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 Lire la suite »
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 Lire la suite »
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 Lire la suite »
I would like to contribute to #EuropeFor Nature by sharing my story as an expert in Finance and Nature. With just a few days to go before the next European elections, I want to stress the need to educate Europeans: especially future MEPs and all European citizens, whether they vote … or not, for various
Europe Needs Education on Nature Lire la suite »
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 Lire la suite »
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 Lire la suite »
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 Lire la suite »
How much more evidence do we need before we act? Biodiversity decline in the Netherland is evident and happens across many taxa and very fast. (Local) species extinction is not only something which happens when tropical forests are cut down, it is apparent in our own backyard as well. Due to intensive agriculture, nitrogen pollution
Biodiversity decline in the Netherlands Lire la suite »
Living with biodiversity definitely is one of the main challenges for humanity in the coming century. Everyone enjoys butterflies, but >80% of butterflies have disappeared in the Netherlands over the last century. Looking at butterflies, we can learn what it takes to meet our challenge. I propose the ‘butterfly dimension’ of getting engaged for biodiversity
Let’s show that humanity has something good to offer for the planet Lire la suite »
Abstract The evils attributed to the “Anthropocene” are not the responsibility of all humanity; the main culprits, who have the political and economic power to shape the forms of production and consumption and define lifestyles, must be distinguished from the majority of the population, whose power to change things cannot be compared with those. “Systemic”
The “Anthropocene” Circumvention: A New Ideology to Sustain the Status Quo? Lire la suite »
