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 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).

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.

Since 1994, we collect genetic samples from insects (winter moth) and birds (mainly great tit, blue tit, pied flycatcher, oystercatcher and various waterfowl). The location and specifications of a sample can be found in our relational data warehouse. There are more than 170,000 blood samples, feathers and other tissues stored at NIOO. The samples can be used to investigate the genotype of an individual or population in relation to their fenotype.

NIOO has a collection of thousands of bacterial strains isolated from different (semi-)natural and agricultural environments. Most are bacteria isolated from soils, rhizosphere or plant parts, but aquatic strains are present as well.

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.

Since 1995, we run a series of biodiversity experiments on a former agricultural field in the nature area Planken-Wambuis near Ede. In some plots, secondary succession has followed its natural course, In other plots, a low or high diversity of plants was sown, or the soil has been inoculated with soil from nature areas.

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.

Fatty acids such as Phospholipid (PLFA), neutral lipid fatty acids (NLFA) and Ergosterol (total fungal biomass) are used to assess microbial biomass and community structure in soil and other types of environmental samples. This facility provides all the equipment and knowledge required for the determination and quantification of PLFA, NLFA and Ergosterol.

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.

The NIOO greenhouse and trace gas analysis facility is part of the chemical analytical lab with equipment and facilities to asses gas concentrations in atmosphere or in soil gas or soil moisture. Gases (CH4, CO2, N2O, CO, H2,C¬2H4 can be measured over a wide concentration range and even to below-atmospheric levels (ppb) or in stable isotope studies (13C/12C in CO2, CH4).

Hoge Veluwe is one of four areas in NIOO-AnE's long-term monitoring research on great tits and other bird species that started in 1955. It consists of a large forest area of more than 350 ha of mainly conifers and oak on poor sandy soil. This area is part of the largest forest complex in the Netherlands, De Veluwe. Most of the questions in NIOO's long-term research are/were studied here. Every breeding season, many students and researchers are involved in doing field work at Hoge Veluwe.