Ecological research infrastructures in the Netherlands

Soil ecotron as seen from the sky

From experimental mini-ponds to research vessels, and from living labs to collections: in The Netherlands we have many ecological research facilities. This website provides a national overview of the large-scale ecological research infrastructures. 

For ecological researchers in the Netherlands this overview offers opportunities to team up with other researchers and to link to existing ecological research facilities and initiatives. Currently, the inventory of large-scale ecological research facilities focuses on ecotrons, scientific (data) collections, long-term field studies and research infrastructures for fieldwork.


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  1. Aqua-flex Arena: Outdoor mesocosms

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    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.
    Outdoor mesocoms

  2. Avian blood sample collection

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    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.
    test tubes

  3. Bacterial collection

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    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.
    Bacterial collection

  4. BioCliVE

    Facility
    Utrecht University
    The Utrecht University Biodiversity and Climate Variability Experiment, UU BioCliVE, is an experiment manipulating plant diversity and future precipitation scenarios to examine how biological diversity can provide us with natural insurance against climate change.
    BioCliVE facility

  5. CBS-KNAW collections and databases

    Facility
    Westerdijk Institute
    The CBS-KNAW culture collection from the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (WI-KNAW) is the largest in the world with more than 100.000 strains of fungi (including yeasts) and bacteria (including wild-type and mutant strains), hosts suitable for DNA research, genetically engineered plasmids, broad-host-range plasmids and phages.
    Culture collection Westerdijk

  6. Mesocosms for soil-plant-insect interactions

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    A total of 40 mesocosms are distributed in five rows of eight mesocosms with a spacing of 0.5 m between them. In spring/summer we grow plant species that are currently expanding their range within Europe and species that belong to the same genus while being native in the Netherlands.
    Mesocosms soil-plant-insect interactions

  7. Palaeoecology Reference Collection

    Facility
    UvA
    The Palaeoecology Reference Collection contains reference specimens and archived material from palaeoecological investigations.
    Ten Poaceae pollen grains from nine subfamilies

  8. Soil ecotron

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    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.
    Bodembiodiversiteit onderzoeken

  9. Veluwe grassland plant collection

    Facility
    Dry sandy areas
    NIOO-KNAW
    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).
    Veluwe grassland plant collection

  10. Waterfowl facility

    Facility
    NIOO-KNAW
    This is a facility for keeping waterfowl for behavioural and physiological research. The facility consists of an outdoor aviary and a building for birds indoors.
    Water fowl facility


 

www.eco-ri.nl is initiated and maintained by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), and supported by the Dutch universities and research institutes connected to NERN (Netherlands Ecological Research Network) and/or BiodiversityXL (Centre of Excellence for Netherlands Biodiversity Research).

The inventory of ecological research infrastructures is ongoing. 

 

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