As an ecologist who works at an institute where ecosystem monitoring with Remote Sensing is a key activity, I know nature is variable and can have many faces. It varies over seasons and it varies over years. Some years are drier, other years are wetter. So we know that, to really look at changes in […]
Savannas in Eastern Netherlands Read More »
We desperately need perspectives for (social, ecologic, economic, climate) robust agricultural practices that contribute to a healthier planet for future generations. Most modern agricultural practices are vulnerable to climate change effects. Biodiversity loss and limited genetic crop diversity in our staple foods appear to be underestimated food security and health risks. There is an urge
Food forests for robust agricultural practices Read More »
As a young ecologist, I aimed to contribute to understanding the effects of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning by exploring an often-overlooked realm: underground ecosystems. My journey led me to the prestigious Jena Experiment, a large-scale, long-term grassland biodiversity study in Germany where effects of plant species richness on ecosystem functioning are studied. This opportunity
To bee (or not to be) Read More »
Heischraal grasland is een combinatie is van heide en grasland. Hierin komen veel zeldzame planten en insecten voor, zoals Valkruid (Arnica montana), Kleine schorseneer (Scorzonera humilis) en de Kommavlinder (Hesperia comma). Maar heischraal grasland is ernstig bedreigd. Door de stikstofdepositie verzuurt de bodem en verdwijnen de zeldzame soorten. Heischraal grasland is een zogenaamd ‘prioritair habitattype’.
Heischraal grasland staat op omvallen Read More »
Spring, to us, always indicates the start of a new sampling campaign to the Store Mosse National Park, the largest expanse of peatlands in Southern Sweden. Over a decade we run a plant ecological experiment in this fantastic peatland complex. The Store Mosse NP with its beauty and variety in ecosystems also illustrates what we
Peatlands: our natural allies in the fight against climate change Read More »
When I was 10, I witnessed my dad converting our family’s dairy farm to embrace agroecological and organic practices. Away with the synthetic inputs. No more mineral fertilisers, no more chemical pest controllers. Hedgerows of diverse native trees were planted between fields, and apple trees flourished in their midst. Complex rotations were introduced, enriching the
Let us not witness the fall of agroecology Read More »
Het gaat slecht met de Europese vogelpopulaties. Sinds 1990 zien we een afname van 12% onder de 168 meest voorkomende soorten. Vooral de landbouwvogels gaan sterk achteruit (met een afname van 36%), voornamelijk door de intensivering van de landbouw. De Europese Unie kan deze negatieve trend omdraaien door meer in te zetten op natuur-inclusieve landbouw,
Al fluitend door het leven Read More »
In this decade of climate and biodiversity action there is a strong and compelling need to design and visualise an appealing and hopeful perspective for a climate resilient and nature-positive future. There is common agreement that climate change and biodiversity loss are the world’s greatest challenges for the 21st century. The sense of urgency surrounding
Imagining a nature-positive future for Europe in 2120 Read More »
During my PhD research on the decline of the hedgehog in Great Britain I spent many hours in the field doing research on their whereabouts in rural areas. In Great Britain, plenty farms are entered in agri-environment schemes meaning that arable fields are surrounded by grassy field margins and hedgerows, which should promote biodiversity. During
Agri-environment schemes benefit biodiversity Read More »
Ecology was – and still is – my field of study and of academic teaching for decades on end. From understanding terrestrial ecological processes at first, i.e., plant-animal interactions, my field broadened to include livestock, humans and human – wildlife coexistence. Now, my focus is on thoroughly understanding how the lifestyle of the privileged few
Students with a passion Read More »
