019). Vleermuizen nader belicht: Onderzoek naar effect van lichtkleur. Zoogdier, 30(1), 3. https://www.zoogdiervereniging.nl/publicaties/2019/zoogdier-jaargang-30-nr1-lente-2019
- Spoelstra, K., & Limpens, H. (2018). Wintertijd verstoort nachtdieren in de zomer. Nature Today. https://www.naturetoday.com/nl/nl/nature-reports/message/?msg=24734
