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The finding that biodiversity is a concept with different context-specific meanings has implications for its conceptual development when students are required to apply it in a diversity of contexts. An approach that may overcome these implications is that students learn to recontextualise one meaning to another. Since no empirical studies were available when this study started, it was decided to conduct a design study to develop a learning and teaching strategy for recontextualising biodiversity. In this paper, the design of such a strategy is presented. Testing of the design in two classes in upper secondary biology education showed that it is largely practisable.

The demand for biodiversity data is increasing. Governments require standardised, objective data to underpin planning and conservation decisions. These data are produced by large numbers of (volunteer) natural historians and non-governmental organisations. This article analyses the interface between the state and the volunteer naturalists to understand the emerging patterns of information flow between them. Our results are based on research in the UK and the Netherlands. These two countries have a long history in volunteer biodiversity recording and are facing similar issues in relation to the increasing demand for standardised data. Our findings demonstrate that citizens who become involved in recording do so because they value nature and biodiversity. Recording is for them a way to enact their relationship with nature and contribute to its protection. Our findings also show that they are concerned about the increasing rationalisation in the process of data flow and about the way in which the government treats them and "their" data. Our paper concludes by discussing this tension and the challenges and opportunities for biodiversity recording.

Biodiversity points are a quantitative measure for biodiversity. For over a decade, biodiversity points are being applied in the Netherlands for measuring the impact of roads, enclosure dams, and other water management projects on the non-use value of biodiversity. Biodiversity points are quite similar to the quality-adjusted life years used for cost-effectiveness analysis of healthcare treatments. Biodiversity points can be calculated by multiplying the size of the ecotope (e.g., number of hectare), the ecological quality of the ecotope (0–100 %), and the ecological scarcity of each type of ecotope. For many infrastructure projects, the impact on the non-use value of biodiversity can be a principal purpose or a major co-benefit or trade-off, for example, for a park, a fish sluice, a road, an ecoduct, an enclosure dam, or a marine protected area. Biodiversity points are a simple, transparent, and standardized way to aggregate and quantify the qualitative or ordinal assessments by ecological experts. For measuring the non-use value of biodiversity, they are also more informative than valuation by revealed or stated preferences methods. This paper provides the first overview of the application of this method in the Dutch practice of cost–benefit analysis. It also discusses its merits and limitations. The calculation and use of biodiversity points are illustrated by four case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1902, the nationwide citizen science project, known as FLORIVON, for mapping the flora of the Netherlands was launched, resulting in the publication of a complete flora atlas in 1980. Until 2004, the atlas dataset of the fieldwork between 1902 and 1950 had only been partly digitised and observations were aggregated and anonymised. Between 2001 and 2018, the dataset has been entirely digitised from the original field forms, including notes on non-native taxa. This paper presents key characteristics and figures of the dataset and provides an overview of the historical survey project, the digitisation process and subsequent validation of the data. The dataset is currently curated in the National Database Flora and Fauna and published in GBIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time of mounting ecological crises and biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need for nature-based solutions. Equestrian properties cover a considerable proportion of the European rural and peri-urban landscape and provide much potential for integrating ecosystem services, such as the inclusion of small landscape features. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and quality of landscape features (LF) to help determine how the equine sector can contribute to the agro-ecological transition. Using a citizen science approach, 87 commercial and 420 private yard owners reported the type, frequency and geometric dimension of LFs and additional biodiversity enhancing features. A hierarchical multivariate regression was used to determine how equine property characteristics explain variation in the Percentage Property Coverage (PPC) of LFs. The model explained 47% of the variation of PPC. The variables that explained significant variation in PPC included Yard size, Number of LFs, Tree rows, Fruit orchard, Wild hedges, Flowering strips, Buffer strips, Embankments and Cluttered corners. Commercial yards are significantly larger with significantly more horses and on average only 9% (±13.87%) of the property was covered by LFs whilst private yards had significantly more coverage of LFs with on average 12% (±14.77%). These findings highlight the substantial yet untapped potential of equine yards in fostering biodiversity, suggesting that the equine sector could play an important role in the agro-ecological transition. To encourage more biodiverse-inclusive yard designs, tailored strategies should consider the diverse factors influencing equine yard design, including existing knowledge, client demands, financial considerations, and equine health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is already having impacts on biodiversity within Europe, with habitats and species needing to change and adapt to rising global temperatures and shifts in bio-climatic zones. Spatial planning represents an important intervention to further European, national and local biodiversity objectives for climate change adaptation. Drawing on case-studies of plans for inland and coastal areas, and involving stakeholder workshops, this paper reports on a trans-national study examining the scope of spatial plans in the Netherlands, England and France in addressing the impact of climate change. It concludes that spatial planning is making provision for biodiversity and dynamic natural processes. However, while good practice in planning for biodiversity under conditions of climate change is developing, systematic use is not being made of available procedures. The paper examines some of the barriers to implementation of this new policy commitment to climate change adaptation. Recommendations are made covering policy development to include climate change impacts upon biodiversity, modified procedures for plan-making and the appraisal of plans and projects. Amongst the specific measures recommended are the climate-proofing of projects and plans through the use of EIA and SEA; the integration of plans through adoption of common objectives and review of time horizons and boundaries; and an ecosystem-based planning approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the way biodiversity issues are dealt with in strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for spatial plans in the Netherlands. Spatial plans are selected as subject of study because 50 percent of all SEA studies executed in the Netherlands are carried out for spatial plans. Secondly, these plans provide an overarching framework for multiple interventions with potential impacts on biodiversity. It is, therefore, important to pay particular attention to biodiversity at the strategic level of a spatial plan. The evaluation is based on five spatial plans that have been subject to SEA, two national plans, two provincial plans and one local plan. Based on these assessments a number of conclusions are presented on the assessment of biodiversity in SEA for spatial plans in the Netherlands. The evaluation of case studies on which this paper is based was undertaken to produce a submission to the Convention on Biological Diversity for the drafting of international guidelines on biodiversity in SEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sown field margins can improve the conservation of biodiversity in rural areas and can contribute to the aesthetics of rural landscapes, thereby potentially increasing public support for agri-environmental measures. However, these two functions do not necessarily coincide. This raises the question whether field margins that are appreciated for their contribution to landscape aesthetics also deliver on the conservation of biodiversity. We conducted choice experiments with different groups of citizens and collected biodiversity data in the