Department of Ecology - Radboud University
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Department of Ecology - Radboud University
@ecology-radboud.bsky.social
The Department of Ecology (part of Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences) comprises a diverse team of enthusiastic ecologists dedicated to preserving and pursuing ecosystem health across aquatic and terrestrial systems.
🚨 Paper Alert!

📢We are excited to announce the publication of a new study in Nature Communications, “Identifying hotspot of peatland emissions in the EU+”, in which researchers from our department in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Greifswald, the Greifswald Moor (1/11)
December 2, 2025 at 7:23 PM
New paper alert! 🚨

RU researchers Lucia Cabrera Lamanna, Ilenia Marquina Luévano, Eric Visser, and Sarian Kosten, along with co-authors Dick van Oevelen and Andreas Lorke published a study in Limnology and Oceanography Letters.

Read here: aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Rooted macrophytes reduce sediment CH4 storage and net production: An experimental approach using a novel scanning method
Methane (CH4) emissions from freshwater ecosystems are significant but rarely quantified in vegetated zones. We assessed the influence of five macrophyte species that root in the sediment differing i...
aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Onderzoek van onze afdeling in de spotlight! 🌾

De “future dikes” combineren waterveiligheid met biodiversiteit - een duurzaam ontwerp voor de toekomst.

Lees meer:
👉 www.intonijmegen.com/blijf-op-de-...
De Future Dikes: onze biodiverse beschermers
Onderzoekers van de Radboud Universiteit zijn al een tijd bezig met het innovatieproject ‘Future Dikes’. Het doel? Dijken ontwikkelen met een sterke, soortenrijke grasbekleding, zodat ze ons land bete...
www.intonijmegen.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Gefeliciteerd aan Joost Vogels met het succesvol verdedigen van zijn proefschrift cum laude, getiteld “Out of Balance: A Stoichiometric Perspective on Heathland Biodiversity Loss.”

Lees hier een interview met Joost over zijn onderzoek 👇

www.voxweb.nl/nieuws/ook-i...
Ook insecten hebben last van het stikstofprobleem – én van de maatregelen daartegen - Vox magazine
Stikstof is nog slechter voor heidegebieden dan al gedacht, laat promotieonderzoek van Joost Vogels zien. Niet alleen de planten lijden eronder, ook insecten verdwijnen, ontdekte de bioloog.
www.voxweb.nl
October 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
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.
September 30, 2025 at 7:42 PM
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
September 5, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University
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
August 26, 2025 at 3:31 PM
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
September 1, 2025 at 11:20 AM
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
August 27, 2025 at 12:57 PM
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
July 14, 2025 at 12:49 PM
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)
May 6, 2025 at 1:14 PM
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
April 28, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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
April 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
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
April 22, 2025 at 10:52 AM
🌍 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."
March 27, 2025 at 5:20 PM
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
March 25, 2025 at 10:30 AM
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
March 25, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University
🚨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! 🟥
March 25, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Reposted by Department of Ecology - Radboud University
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-...
March 20, 2025 at 9:17 AM
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....
March 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
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!
February 28, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Paper Alert!

PhD candidate Rosa Boone and colleagues recently published work in Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry.

They explored the potential of microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (mVOCs) as biomarkers along a land use extensification gradient.

Read more: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Microbial scents: Soil microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (mVOCs) as biomarkers for grasslands across a land use gradient
Extensifying land use practices – i.e. decreasing management intensity – is pivotal to facilitate the transition towards sustainable agriculture in pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Looking for a postdoc?

PostDoc position within HABITRACK project open. Apply with Radboud University to analyse tracking data and make a difference in EU bird conservation!
www.ru.nl/en/working-a...

Applications due April 20th.
February 27, 2025 at 2:06 PM
New paper out in Applied Soil Ecology!

Joren Bruggink, Marie-Charlott Petersdorf, Wilco Verberk, and Henk Siepel investigated the effects of soil age and phosphate content on the microarthopod community composition in 32 Dutch forests.

Read the paper here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Soil age and soil phosphate content shape microarthropod communities of Dutch forest ecosystems
Soil microarthropods, particularly mites, are key contributors to the decomposition of plant litter and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems, where t…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 20, 2025 at 10:19 AM
New paper out in Restoration Ecology!

Gabrielle Quadra and colleagues investigated the effects of fluctuations in the water table on the establishment of multiple Sphagnum species at a paludiculture site in Germany.

Read it here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
The effect of water table fluctuation on 12 Sphagnum species during establishment: implications for peatland restoration and paludiculture
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onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 13, 2025 at 8:50 PM