Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · 8d

weekendvandewetenschap.nl/activiteiten...

Kassencomplex bezoeken van Radboud Universiteit - Weekend van de Wetenschap

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · 8d

En wist je dat vijvertjes ook scheten kunnen laten? Welk water laat er de meeste vliegen? Doe eerst een gok en kom dan meten! Je kunt ook je adem laten testen. Koeien ademen een sterk broeikasgas uit. Sommige mensen ook. Laat je adem testen om erachter te komen hoe dat bij jou zit!

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · 8d

We leiden je rond en je kunt meedoen aan proefjes. Wist je bijvoorbeeld dat schoon water niet alleen fijn is omdat we dat kunnen drinken? Er leven ook een heleboel planten en dieren in.

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · 8d

Kom kijken in ons Kassencomplex en de proeftuin! In ons kassencomplex wordt veel onderzoek gedaan, bv naar het effect van klimaatverandering op planten of naar bestuiving door insecten.

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Sep 5

There have been some busy bees 🍯in the department!

Judith van der Knaap and colleagues published a paper in Ecosystems about the contribution of drainage ditches to greenhouse gas emissions in drained peatlands here in the Netherlands.

Read here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Disproportionately High Contribution of Ditches to Landscape Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Drained Peatlands - Ecosystems

Drained peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; however, research has predominantly focused on terrestrial areas, with much less attention given to drainage ditches. Desp...

link.springer.com

3 3

Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University

Lars Willighagen @larswillighagen.bsky.social · Aug 26

Our paper on the Library of Identification Resources is out! In it, we describe how and why to record publications for the taxonomic identification of organisms in a FAIR database, and how to query that data to find applicable resources for an insect or a plant in NW Europe.

doi.org/10.3897/BDJ....

Library of Identification Resources: a FAIR overview of taxonomic keys

Biodiversity is declining globally, and ecological research is key to monitor and counteract this decline. Such research requires the taxonomic identification of organisms by both professional and cit...

doi.org

1 3 2

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Sep 1

Paper alert! 🚨

Check out: "Lines in the landscape" published in Nature Communications with contributions from our very own Judith van der Knaap, Sarian Kosten, and Quinten Struik!

www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Lines in the landscape - Communications Earth & Environment

Ditches have many overlooked environmental and societal roles, including impact on biodiversity and pollution, and management strategies to enhance their multifunctional landscape-scale benefits are n...

www.nature.com

2

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Aug 27

Today (August 27, 2025) is the inaugural United Nations World Lake Day. Lakes, reservoirs, and ponds are essential in ensuring global water security, flood mitigation, biodiversity, and other services.

Find here a recent news story featuring department researchers:
www.tubantia.nl/video/produc...

Hier wordt onderzoek gedaan naar de 'scheten' van een vijver

Uit slootjes, meren en zelfs vijvers in de achtertuin borrelen soms giftige broeikasgassen omhoog zoals methaan en lachgas. Ecoloog prof dr. Sarian Kosten van de Radboud Universiteit onderzoekt hoe di...

www.tubantia.nl

1 2

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Jul 14

Paper alert!

PhD student Yvet Telgenkamp and colleagues measured Sphagnum carpet subsidence in a long-term vascular plant removal experiment at Store Mosse National Park in Sweden. They found that vascular plants provide scaffolding for Sphagnum moss.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Standing tall together: Peatland vascular plants facilitate Sphagnum moss microtopography

To preserve the heterogenic and diverse nature of peatland ecosystems, a well-functioning plant community is imperative. In intact peat bogs, such com…

www.sciencedirect.com

1 2

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · May 6

Thanks to NIOO’s Suzanne McGowan for leading this consortium!

@unileiden.bsky.social @w-u-r.bsky.social @utwente.bsky.social @dans-knaw-nwo.bsky.social @niooknaw.bsky.social @ribesresearch.bsky.social
(5/5)

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · May 6

Thanks to a EUR 4.18 million grant from NWO, this hub can get off to a flying start!

At Radboud Ecology, we are very excited about strengthening this collaboration and adding ecological and biogeochemical realism to our mesocosms! (4/5)

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · May 6

This “one-stop-shop” will be able to study aquatic ecosystems across varying scales of complexity from indoor tightly-controlled experiments to the ecological realism of outdoor naturally-colonised enclosures.
(3/5)

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · May 6

Then this collaborative project 'Smart experimental facilities for aquatic processes' (SEFAP) forms a central hub for conducting experiments on inland waters. (2/5)

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · May 6

Funding granted to create SMART experimental hub for aquatic-processes!

What if you connect the best aquatic facilities in the Netherlands, and add data scientists?