Netherlands, to investigate if the number of colors and vegetation cover in field margins increased respondents' appreciation for them, and how these visual cues correlated with taxonomic diversity and abundance of plants and invertebrates in those field margins. Using manipulated photos, we also assessed whether the presence of colorful field margins in a range of different rural landscapes increased respondents' appreciation of those landscapes. Respondents preferred colorful margins with high vegetation cover and showed a preference for green rural landscapes with colorful field margins. The presence of colorful field margins increased landscape aesthetics most in the least appreciated landscapes. The number of colors correlated positively with the diversity of sown and spontaneous plant species, and overall invertebrate abundance and abundance of predatory invertebrates, but was not related to invertebrate diversity. Our results show for the first time that colorful field margins support both public appreciation and diversity of plants and abundance of ground-dwelling invertebrates, with potential advantages to farmers in terms of natural pest control, at least in intensively used agricultural landscapes. However, management practices to maintain a high number of colors over time may be detrimental for invertebrate diversity. To optimize the different functions, we recommend that field margin layouts should consist of a perennial part that is allowed to develop over time, in combination with a part that is managed for its colorfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Aspergilli (Aspergillus section Nigri) are widely distributed in various habitats. They act as food spoilage organisms, human pathogens, and mycotoxin producers and are frequently encountered in indoor environments. Black Aspergilli, specifically A. niger, A. welwitschiae, and A. carbonarius, produce different ochratoxins and fumonisins. Ochratoxins are known to induce renal disorders following inhalation, which necessitates the determination of potential mycotoxin-producing species in our environment. This paper aimed to compare the diversity and species distribution of black Aspergilli in the indoor environments of six different countries using morphological and molecular methods. A total of 178 black Aspergillus isolates were identified from six countries. In contrast with results from previous studies, A. niger was not the only black Aspergillus detected in indoor air. Species distribution differed among countries, although the distribution in European countries (Croatia, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Turkey) with a temperate climate was considerably similar. The highest species diversity was observed in indoor samples from Thailand, while the lowest was found in Algeria. Potentially ochratoxin- and fumonisin-producing fungi were detected in the indoor air of all six countries. Further studies need to clarify the effect of these fungi and their mycotoxins on human and animal health.

The presumed type status of the two remaining specimens of Peristedion moluccense Bleeker 1850 in the collection the Naturalis Biodiversity Center was examined by comparing them to descriptions in two Bleeker papers and an unpublished manuscript by Bleeker written for the Atlas Ichthyologique. Latin, French and Dutch parts of these papers were translated into English. The Dutch description of P. laticeps Schlegel 1852 was also translated. In the course of this study it became clear why Bleeker considered P. laticeps, a as a synonym of P. moluccense.

An operational method to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with groundwater use is currently lacking in life cycle assessment (LCA). This paper outlines a method to calculate characterization factors that address the effects of groundwater extraction on the species richness of terrestrial vegetation. Characterization factors (CF) were derived for The Netherlands and consist of a fate and an effect part. The fate factor equals the change in drawdown due to a change in groundwater extraction and expresses the amount of time required for groundwater replenishment. It was obtained with a grid-specific steady-state groundwater flow model. Effect factors were obtained from groundwater level response curves of potential plant species richness, which was constructed based on the soil moisture requirements of 625 plant species. Depending on the initial groundwater level, effect factors range up to 9.2% loss of species per 10 cm of groundwater level decrease. The total Dutch CF for groundwater extraction depended on the value choices taken and ranged from 0.09 to 0.61 m(2)·yr/m(3). For tap water production, we showed that groundwater extraction can be responsible for up to 32% of the total terrestrial ecosystem damage. With the proposed approach, effects of groundwater extraction on terrestrial ecosystems can be systematically included in LCA.

As elsewhere in Western Europe, large scale intensive agriculture dominates the landscape of the Netherlands. Grassland for dairy production occupies more than a quarter of its land surface. The high production intensity on conventionally farmed grassland leads to poor habitat quality, resulting in sharp declines in bird and insect numbers. Nature-inclusive agriculture (NIA) comprises innovations in farm management, technology and resource use that have the potential to address farmland biodiversity decline, but few Dutch farmers implement these. We aim to analyze the adoption of NIA practices in the Dutch dairy sector. Specifically, we study the influence of the dominant agri-food regime on the innovation system for NIA. Innovation Systems Analysis was performed to identify the various structural barriers which hinder adoption. Our study used a multi-method design in which data on NIA in the Dutch dairy sector was collected via a literature study, four workshops and a focus group discussion. We identified five key blocking mechanisms that hinder adoption of nature-inclusive agriculture in the Dutch dairy sector: (1) insufficient economic incentives for farmers, (2) limited action perspective of many dairy farmers in the Netherlands, (3) lack of a concrete and shared vision for NIA, (4) lack of NIA-specific and integral knowledge and (5) regime resistance, which moreover is connected to each of the previous blocking mechanisms. Our analysis shows that one of the empirical novelties of this paper is that these blocking mechanisms are strongly interlinked in the Dutch dairy sector, thereby perpetuating a situation of lock-in. We conclude that in order to accelerate adoption of nature-inclusive farming practices, problems need to be addressed in conjunction with one another, and therefore holistic approaches are key. A second important conclusion is that in order to foster growth of the innovation system around NIA, the focus should not only be on innovation, but also on transforming current regimes, in particular the currently dominant economic paradigms of growth and yield maximization. By unraveling strongly interlinked blocking mechanisms, this paper provides intervention points to accelerate the transition towards NIA in the Netherlands. These intervention points are not only located within the innovation system, but should preferable be sought for in the broader structures and institutions of the dominant agri-food regime. [Display omitted] • Uptake of nature-inclusive practices in the Dutch dairy sector is currently low. • Through Innovation Systems Analysis we identified five blocking mechanisms hindering uptake. • These include lack of financial incentives and shared visions, limited action perspectives and knowledge transfer problems • The productivist agriculture paradigm is a recurring blocking mechanism requiring institutional change • Change needs to come from incumbents, requiring policies aimed at regime transformation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we try to identify the roots of the persistent contemporary problems in our modernized agriculture: overproduction, loss of biodiversity and of soil fertility, the risk of large animal disease, social controversies on the lack of animal welfare and culling of animals, etc. Attention is paid to the historical development of present-day farming in Holland as an example of European agriculture. We see a blinkered quest for efficiency in the industrialization of agriculture since the Second World War. Key factor is the cultural mindset at the foundation of our modern society, originating from the ideas of the enlightenment. It makes people vulnerable to ideologies, causing them to focus on a certain goal without considering the consequences. Due to the overemphasis on efficiency, modern industrial agriculture has never been comfortably embedded in its ecological and social context, and as a result displays the characteristics of an ideology. The cause of the inability to solve today's problems is therefore deeper than simply a failure to apply