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.

Nematode communities play an important role in soil ecology research. To analyse different type of plant-soil nematodes, NIOO has a facility for extracting soil and root nematodes by Oostenbrink funnel and mistifier.

The NIOO Phytotron is a complex of greenhouses and climate chambers. In addition to offering controlled growing and rearing environments, the Phytotron offers rooms to process, prepare, harvest or store experiments. The Phytotron also provides physiological analysis- and field equipment, ovens and has a large stock of disposables which can be used.

The molecular laboratories offer a wide range of facilities needed for handling, preparing and analysing a wide variety of DNA and/or RNA samples. The lab is well-equipped, and in addition to the general molecular laboratory there are several specialised laboratories such as an MLII Lab, an RNA Lab and a PCR lab with UV-cupboards.

This is a systematic collection of eight plant species from five grassland sites in the Veluwe, for which some tissue from individual plants is stored at -80 °C. For each site, up to 10 individuals from each species have been sampled along a transect at two time points (late May and early August).

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.

The Passerine testing facility offers a unique oportunity to house and measure passerine birds for an array of behavioural tests in a controlled environment.

The ecotron consists of 60 cilinders with intact (non-disturbed) sand, peat or sea clay cores (20 each). For each soil treatment, ten of the cilinders are inoculated with soil from species-rich grassland with the same soil type. The other ten are inoculated with sterile soil from the same grassland. The cilinders are buried in an experimental garden.

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.

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.