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Current projects

Spotted Wing Drosophila
Biological control of the new invasive pest species Spotted Wing Drosophila (2016-2020)

The spotted wing drosophila is a new invasive pest species threatening fruit harvest. Current fruit losses account tens of millions of euros. Application of pesticides has hitherto been ineffective, and has negative effects on the environment. In this project we develop an integrated biological control program, based on the ecology of the spotted wing drosophila.
Partners & funding: NWO-Groen, WUR, Koppert, PPO Flower Bulbs, Nursery Stock and Fruits
Information: NWO website, Suzuki fruitfly@YouTube
Contact: Bregje Wertheim

Marker Wadden impression
Marker Wadden (2016-2020)

The Dutch Society for Nature Conservation is restoring one of the largest freshwater lakes in Western Europe by constructing islands, marshes and mud flats from the sediments accumulated in the lake over recent decades. These 'Marker Wadden' will form a unique ecosystem boosting biodiversity in the Netherlands. The process of creating a new large-scale nature reserve is documented in an extensive monitoring and research programme.
Partners & funding: Natuurmonumenten, Rijkswaterstaat, Province of Flevoland
Information: Natuurmonumenten website
Contact: Han Olff

DISCLOSE
DISCLOSE (2016-2020)

The Dutch Continental Shelf is roughly 1.5 times the size of the Netherlands, and of great importance for economic activities such as fisheries and gas and oil extraction. Surprisingly, only little is known about the composition and distribution of benthic communities of the North Sea bottom. DISCLOSE will study the spatial distribution of various benthic communities and their resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
Partners & funding: TU Delft, NIOZ (Yerseke), Stichting de Noordzee, Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds
Information: DISCLOSE website
Contact: Han Olff

Griend
Restoration of the island of Griend (2016-2020)

Griend is a small isolated island in the Waddensea hosting a large colony of Sandwich Terns, and a major high-tide roost for migrating shorebirds. To halt erosion a ridge of sand dunes was created to mimick the coastal defence of Waddensea islands. This ridge negatively affected the terns and shorebirds by facilitating predator species, and is now lowered to enable the dynamic physiography of non-coastal islands and restore Griend as a key breeding and roosting area.
Partners & funding: Natuurmonumenten, Rijkswaterstaat
Information: Griend.org blog
Contact: Laura Govers

AfricanBioServices
AfricanBioServices (2015-2019)

One reason why we should conserve biodiversity is that organisms supply so-called ecosystem services. Identifying and quantifying these services are important within a sustainable landscape context not in the least because it will raise awareness for biodiversity. AfricanBioServices is an African-European research project aiming at linking biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services in the Great Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem.
Partners & funding: EU H2020 project 641918
Information: AfricanBioServices website, AfricanBioServices@YouTube
Contact: Han Olff

Noord Friesland Buitendijks
Noard-Fryslân Bûtendyks (2015-2017)

Science-based conservation is surprisingly rare given the vast amounts of money involved. Noord Friesland Buitendijks is a conservation project in which different grazing regimes of salt marshes are scientifically tested in a long-term field experiment. Results will be used to optimize the management of the Northern Netherlands’ salt marshes for vole-eating raptors like Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl.
Partners & funding: Kennisnetwerk OBN, It Fryske Gea, Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds
Information: It Fryske Gea website
Contact: Chris Smit

King of the Meadows
Black-tailed Godwit Metapopulation Dynamics (2012-2020)

Export of dairy products is an important pillar of the Dutch economy. However, the ongoing intensification of cattle farming has resulted in great losses of biodiversity due to the transformation of traditionally biodiverse meadow systems into monocultures of fast-growing grasses. Fundamental demographic research of meadow birds is a key element to develop an alternative economic model that explicitly includes ecological values.
Partners & funding: NWO, Province of Fryslân
Information: King of the Meadows website, Spinoza laureate@YouTube
Contact: Theunis Piersma

Dutch Montagu’s Harrier Foundation
Conservation of farmland birds in Eastern Groningen (2011-xxxx)

Eastern Groningen is one of the most intensively farmed regions in Europe, causing a severe negative impact on typical farmland birds like the Skylark. The Dutch Montagu’s Harrier Foundation has successfully implemented Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) to counteract biodiversity losses. However, current AES are not sustainable at the long term. Fundamental ecological research is used to better target AES at species’ ecological requirements.
Partners & funding: Province of Groningen, Schure-Beijerinck Popping Fund, RWE
Information: Dutch Montagu’s Harrier Foundation website
Contact: Raymond Klaassen

Global Flyway Network
Global Flyway Network (2006-xxxx)

Migrants use different areas during different parts of the year. This makes the conservation of migrants and migration a complex matter. The Global Flyway Network combines fundamental research conducted at different locations along migratory flyways to study long-term shorebird demography worldwide.
Partners & funding: Vogelbescherming Nederland, BirdLife International, WWF-Netherlands
Information: Global Flyway Network website
Contact: Theunis Piersma

Last modified:01 October 2019 1.39 p.m.