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NatureTodayINT
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A broad, natural “cushion” can protect the hinterland
The Netherlands can make good use of the natural dynamics in coastal areas to protect against sea level rise. A broad, natural 'cushion' can protect the hinterland. That is the conclusion of the exploratory study ‘Meegroeien’ (Growing with the sea), which was presented at the Delta Conference on 13 November 2025. Coastal ecologist Jim van Belzen contributed to the study.
dlvr.it
November 16, 2025 at 11:01 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Knowing nature in the Netherlands: ARISE is live
Recognizing all Dutch species – in every conceivable way. Starting today, everyone can utilize ARISE, the research facility that makes this possible. ARISE makes biodiversity measurable on a large scale. A new tool for species specialists, ecologists, computer scientists and the like. ARISE could not have been developed without the input of many expert volunteers.
dlvr.it
November 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
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Life after dead: how earthworms keep facilitating carbon capture
Earthworms do not stop shaping soil processes after they die. A new study shows they can still help store carbon in the soil, even after death. “This is quite surprising”, says lead author Tullia Calogiuri. “Most of our knowledge about earthworms comes from their activity while alive, such as burrowing, feeding, and producing feces. Discovering that they also play a role after death is exciting”.
dlvr.it
November 4, 2025 at 8:18 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
A big frog on a small island: how the Cuban Treefrog invaded St. Eustatius
A large, poisonous frog from Cuba has quietly established itself on the small Caribbean island of St. Eustatius. Researchers have found that the invasive Cuban Treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) is breeding in and around a resort on the island. Conservationists are now racing to eradicate the frog before it spreads further.
dlvr.it
November 2, 2025 at 9:02 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
The winners take it all: how intensive land use affects insects
New research reveals how the increasingly intensive use of grasslands affects insects and other arthropods. Surprisingly, their total number remained stable when land use intensified, but species richness halved. This shows that species react in different ways. In the areas studied 85 per cent of species declined and the majority disappeared completely. A few widespread species, however, thrived.
dlvr.it
October 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM
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Turning the Tide: The documentary
Turquoise waters, vibrant coral reefs, tranquil mangrove forests – that’s how we know Aruba. But this rich underwater world is under pressure and disappearing fast. Still, there is hope. Through the project Turning the Tide, researchers and island residents are working together to restore it. They share their story in an inspiring documentary, now coming to the big screen in Wageningen.
dlvr.it
October 22, 2025 at 11:16 AM
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Tardigrades in the Netherlands: from 14 to 35 species, and this is just the beginning
They are smaller than a millimeter, yet they can play an enormous role in science: tardigrades. These tough little organisms can survive extreme conditions and are found all over the world, from the Himalayas to the deep sea. Thanks to a remarkable discovery, our knowledge of Dutch tardigrades has expanded: the number of officially recorded species has grown from 14 to no less than 35.
dlvr.it
October 18, 2025 at 8:05 AM
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Shining a light on nature – the importance of darkness
Since 2012, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has been conducting research into the effect of artificial light at night on our natural environment. For this research – Light on Nature – streetlights have been installed. These have been lit year round from sunset to sunrise. Various researchers are using these streetlights to measure the effects on different species groups.
dlvr.it
October 15, 2025 at 5:04 AM
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European butterflies under increasing threat from habitat loss and climate change
A new study shows that European butterflies are under increasing threat from a multitude of factors, but especially habitat loss and the warming climate. The new Red List of European butterflies, just published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), shows that the number of species threatened with extinction in Europe has increased from 37 to 65 in the past 10 years.
dlvr.it
October 13, 2025 at 5:02 AM
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Citizen scientists and followers act due to a joint passion for pavement plants
Followers of posts on social media, as well as citizen scientists, are most motivated by their joint passion for nature. Both groups contribute to research and conservation of urban flora, but with very different activities. This is the conclusion of a recently published study by PhD student Nienke Beets about participants of a national survey entitled ‘Stoepplantjesonderzoek’.
dlvr.it
October 12, 2025 at 5:03 AM
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A green pharmacy: medicinal plants in the Leiden Hortus botanicus
Physician and botanist Philipp Franz von Siebold brought unique Asian plant species to Leiden in the 19th century. His legacy shows which plants once played an important role in healthcare. Many of these medicinal plants can be admired in Hortus botanicus Leiden up till today. Maxim Bax, a volunteer at the Leiden Hortus, tells us more.
dlvr.it
October 5, 2025 at 10:01 AM
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The first type catalogue of the mammal collection is a fact
Naturalis presents the first type catalogue of its mammal collection: a comprehensive overview of 405 scientific names with their official tangible type specimens. Five years of research have brought together old, often brief descriptions into a reference work for future mammal research.
