Nature reports

Now that the first ducklings of the season have hatched, NIOO's own 'Dr Duck' - researcher Erik Kleyheeg - is appealing to citizen scientists in the Netherlands to help him solve a mystery...

The world is noisy. In cities, we find ourselves constantly surrounded by the moan of motors, the screech of sirens, and the prattle of people. So much so, that we often crave the peace and quiet of the countryside. But silence is..

Due to the extreme high temperatures, spring is quickly arriving in the Netherlands. Next week, several characteristic trees such as oak, horse-chestnut, lime, alder, apple and birch will start unfolding their leaves. The recently..

The newly launched GrowApp allows people to make animations of trees, gardens and landscapes by taking pictures with their smartphone. The app directly transforms these pictures in a time lapse movie that shows changes over the..

Male cuckoos appear to have a unique call that makes them distinguishable to and from other males. A new study appearing in Animal Behaviour shows that an individual cuckoo call may determine how a male responds to an interloper..

The underwater nature of the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius is particularly rich . Since 1996, the nature around Sint Eustatius is protected in a Marine Park, managed by STENAPA. However, marine live is under pressure by..

Buttercup flowers are known for their intense, shiny yellow colour. For over a century, biologists have sought to understand why the buttercup stands out. University of Groningen scientists have now brought together all that was..

‘Relationships’ in the soil become stronger during the process of nature restoration. Although all major groups of soil life are already present in former agricultural soils, they are not really ‘connected’ at first. These..

Birdsong is commonly assumed to have a dual function: attracting mates and repelling rivals; yet, these contrasting responses often remain untested in the field. Using a novel tracking system, researchers of Wageningen University..

Tiny predators in the soil can literally sniff out their prey: soil bacteria, which communicate with each other using scent. A team of researchers from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) has discovered that these..