the right mix of standard remedies. Unless stakeholders in farming start to counter this very one-sided approach to efficiency, modernization will continue to cause all kinds of friction. The implications of the results for agricultural policy, farming and further research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the 7th conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP7, Kuala Lumpur, 2004) it was agreed to establish a global network of marine and coastal protected areas by 2012. The defined objectives of this MPA-network are based on the ecosystem approach: to protect biodiversity and other ecological values, and to ensure sustainable use. The (inter)national policy guidelines state that the selection of MPAs should be based on scientific information and ecological criteria only. As a signatory to the Convention, the Netherlands is now faced with meeting this obligation, and the process of designating the first Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Dutch part of the North Sea is currently in progress. We focus on the science-policy interactions that are part of this Dutch MPA selection process. By taking a closer look at the contemporary site selection process as well as its historical background, we show that ecological, socio-economic and political considerations cannot always be easily separated. Uncertainty is high and the ultimate selection and delimitation of candidate sites rather seems to be the result of a balancing act between ecological, socio-economic and political interests, in which scientific and policy guiding procedures blend with ad-hoc political decision making, and with expert judgment in cases where data is lacking. As such, this paper presents an example of present-day environmental policy making in action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogeographical zonation based on single taxa poses major limitations on planning for nature conservation. This paper identifies biogeographical patterns of multiple taxa in the Netherlands, where no endemics are present at species level, on the basis of characteristic species. We used occurrence data on five species groups in order to identify spatially coherent, ecologically important regions. TWINSPAN was used to cluster grid squares according to similarity in species composition for each taxonomic group. Species that are characteristic of each of the clusters were identified using a preference index, and corresponding clusters among the taxonomic groups were identified with Kappa statistics. Regions containing characteristic species for several taxonomic groups were defined as ‘hotspots’. Stepwise discriminant analysis was then used to characterize these hotspots according to differences in environmental conditions. The analysis yielded five regions that are clearly distinct in terms of species composition for individual taxonomic groups. Each region is characterized by a set of unique species that occur in the zonation of at least two of the taxonomic groups. Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed significant environmental differences among these regions. The concept of hotspots as operationalized in this study can make nature conservation planning more efficient. In combination, the hotspots defined here comprise the majority of the species occurring in the Netherlands for the studied groups. Therefore, this regionalization should be taken into account when prioritizing nature conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation and intensification of agriculture has led to large scale destruction of natural and semi-natural areas in Western Europe. Consequentially, the conservation of biodiversity in small landscape units has become a matter of increasing urgency. In this paper, we inventoried the arthropod diversity in roadside verges in the Netherlands and studied the relative importance of these linear elements. In addition, the occurrence of arthropods in roadside verges in other countries was studied by literature research. In the period 1998-2008, we sampled 57 roadside verges. This was mainly done by pitfall trapping, using sweeping nets and insect nets, and by sight observations. For several arthropod groups the majority of the Dutch indigenous species was sampled: ants (56% of the indigenous species), grasshoppers (53%), harvestmen (67%) and two spider families (52% and 68%). For ground beetles, weevils, butterflies, bees, hoverflies and three other spider families, values between 18–41% were found. Considering that only a minute fraction of the vast network of roadsides was sampled, these figures are remarkably high. Roadside verges are occasionally reported to act as dispersal corridors for exotic species, but this could not be confirmed for arthropods in the Netherlands. Several of the arthropod species inventoried in the Dutch verges are classified as threatened: five grasshopper and eleven bee species appear on national Red Lists and six ant species on the IUCN Red List. Also, in several other countries roadside verges in intensively used landscapes appear to offer opportunities for arthropod conservation. We conclude that, if rightly managed, roadside verges can serve as an important and valuable arthropod habitat. Therefore, we strongly recommend taking always into account the conservation of these arthropod assemblages during planning and actual management of roadside verges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the possibilities for further development of tools and approaches for the ecological assessment and management of diffusively contaminated ecosystems. It is based on the results of the “Netherlands Stimulation Programme on Ecosystem-oriented Ecotoxicological Research”, the SSEO programme, which ran from 1998 to 2006, and on opinions of international experts on ecological and ecotoxicological risk-assessment methods and their legal applications. The paper also discusses the pros and cons of the set-up of the SSEO programme. Proper management of diffusively polluted areas has to be based on an integral risk-based and system approach. The approach has to be founded on the relationships between pollution, natural stresses, management measures and the presence and activities of specific species. Furthermore, the relationships between biodiversity in ecosystems and its stability and functioning have to be known. The assessment of aquatic ecosystem quality is now based on the comparisons of the composition of actual species with that of reference species. This type of system does not yet exist for the assessment of soil quality, but it is being developed. It is shown that ecological quality criteria based on a Species Sensitivity Distributions approach are sufficiently conservative to avoid or prevent major ecological impacts of diffuse pollution at concentrations below legal standards. However, a proper quality relationship of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is lacking in the ecological assessment methods. Future research should focus on the relationship of ecosystem structure (species composition) and ecosystem functioning and on the impact of disturbing the environment and appropriate management measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) should ideally help minimize adverse effects on biological diversity by considering impacts of projects on wide ranges of species. This paper investigates how recent Dutch EIAs included the species comprising animal diversity. We present results of two studies on fauna data used in the EIAs. Objectives were to determine for different taxa (a) the relative representation of species in Environmental Impact Statements (EISs); (b) the extent to which EISs referred to specific species and the accuracy of survey data referred to; and (c) apparent roles of different EIA actors in species inclusion. EIAs were found to use data on various taxa but on limited numbers of species. The frequency with which taxa were included varied significantly. Birds were most frequently included, followed by mammals, amphibians, and other species groups. The quality of data on birds exceeded that regarding other vertebrates. Our results indicate that (a) EIA working groups of independent experts were the most influential in determining the data to be used; (b) on average, proponents included data more often than required by guidelines; and (c) in 30 to 40% of the EIAs, the participation of nongovernmental organizations prompted use of data. Despite the key role of experts in data inclusion, the taxon rankings found in the EIAs showed little deviation from those observed in studies on people’s preferences for species. Given the limited ranges of species considered, it is doubtful that the EIAs examined effectively contributed to conserving animal species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most binding nature protection policy in the Netherlands and the EU primarily designates areas based on ecological value, ensuring their sustained protection. Of less concern to