Dr. ir. Kamiel Spoelstra
ResearcherAnimal Ecology |
Research expertiseBehavioural ecology Circadian biology Experimental field studies Temporal analysis
Page last updated: 19-11-2019
I am a biologist interested in activity of species: what is our influence on how species organize their activity? And how do animals change the daily or yearly timing of their behaviour as a result of our presence? Do changing environments and ecosystems put selective pressure on species, and can we show it?
My drive is to visualize the invisible in ecosystems: hidden effects, latent processes, secretive behaviour by inconspicuous species.
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology 2009 - 2010
- Princeton University, Postdoctoral Fellow 2007 - 2009
- University of Groningen, Postdoctoral fellow 2005 - 2007
- University of Groningen, Ph.D. candidate 1999 - 2005
Links
Downloads
Chronoshop_1_1.zip
Chronoshop_1_1.zip
ChronoShop software for activity cycle analysis, version 1.1 (please ignore browser warnings)
I am currently involved in a large project in which we study the effects of artificial light on nature. This project is a cooperation between the NIOO and the University of Wageningen (WUR), the Dutch Oil Company (NAM), Philips, the Dutch Mammal society, the Dutch Butterfly Foundation, the Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, the Dutch Society for Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Conservation, and the Dutch Bird Migraton Station.
In order to experimentally assess short-term and long-term effects of artificial light with different spectra on the presence and the population density of species we have set up a large-scale monitoring experiment. We have put up 120 light posts at forest edges to illuminate natural habitats from sunset to sunrise with three different spectra: white light, and light with either reduced short or long wavelengths. The effect of the light is monitored for three years following a control year without light (2011); data are compared with control sites (dark) present throughout the experiment. Breeding birds, bats, other mammals, moths and vegetation are carefully monitored by specialized field biologists according to rigid protocols. In parallel, we experimentally test for effects of artificial light on the life history of birds and insects (moths) in separate in-depth studies. Changes in daily and seasonal timing, such as changes in onset of dawn chorus and laying date in birds are studied, and the effect of light on the herbivory and development of moth caterpillars. For more information, please visit www.lichtopnatuur.org
Spoelstra, K., R. H. A. van Grunsven, J. J. C. Ramakers, K. B. Ferguson, T. Raap, M. Donners, E. M. Veenendaal, and M. E. Visser (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. Proc. R. Soc. B 284:20170075. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0075
Ouyang, J. Q., M. de Jong, R. H. A. van Grunsven, K. D. Matson, M. F. Haussmann, P. Meerlo, M. E. Visser, and K. Spoelstra (2017). Restless roosts: Light pollution affects behavior, sleep, and physiology in a free-living songbird. Global Change Biology:n/a-n/a. doi: 10.1111/gcb.13756
Spoelstra, K., M. Wikelski, S. Daan, A. S. I. Loudon, and M. Hau (2016). Natural selection against a circadian clock gene mutation in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113:686–691. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1516442113
de Jong, M., L. Jeninga, J. Q. Ouyang, K. van Oers, K. Spoelstra, and M. E. Visser (2016). Dose-dependent responses of avian daily rhythms to artificial light at night. Physiology & Behavior 155:172–179. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.12.012
Spoelstra, K., R. H. A. van Grunsven, M. Donners, P. Gienapp, M. E. Huigens, R. Slaterus, F. Berendse, M. E. Visser, and E. Veenendaal (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 of London B: Biological Sciences 370:20140129. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0129
Daan, S., K. Spoelstra, U. Albrecht, I. Schmutz, M. Daan, B. Daan, F. Rienks, I. Poletaeva, G. Dell’Omo, A. Vyssotski, and H.-P. Lipp (2011). Lab Mice in the Field: Unorthodox Daily Activity and Effects of a Dysfunctional Circadian Clock Allele. Journal of Biological Rhythms 26:118–129. doi: 10.1177/0748730410397645
- Dominoni, D. M., Kjellberg Jensen, J., de Jong, M., Visser, M. E., & Spoelstra, K. (2019). Artificial light at night, in interaction with spring temperature, modulates timing of reproduction in a passerine bird. Ecological Applications, Online. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2062
- 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.,... 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.,... 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.,... 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.,... 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.,... 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.,... 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.,... 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: Oxford University Press.
- 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.,... 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. (2019). Vleermuizen nader belicht: Onderzoek naar effect van lichtkleur. Zoogdier, 30(1), 3.
- Spoelstra, K., & Limpens, H. (2018). Wintertijd verstoort nachtdieren in de zomer. Nature Today.