See: https://www.nwo.nl/en/news/over-eu21-million-awarded-for-projects-in-scientific-infrastructure (1/5)

1 1 1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Apr 28

Wilco Verberk recently joined an episode of the Big Biology podcast discussing heat tolerance in insects, fish, and other ectothermic animals and how collecting and sharing trait data is important to inform and implement predictive models.

Tune in!

bigbiology.substack.com/p/feel-the-h...

Feel the heat (Ep 132)

How do scientists measure thermal tolerance and predict organismal responses in the wild?

bigbiology.substack.com

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Apr 28

José Paranaíba, Quinten Struik, Sarian Kosten, and colleagues published a study measuring C accumulation in the sediments of Lake Berendonck, a nearby human-made lake.

They found the lake has a C storage potential, even comparable to some temperate forests!

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Hydroacoustic surveys reveal high sediment carbon accumulation in an urban lake - Journal of Soils and Sediments

Purpose Insight into the distribution and sedimentation patterns of organic and inorganic carbon (OC and IC) in urban lake sediments is essential for understanding their role in the carbon (C) cycling...

link.springer.com

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Apr 22

Looking for some inspiring reading after the long weekend? 🐣🐇

Adam Koks and colleagues from the ecology department and B-ware recently published a study in which they investigated ways to mitigate the toxicity of bicarbonate for Sphagnum mosses.

Read here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Acidifying surface water and water level management promote Sphagnum health for peatland restoration and paludiculture

Sphagnum-dominated peatlands play a vital role in carbon storage worldwide. However, large areas are strongly degraded due to land-use change. Success…

www.sciencedirect.com

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Mar 27

Held in Liverpool, and organized by Teresa Silverthorn and Mike Peacock, the event brought together experts to share insights on emissions dynamics, mitigation strategies, and the role of ditches in the broader climate agenda.
#ClimateScience #GreenhouseGases #Wetlands #Ditches #NetZero

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Mar 27

🌍 Ditches and canals in the climate spotlight! 🌊
This week, our colleagues Sofia Baliña, Jose Reinaldo Paranaíba, Quinten Struik, Judith van der Knaap, and Sarian Kosten participated in the symposium "Towards net zero: accounting for and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from ditches and canals."

1 1 3

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Mar 25

Department researchers Caspar Hallmann, Eelke Jongejans, Henk Siepel and Hans de Kroon along with colleagues from Germany recently published a study in Nature demonstrating that climate change alone cannot explain declines in insect biomass.

Read here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Weather anomalies cannot explain insect decline - Nature

Nature - Weather anomalies cannot explain insect decline

www.nature.com

2

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Mar 25

Our colleague Bjorn Robroek co-authored a recently published study in Nature Climate Change discussing the role of photosynthetic microbes in peatland carbon dynamics. 🦠

Check it out: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Microbial photosynthesis mitigates carbon loss from northern peatlands under warming - Nature Climate Change

The authors use experimental and modelling approaches to understand the response of microbial photosynthesis to peatland warming. They show that warming amplifies microbial photosynthesis, which could...

www.nature.com

1 1

Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University

universiteitennl.bsky.social @universiteitennl.bsky.social · Mar 25

🚨Senatoren, doe het niet! Vandaag debatteert de Eerste Kamer over de desastreuze bezuinigingen op onderwijs en wetenschap. Bezuinigingen die iedereen zullen raken: van studenten tot onderzoekers, medewerkers, het bedrijfsleven en de samenleving als geheel.
Doe het niet! 🟥

40 71

Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University

Lars Willighagen @larswillighagen.bsky.social · Mar 20

New paper! Comparative morphology of the larval stages of Cholevinae (Coleoptera: Leiodidae), with special reference to those in the Netherlands (doi.org/10.1163/2211...)

larsgw.blogspot.com/2025/03/new-...

Illustration of a larva with four red outlines linked to detailed drawings of respectively urogomphomere I, a tergite, an antenna, and a maxilla.

1 1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Mar 11

Paper alert!

Department researchers (Judith van der Knapp, Jose Reinaldo Paranaíba, Sarian Kosten, and Quinten Struik) collaborated with colleagues abroad on a project assessing the importance of ditches and canals on global N2O and CO2 budgets.

Read more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

1

Department of Ecology - Radboud University @ecology-radboud.bsky.social · Feb 28

Yesterday department researchers installed equipment to measure greenhouse gas emissions in a small lake largely covered by floating solar panels.

The goal is to unravel the effects of floating solar on aquatic greenhouse gas emissions.

Thanks to #Solinor for facilitating this research!

2