these policies are the current and future needs of the average citizen, who is experiencing increases in education, income, and health. This paper argues that although existing policies protect biodiversity needs, the spatialemotional needs of the public are of similarly high importance. We analyze the spatial and emotional characteristics of favorite natural places in the Netherlands selected on the Hotspotsmonitor survey. Content analysis of the open question, "Why is this place important to you?" identified three categories: peace & quiet, explore, and peak. These were mapped using GIS to identify predominant hotspots and compared against the most binding nature protection policy - Natura 2000. The important societal benefits of augmenting ecologically based nature protection policies with emotional valuation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the System for Environmental-Economic Accounting, biodiversity accounting is being developed as a tool to monitor and increase the understanding of human impacts on biodiversity. Biodiversity accounting aims to structurally measure, monitor and map changes in multiple biodiversity components, as an integral part of a larger system of ecosystem accounts. Both indicators relevant for ecosystem functioning and indicators that reflect the non-use values of biodiversity can be included in biodiversity accounting. In this paper we focus on the latter, and we test the potential applicability of a set of species indicators for developing a biodiversity account in Limburg province, the Netherlands. In particular, we map and analyse a range of indicators reflecting species richness, the presence of rare and threatened species and species diversity. We test spatial correlation to identify the minimum set of indicators that would need to be included in the account. We also evaluate individual indicators using eight different criteria. We show that, in Limburg province, a set of indicators covering at least five species groups is required, and that it would be most meaningful to have indicators reflecting the occurrence of threatened species. However, data availability as well as the most suitable set of indicators are likely to differ between areas, and case studies in other countries are required to support the selection of indicators for biodiversity accounting in an international framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that uses soil health as the entry point to contribute to multiple objectives, such as improved nutrient cycling and climate regulation. To reach these objectives farmers can apply different practices. The objectives and practices, however, are not equally relevant or applicable for every farming system and local context. The main objective of this paper, therefore, was to find out how tailor-made solutions towards regenerative agriculture can be identified and evaluated as such that they result in meaning-full advice for farmers. In this study a well-established modelling framework to redesign farming systems was applied to three typical but diverse Dutch farming systems. The modelling framework combined the models Soil Navigator and FarmDESIGN to simultaneously assess five soil functions at field-level and general sustainability indicators (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions) at farm-level. We applied the modelling framework to an arable farm on clay soil, a dairy farm on peat soil, and a mixed farm on sand soil. We subsequently explored a multitude of tailor-made solutions composed of combinations of practices for these farming systems, each showing solutions that contributed in varying degrees towards the objectives of regenerative agriculture. In total, we created 4000 alternative solutions per case-study farm. For all farming systems, environmental performance was improved in the solutions dominated by the use of regenerative practices. For example, for the arable, the dairy, and the mixed case-study farm, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 50% (from 4 to 2 Mg CO 2 eq. ha−1), 6% (from 30 to 28 Mg CO 2 eq. ha−1), and 23% (from 21 to 16 Mg CO 2 eq. ha−1), respectively, while maintaining soil functionality at high capacity for four out of the five soil functions. This overall improvement in environmental performance due to the application of regenerative practices, also resulted in reduced farm profitability for all case-study farms by on average 50%. We discuss that a mechanism to incentivize farmers for their tailor-made contribution to regenerative agriculture is for stakeholders to shift focus from solely primary productivity to also other ecosystem services. This study contributes to the wider implementation of regenerative agriculture, by showing which regenerative objectives and farming practices can contribute to the transition towards regenerative agriculture in contrasting contexts. The modelling framework that is used, can underpin regenerative management for farmers and other stakeholders to help, for example, the valorization of multiple regenerative objectives in business models. [Display omitted] • This study explored a novel modelling framework to redesign farms towards regenerative agriculture. • This framework can be used to analyze a multitude of tailor-made solutions for diverse farming systems. • From this framework farmers can select the solutions that fit their local context and intrinsic motivations best. • For our case-study farms, environmental performance improved when regenerative management practices increased. • This improvement in environmental performance, however, came at the expense of farm profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge is to develop a biodiversity observation system that is cost effective and applicable in any geographic region. Measuring and reliable reporting of trends and changes in biodiversity requires amongst others detailed and accurate land cover and habitat maps in a standard and comparable way. The objective of this paper is to assess the EODHaM (EO Data for Habitat Mapping) classification results for a Dutch case study. The EODHaM system was developed within the BIO_SOS (The BIOdiversity multi-SOurce monitoring System: from Space TO Species) project and contains the decision rules for each land cover and habitat class based on spectral and height information. One of the main findings is that canopy height models, as derived from LiDAR, in combination with very high resolution satellite imagery provides a powerful input for the EODHaM system for the purpose of generic land cover and habitat mapping for any location across the globe. The assessment of the EODHaM classification results based on field data showed an overall accuracy of 74% for the land cover classes as described according to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) taxonomy at level 3, while the overall accuracy was lower (69.0%) for the habitat map based on the General Habitat Category (GHC) system for habitat surveillance and monitoring. A GHC habitat class is determined for each mapping unit on the basis of the composition of the individual life forms and height measurements. The classification showed very good results for forest phanerophytes (FPH) when individual life forms were analyzed in terms of their percentage coverage estimates per mapping unit from the LCCS classification and validated with field surveys. Analysis for shrubby chamaephytes (SCH) showed less accurate results, but might also be due to less accurate field estimates of percentage coverage. Overall, the EODHaM classification results encouraged us to derive the heights of all vegetated objects in the Netherlands from LiDAR data, in preparation for new habitat classifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic herbaria can provide a wealth of information on a diversity of topics, including the past occurrence of plants, their abundance, names and uses. However, 16th and 17th century herbaria are rare and very fragile, and can best be studied after digitization. The collection of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, contains two book herbaria by Jacob Breyne (1637-1697) of Danzig (presently Gdańsk, Poland). These herbaria, dated 1659 and 1673, contain a total of 105 specimens in various states of intactness, and with or without original labels. The identity of the specimens in the Leiden Breyne herbaria was not completely assessed previously. Here we discuss the taxa represented within these two historic herbaria as well as the information contained in the handwritten texts within them. The two Breyne herbaria combined were found to contain 62 species, representing 24 plant families. Both herbaria contain several species now rare around Gdańsk, including two species currently considered regionally extinct (Swertia perennis (Gentianaceae) and Dactylorhiza viridis (Orchidaceae)). Labels with the specimens give a range of information on the collecting locations, ecology, abundance and/or use of the species. The Leiden Breyne herbaria reveal changes in the flora of northern Poland over the course of three centuries, as well as pre-Linnaean nomenclature, historic uses of plants and international correspondence between scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European environmental governance has radically transformed over the past two decades. While traditionally enforcement of environmental law has been the responsibility of public authorities (public authorities of the EU Member States, themselves policed by the European Commission), this paradigm has now taken a democratic turn. Led by changes in international environmental law and in particular the UNECE Aarhus Convention (UNECE, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention (1998). Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention), signed on June 25, 1998.), EU law now gives important legal rights to members of the public and environmental non-governmental organisations ("ENGOs") to become involved in environmental governance, by means of accessing environmental information, participating in environmental decision-making and bringing legal proceedings. While doctrinal legal and regulatory scholarship on this embrace of "bottom-up" private environmental governance is now substantial, there has been relatively little quantitative research in the field. This article represents a first step in mapping this evolution of environmental governance laws in the EU. We employ a leximetrics methodology, coding over 6000 environmental governance laws from three levels of legal sources (international, EU and national), to provide the first systematic data showing the transformation of European environmental governance regimes. We develop the Nature Governance Index ("NGI") to measure how the enforcement tools deployed in international, EU and national law have changed over time, from the birth of the EU's flagship nature conservation law, the 1992 Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC). At the national level, we focus on three EU Member States (France, Ireland and the Netherlands) to enable a fine-grained measurement of the changes in national nature governance laws over time. This article introduces our unique datasets and the NGI, describes the process used to collect the datasets and its limitations, and compares the evolution in laws at the international, EU and national levels over the 23-year period from 1992–2015. Our findings provide strong empirical confirmation of the democratic turn in European environmental governance, while revealing the significant divergences between legal systems that remain absent express harmonisation of the Aarhus Convention's principles in EU law. Our data also set the foundations for future quantitative legal research, enabling deeper analysis of the relationships between the different levels of multilevel environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The demand for biodiversity data is increasing. Governments require standardised, objective data to underpin planning and conservation decisions. These data are produced by large numbers of (volunteer) natural historians and non-governmental organisations. This article analyses the interface between the state and the volunteer naturalists to understand the emerging patterns of information flow between them. Our results are based on research in the UK and the Netherlands. These two countries have a long history in volunteer biodiversity recording and are facing similar issues in relation to the increasing demand for standardised data. Our findings demonstrate that citizens who become involved in recording do so because they value nature and biodiversity. Recording is for them a way to enact their relationship with nature and contribute to its protection. Our findings also show that they are concerned about the increasing rationalisation in the process of data flow and about the way in which the government treats them and ‘their’ data. Our paper concludes by discussing this tension and the challenges and opportunities for biodiversity recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New concepts for river management in northwestern Europe are being developed which aim at both flood protection and nature conservation. As a result, methods are required that assess the effect of management activities on the biodiversity of floodplain ecosystems. In this paper, we show that dynamic vegetation models (DVMs) in combination with regional scale derived remote sensing products can be adopted to assess both current and future ecosystem development and biodiversity status of a complex floodplain ecosystem in the Netherlands. The dynamic vegetation model SMART2-SUMO2 in combination with the nature valuation model NTM3 predicting potential floristic diversity was applied to simulate the biodiversity status of the Millingerwaard floodplain along the river Rhine in the Netherlands. Estimates of net primary production (NPP) derived from airborne HyMap imaging spectrometer data were used for validation of the simulated NPP by the DVM at the time of data acquisition in 2004. Imaging spectrometer derived NPP was in good agreement with the SMART2-SUMO2 modeled results. The NTM3 derived nature valuation in 2004 expressed as plant diversity for the floodplain was high and well in agreement with field observations. In a next step, the DVM was re-initialized using imaging spectrometer derived NPP in 2004 and a forecast of plant diversity and biomass development in 2050 was made. A comparison was performed for three pre-defined floodplain management scenarios using a data-assimilation based approach as well as one without. Significant differences in biomass development can be observed between the scenarios. Predicted plant diversity for individual ecosystems in 2050 shows increased variability for forest ecosystems compared to grass ecosystems. This shows that floodplain management should take advantage of spatiotemporal dynamics of the floodplain as a basis for fostering the development of increased biodiversity. The results of this study demonstrate that imaging spectrometer derived products can be used for validation and initialization of DVMs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigated how distance from the field edge affects overall activity-density, species richness and distribution of individual carabid (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species. Carabid beetles were sampled using pitfall traps at six different locations: grassy field boundary, 0 (field edge), 4, 11, 24 and 49m distance from the field edge, in two fields of winter wheat (Wageningen, the Netherlands) during the spring and early summer of 2004. The assemblage of carabid beetles was highly diverse, consisting of 75 species. Carabid activity-density was low in the boundary compared to the field. Within the field, it was highest at the edge and decreased towards the field centre. Species richness, standardized to the number of individuals, did not differ between sampling locations. Based on the within-field distribution three ecological groups of carabids were distinguished: (i) boundary species; (ii) field-interior species and (iii) field-edge species. Because species within one genus differ in their response to the boundary, the importance of studies at species level is stressed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss are causing many species to become locally extinct. The need to restore or conserve biodiversity has initiated plans in Europe—and, more specifically, in the Netherlands—to create networks of nature areas for the improvement of spatial coherence. In this paper spatial coherence is measured by the total boundary length of all nature areas. Spatial optimization is used to optimize the spatial coherence, in order to evaluate the so-called Dutch 2003 plans. The goal of the optimization is therefore to minimize the total sum of boundary lengths for all nature areas, while increasing the total surface area. Potential configurations have been calculated and compared with the 2003 plans, with respect to boundary length and the size of nature areas. The calculations have been performed by allocating increasing amounts of new nature to test if smaller numbers of hectares could yield a comparable perimeter decline. Optimization has been carried out separately (per province) and collectively (for all the Dutch provinces together). So-called genetic algorithms were used to tackle this strongly nonlinear problem. An interesting feature of the method used is its ability to optimize more than half a million variables—that is, potential nature cells. Allocating only half the area allocated in the 2003 plans resulted in a boundary-length decline of 30% compared with the 2003 plans, and yielded many more coherent areas than are found in the 2003 plans. Compared with the optimization per province, the collective optimization resulted nationwide in larger nature areas, across provincial borders. Considering the original aims, we can