dlvr.it
October 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Reducing harm done by man-made chemicals to terrestrial wildlife
Man-made chemicals, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, and medicines, enter the European environment. Many are classed by the EU as harmful to the environment and humans, but effects on terrestrial wildlife are little known. TerraChem, a major EU-funded project, is working to address this challenge and to develop new tools to prevent harm.
dlvr.it
September 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
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10 percent natural habitat is insufficient for pollinator recovery
Bees, bumblebees and butterflies have too little natural habitat around them to survive. A new study, led by researchers at Wageningen University & Research and published in Science, shows that these insects need much more space to recover than is currently stipulated in EU directives. Habitat quality needs to be taken into account as well.
dlvr.it
September 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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“Living Sand” organisms have a stable partner and a flexible crew
Foraminifera, small but incredibly important marine organisms, spend their lives together with two types of roommates: algae and bacteria. They are very picky when it comes to the algae, but open minded when it comes to the bacteria. Understanding this difference makes forams even more valuable tools for monitoring coral reefs.
dlvr.it
September 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Decades-old fish stomach contents reveal: who eats whom in the Wadden Sea?
Using a unique treasure of data, marine biologist Suzanne Poiesz investigated the fish food web in the Wadden Sea between 1946 and the present day. Dissected stomach contents revealed who eats whom. The position of species in that food web has remained unchanged, but there are far fewer fish than in the past. The sea bass came, saw, and conquered. Poiesz will obtain her PhD from the RUG.
dlvr.it
September 26, 2025 at 1:33 PM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Lutjewad is one of four crucial locations for spoonbills in the eastern Wadden Sea region
Spoonbills spend a large part of the summer outside their protected breeding grounds. After breeding, the migratory birds gather on the mudflats of Lutjewad, on the coast of Groningen. Research by BirdEyes shows the seasonal movements of spoonbills in the eastern Dutch Wadden Sea region. They move between four locations in clear and predictable phases.
dlvr.it
September 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
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A student found the first Pacific barnacles in the Wadden Sea
NIOZ researchers have found the Pacific barnacle in the Wadden Sea for the first time. Until now, this species was only known to exist in European waters in Belgium and on the south coast of the Western Scheldt. It probably travels in the ballast water tanks of large ships and as fouling on ship hulls.
dlvr.it
September 17, 2025 at 10:32 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Why is the pale-headed brushfinch more at risk of extinction than the osprey?
According to the IUCN Red List, over 47,000 plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. Most species, however, are at little to no risk. What makes one species much more vulnerable than another?
dlvr.it
September 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM
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Arctic-bound birds can still keep up with climate change – for now
As climate change drives earlier spring conditions in the Arctic, birds species that travel there to breed are under pressure to migrate faster. Despite their remarkable ability to adapt, researchers warn that speeding up spring migrations has natural limits.
dlvr.it
September 10, 2025 at 11:21 AM
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Foraminifers: the smallest organisms drive the biggest processes
The increasing amount of CO2 we are pumping into the atmosphere causes ocean acidification. That could pose a serious problem for calcifying organisms, such as shellfish and corals. And for foraminifers, but they appear to have their own solution to this problem, Lennart de Nooijer and colleagues write in Science Advances.
dlvr.it
September 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
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Increasing number of plant-protecting wasps in botanical garden
Over four centuries ago, the first prefect of Hortus botanicus Leiden founded a botanical garden collection that currently encompasses over sixteen thousand plants. The current prefect hopes to create a hotspot for biodiversity here by gardening without the use of pesticides.
dlvr.it
September 4, 2025 at 10:02 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Urban lichens are getting thicker
In city centers, lichens are becoming heavier. Thanks to the urban heat island effect, they adapt to higher temperatures by growing thicker than their counterparts outside the city. This remarkable phenomenon shows how even the smallest organisms respond to a warming urban climate.
dlvr.it
August 31, 2025 at 5:04 AM
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DNA reveals families of Asian elephants
For the first time worldwide, the complete DNA of all Asian elephant subspecies has been mapped. It has also been genetically confirmed that the Sumatran elephant is a distinct subspecies – a population listed as Critically Endangered on the Red List. The research was conducted by Wageningen University & Research and was recently published in Ecology and Evolution.
dlvr.it
August 26, 2025 at 5:02 AM
naturetodayint.bsky.social
Plants & humans: dog rose
In the Netherlands, the dog rose (Rosa canina) is a familiar face in hedgerows, woodland edges, and along dikes. But this wild rose’s roots run far deeper than European soil alone. With its soft blossoms and bright red rosehips, it has been entwined with nature and people for centuries.
dlvr.it
August 17, 2025 at 5:02 AM