conclude that carrying out the 2003 plans will not improve the overall spatial coherence in terms either of the boundary length or of the number of areas and total surface area in the largest surface class. An additional advantage of the heuristic method discussed is that slightly different configurations can be found with almost the same characteristics in a relative short time. This will allow the provinces to choose the most suitable configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While shifts to high-intensity land cover have caused overwhelming biodiversity loss, it remains unclear how important natural land cover is to the occurrence, and thus the conservation, of different species groups. We used over 4 million plant species' observations to evaluate the conservation importance of natural land cover by its association with the occurrence probability of 1 122 native and 403 exotic plant species at 1 km resolution by species distribution models. We found that 74.9% of native species, 83.9% of the threatened species and 77.1% rare species preferred landscapes with over 50% natural land cover, while these landscapes only accounted for 15.6% of all grids. Most species preferred natural areas with a mixture of forest and open areas rather than areas with completely open or forested nature. Compared to native species, exotic species preferred areas with lower natural land cover and the cover of natural open area, but they both preferred extremely high and low cover of natural forest area. Threatened and rare species preferred higher natural land cover, either cover of natural forest area or cover of natural open area than not threatened and common species, but rare species were also more likely to occur in landscapes with 0–25% cover of natural open area. Although more natural land cover in a landscape will not automatically result in more native species, because there is often a non-linear increase in species occurrence probability when going from 0% to 100% natural land cover, for conserving purposes, over 80% natural land cover should be kept in landscapes for conserving threatened and very rare species, and 60% natural land cover is the best for conserving common native species. Our results stress the importance of natural areas for plant species' conservation. It also informs improvements to species conservation by increasing habitat diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant species occurrence in Europe is affected by changes in nitrogen deposition and climate. Insight into potential future effects of those changes can be derived by a model approach based on field-based empirical evidence on a continental scale. In this paper, we present a newly developed empirical model PROPS, predicting the occurrence probabilities of plant species in response to a combination of climatic factors, nitrogen deposition and soil properties. Parameters included were temperature, precipitation, nitrogen deposition, soil pH and soil C/N ratio. The PROPS model was fitted to plant species occurrence data of about 800,000 European relevés with estimated values for pH and soil C/N ratio and interpolated climate and modelled N deposition data obtained from the Ensemble meteo data set and EMEP model results, respectively. The model was validated on an independent data set. The test of ten species against field data gave an average Pearson's r-value of 0.79. PROPS was applied to a grassland and a heathland site to evaluate the effect of scenarios for nitrogen deposition and climate change on the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI), being the average of the relative probabilities, compared to the maximum probability, of all target species in a habitat. Results for the period 1930–2050 showed that an initial increase and later decrease in nitrogen deposition led to a pronounced decrease in HSI, and with dropping nitrogen deposition to an increase of the HSI. The effect of climate change appeared to be limited, resulting in a slight increase in HSI. Image 1 • The probability of Plant species on an European scale can be simulated by new model named PROPS. • Increase of nitrogen deposition leads to a significant decrease of biodiversity. • The effect of climate change seems relatively small. • Climate change leads to a slight increase of biodiversity in the Netherlands. • The habitat suitability index calculation should be updated with unwanted species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Dutch government switched from an individual to collective application for AES. • Farmers are linked through their common effect on biodiversity. • In the collective AES programme payment is dependent on sufficient participants. • Resilience of the system is affected by the value farmers attach to biodiversity. • The land use system is less resilient under the collective AES programme. To prevent further biodiversity loss as a result of intensive agricultural practices, Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) have been implemented on European farmland. Unfortunately these AES have not always been effective in terms of biodiversity and farmer participation. In an effort to improve the AES programme the Dutch government switched from an individual application system to a collective application system for AES payments in 2016. The goal of this paper is to analyse how the resilience of the land use system in terms of farmer participation in the AES and biodiversity is affected by the value farmers attach to biodiversity, and whether the shift from an individual to collective AES will affect the resilience of the land use system. We constructed a multi-objective mathematical programming model in which farmers maximise utility. Farmers are linked through their common effect on biodiversity. In the collective application system payments are only available when the biodiversity in the region is above a certain threshold. Simulation results show no difference in farmer participation and biodiversity between the individual application system and the collective application system when biodiversity weights are high. The land use system loses its resilience in terms farmer participation in the AES and biodiversity if we lower the biodiversity weights, this effect is stronger in the collective AES programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on immigrants' recreational use of greenspace have tended to focus on ethnic groups as homogeneous entities. In a qualitative study based on group interviews, this article focuses on the cultural diversity among and within ethnic groups. We used an identity perspective to study outdoor recreation of young Dutch adults with Chinese, Turkish, or nonimmigrant backgrounds. Results show that primarily personal identities, age, and ethnicity inform recreational behavior. The multiplicity of peoples' identities results in more heterogeneity between and within ethnic groups, as well as more homogeneity between immigrants and nonimmigrants, than commonly described. When immigrants are considered as a homogeneous group that underparticipates in outdoor recreation, individual immigrants who frequently participate in outdoor recreation are overlooked. Furthermore, we show that acculturation does not progress at the same rate among all ethnic groups, and that ethnic identity may be sustained among second and subsequent generations through certain recreational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: We quantified the effects of the site factors pH and nitrate (NO) concentration in soil solution and groundwater level on the vegetation of terrestrial ecosystems for the Netherlands in response to changes in atmospheric nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) deposition and groundwater level over the period 1990-2030. The assessment was made with the SMART2 model, a simple one-layer model including geochemical buffer processes, element cycling by litterfall, mineralisation and uptake, nitrogen transformation processes and element input through deposition, weathering and upward seepage. Methods: To assess the effects of changes in abiotic site factors on the vegetation, we developed a simple plant diversity indicator for grassland, heathland and forest, based on the occurrence of target plant species and competing species. Species occurrence was calculated from the preferred ranges of each species for the NO concentration and pH in soil solution and mean spring groundwater level. Changes in the plant diversity indicator were assessed from effects of changes in the occurrence of target and competing plant species in response to changes in mean spring groundwater level and in pH and NO concentration, as calculated with SMART2. Calculations were made for combinations of five vegetation structure types (three forest types, semi-natural grassland and heathland) and seven soil types (three sandy soils, two clay soils, peat and loess soils) using a 250 × 250 m grid. We used data for atmospheric deposition and groundwater level in the past to assess trends between 1990 and 2010 and evaluated two future scenarios for the period 2010-2030: a Business as Usual and an Improved Environment scenario. Results: Comparison of model predictions on pH and NO with measured soil solution concentrations for forest showed a reasonable to good agreement for pH but rather poor for NO. The largest impacts were found for the combination of the two Improved Environment scenarios. Conclusions: Reductions in N and S deposition and an increase in groundwater level between 1990 and 2030 hardly caused changes in soil pH and only relatively small reductions in NO concentration (11-13%). Nevertheless, those changes caused a significant increase in plant diversity indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal and inland dunes provide various ecosystem services that are related to groundwater, such as drinking water production and biodiversity. To manage groundwater in a sustainable manner, knowledge of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) for the various land covers in dunes is essential. Aiming at improving the parameterization of dune vegetation in hydrometeorological models, this study explores the magnitude of energy and water fluxes in an inland dune ecosystem in the Netherlands. Hydrometeorological measurements were used to parameterize the Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration model for four different surfaces: bare sand, moss, grass and heather. We found that the net longwave radiation (Rnl) was the largest energy flux for most surfaces during daytime. However, modeling this flux by a calibrated FAO-56 Rnl model for each surface and for hourly time steps was unsuccessful. Our Rnl model, with a novel submodel using solar elevation angle and air temperature to describe the diurnal pattern in radiative surface temperature, improved Rnl simulations considerably. Model simulations of evaporation from moss surfaces showed that the modulating effect of mosses on the water balance is species-dependent. We demonstrate that dense moss carpets (Campylopus introflexus) evaporate more (5%, C14 mm) than bare sand (total of 258mm in 2013), while more open-structured mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme) evaporate less (-30%, -76 mm) than bare sand. Additionally, we found that a drought event in the summer of 2013 showed a pronounced delayed signal on lysimeter measurements of ETa for the grass and heather surfaces, respectively. Due to the desiccation of leaves after the drought event, and their feedback on the surface resistance, the potential evapotranspiration in the year 2013 dropped by 9% (-37 mm) and 10% (-61 mm) for the grass and heather surfaces, respectively, which subsequently led to lowered ETa of 8% (-29 mm) and 7% (-29 mm). These feedbacks are of importance for water resources, especially during a changing climate with an increasing number of drought days. Therefore, such feedbacks need to be integrated into a coupled plant physiological and hydrometeorological model to accurately simulate ETa. In addition, our study showed that groundwater recharge in dunes can be increased considerably by promoting moss vegetation, especially of open-structured moss species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather extremes may have strong effects on biodiversity, as known from theoretical and modelling studies. Predicted negative effects of increased weather variation are found only for a few species, mostly plants and birds in empirical studies. Therefore, we investigated correlations between weather variability and patterns in occupancy, local colonisations and local extinctions (metapopulation metrics) across four groups of ectotherms: Odonata, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, and Reptilia. We analysed data of 134 species on a 1×1 km-grid base, collected in the last 20 years from the Netherlands, combining standardised data and opportunistic data. We applied dynamic site-occupancy models and used the results as input for analyses of (i) trends in distribution patterns, (ii) the effect of temperature on colonisation and persistence probability, and (iii) the effect of years with extreme weather on all the three metapopulation metrics. All groups, except butterflies, showed more positive than negative trends in metapopulation metrics. We did not find evidence that the probability of colonisation or persistence increases with temperature nor that extreme weather events are reflected in higher extinction risks. We could not prove that weather extremes have visible and consistent negative effects on ectothermic species in temperate northern hemisphere. These findings do not confirm the general prediction that increased weather variability imperils biodiversity. We conclude that weather extremes might not be ecologically relevant for the majority of species. Populations might be buffered against weather variation (e.g. by habitat heterogeneity), or other factors might be masking the effects (e.g. availability and quality of habitat). Consequently, we postulate that weather extremes have less, or different, impact in real world metapopulations than theory and models suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imidacloprid is one of the most widely used insecticides in the world. Its concentration in surface water exceeds the water quality norms in many parts of the Netherlands. Several studies have demonstrated harmful effects of this neonicotinoid to a wide range of non-target species. Therefore we expected that surface water pollution with imidacloprid would negatively impact aquatic ecosystems. Availability of extensive monitoring data on the abundance of aquatic macro-invertebrate species, and on imidacloprid concentrations in surface water in the Netherlands enabled us to test this hypothesis. Our regression analysis showed a significant negative relationship (P<0.001) between macro-invertebrate abundance and imidacloprid concentration for all species pooled. A significant negative relationship was also found for the orders Amphipoda, Basommatophora, Diptera, Ephemeroptera and Isopoda, and for several species separately. The order Odonata had a negative relationship very close to the significance threshold of 0.05 (P = 0.051). However, in accordance with previous research, a positive relationship was found for the order Actinedida. We used the monitoring field data to test whether the existing three water quality norms for imidacloprid in the Netherlands are protective in real conditions. Our data show that macrofauna abundance drops sharply between 13 and 67 ng l−1. For aquatic ecosystem protection, two of the norms are not protective at all while the strictest norm of 13 ng l−1 (MTR) seems somewhat protective. In addition to the existing experimental evidence on the negative effects of imidacloprid on invertebrate life, our study, based on data from large-scale field monitoring during multiple years, shows that serious concern about the far-reaching consequences of the abundant use of imidacloprid for aquatic ecosystems is justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the end of 2009 the Dutch Government awarded the establishment of NCB Naturalis with €30M funding. The amount is invested in three programs: Scientific Infrastructure for DNA Barcoding, Integration and Relocation of collections and Collection Digitisation. In this article we describe the highlights of the Digitisation Programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test whether temporal change in species richness (ΔS [%]) is scale-dependent, using data on hoverflies from the UK and the Netherlands. We analysed ΔS between pre-1980 and post-1980 periods using 5 grid resolutions (10×10, 20×20, 40×40, 80×80 and 160×160 km). We also tested the effect of data quality and of unequal survey periods on ΔS estimates, and checked for spatial autocorrelation of ΔS estimates. Using data from equal survey periods, we found significant increases in hoverfly species richness in the Netherlands at fine scales, but no significant change at coarser scales indicating a decrease in beta diversity. In the UK, ΔS was negative at fine scale, near zero at intermediate scales, and positive at coarse scales, indicating that the degree of spatial beta diversity increased between the time periods. The use of unequal survey periods (using longer periods in the past to compensate for lower survey intensity) tended to inflate past species richness, biasing ΔS estimates downwards. High data quality thresholds sometimes obscured dynamics by reducing sample size, but never reversed trends. There was little spatial autocorrelation of ΔS, implying that local drivers (land use change or environmental noise) are important in dynamics of hoverfly diversity. A second, sample agglomeration approach to measure scaling resulted in greater noise in ΔS, obscuring the NL pattern, while still showing strong evidence of fine-scale richness loss in the UK. Our results indicate that explicit considerations of spatial (and temporal) scale are essential in studies documenting past biodiversity change, or projecting change into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Whittaker's concepts of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, Sepkoski asked how global diversity was assembled at scales ranging from the community to the province. In the years since, ecologists have recast diversity in terms of additive partitions where total diversity can be decomposed into sample-level alpha diversity plus the sum of a series of beta diversity terms that reflect progressively larger spatial scales. Given that marine alpha diversity represents a tiny fraction of global diversity, Phanerozoic global diversity patterns must be dominated by changes in beta diversity at one or more scales. A ballooning ecological literature demonstrates wide variation in beta diversity among ecosystems, regions, and taxa, suggesting that large changes in beta diversity on evolutionary timescales are likely. But the question is which scales are the most important. Several recent palaeontological studies help to constrain beta diversity within sedimentary basins, and the emergence of sample-based databases puts an answer to Sepkoski's question within reach. A new method for calculating diversity partitions for richness is introduced, which allows the calculation of each species' contribution to alpha and beta diversity, as well as the contribution of each sampling unit to beta diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate latitudinal differences in the relationship of phytoplankton biomass and diversity with environmental conditions in shallow lakes, we sampled 98 shallow lakes from three European regions: Denmark (DK), Belgium/The Netherlands (BNL) and southern Spain (SP). Phytoplankton biomass increased with total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and decreased with submerged macrophyte cover across the three regions. Generic richness was significantly negatively related to submerged macrophyte cover and related environmental variables. Zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratios were positively related to submerged macrophyte cover and negatively to phytoplankton generic richness in DK and BNL, suggesting that the low generic richness in lakes with submerged macrophytes was due to a higher zooplankton grazing pressure in these regions. In SP, phytoplankton generic richness was not influenced by zooplankton grazing pressure but related to conductivity. We observed no relationship between phytoplankton generic richness and TP concentration in any of the three regions. The three regions differed significantly with respect to mean local and regional generic richness, with BNL being more diverse than the other two regions. Our observations suggest that phytoplankton diversity in European shallow lakes is influenced by submerged macrophyte cover indirectly by modulating zooplankton grazing. This influence of submerged macrophytes and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton diversity decreases from north to south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By adopting nature conservation practices, farmers can enhance the environmental quality and biodiversity of their land. In this exploratory study, a behavioral intervention that focused on improving Dutch farmers’ nature conservation practices was developed and tested. This intervention was based on insights derived from social psychology and combined tailored information and public commitment. Participating farmers were divided in three groups: one group received tailored information only, one group received both tailored information and a public commitment manipulation, and one group served as a control. A questionnaire measuring relevant aspects of conservation was completed before and after the intervention. Results show that tailored information combined with public commitment making resulted in a stronger desire to engage in conservation, an increase in surface area of non-subsidized natural habitat, and an increase in time farmers spent on conservation. The intervention affected both subsidized and non-subsidized conservation, but the effects were stronger for non-subsidized conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the Dutch coastal dunes, several projects have started in which aeolian activity is stimulated to enhance landscape rejuvenation by increasing aeolian erosion and deposition. The aim of these projects is to reverse vegetation succession and create opportunities for pioneer stages. In 1995, a drinking water extraction canal in the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes was closed and the original landscape was restored. Since then, the development of the area was left to natural processes. This resulted in large-scale deflation structures and the development of sand drift areas. By means of air photographs, the changes in the landscape were studied. Initially, the sand drift area expanded, up to a maximum of 11 ha in 1999. In the following years, stabilisation of the surface by vegetation became more and more important. After 8 years of undisturbed development, half of the bare surface was still bare, and the active area was still 2.5 times larger than the stabilised area. But bare spots were scattered over the area, and the average size per spot decreased from 10 ha in 1995 to <1 ha in 2003. The percentage of surface covered by pioneer species was large (5 ha in 2003) and might result in increased stabilisation rates in future. Part of the stabilisation could be explained by meteorological conditions during the studied period. Part could be explained because the system is supply limited. Scale might be an important issue in the final success of remobilisation, as indicated by preliminary comparison to larger-scaled projects. Further comparisons are needed. After eight years, it is still too early to say whether large-scale destabilisation measures in the case of artificially fixed coastal dunes result in durable aeolian activity and landscape rejuvenation. However, even if the area will be stabilised within the next years, the landscape has many impulses for new ecological development. For the next decade, we need to continue our monitoring programs; meanwhile, experimentation with methods of reactivation should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Taxocenes are regulated by different kinds of predictors, but can broad-scale patterns of prokaryotes (bacteria) and eukaryotes (such as fungi and invertebrates) be ascribed to soil acidity? We sought to test for relationships between the numerical abundances of bacteria, microfungi, nematodes and arthropods along a pH gradient. Location 284 agro-ecosystems on Pleistocene sand across the Netherlands. Methods Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and stepwise regressions were applied, using soil- and leaf-litter organisms sampled from a land-cover network. Results The major variation in the numerical abundance of the organisms belonging to the investigated taxocenes could be ascribed to soil acidity. Contrary to expectations, the effects of temperature on numerical abundance were significant only for Fungi and Nematoda ( P < 0.0001). Geographical co-ordinates always play a minor role. The often-suggested close correlation between the numerical abundance of eukaryotes and their local taxonomic diversity applied only to Arthropoda and Fungi ( P < 0.00001). Only the number of bacterial DNA bands seemed to reflect the taxa–area relationship ( F-value = 22.45, P < 0.0001). Main conclusions There were strong relationships between the numerical abundances of all the investigated taxocenes and the field-measured soil acidity ( P < 0.0001). The largest effects were detected in the Fungi, which tended to be much more acid-tolerant than Bacteria. These patterns imply ecological shifts in the detrital soil food web and deserve further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristic ecology of floodplain lakes is in part due to their relatively strong water-level fluctuations. We analyzed the factors determining water-level fluctuations in 100 floodplain lakes (during non-flooded conditions) in the active floodplains of the Lower Rhine in the Netherlands. Furthermore, we explored the relationship between water-level fluctuations and macrophyte species richness, and analyzed the suitability of artificially created lakes for macrophyte vegetation. During non-flooded conditions along the Rhine, lake water-level fluctuations are largely driven by groundwater connection to the river. Hence, water-level fluctuations are largest in lakes close to the main channel in strongly fluctuating sectors of the river and smallest in isolated lakes. Additionally, water-level fluctuations are usually small in old lakes, mainly due to reduced groundwater hydraulic conductivity resulting from accumulated clay and silt on the bottom. Species richness of floating-leaved and emergent macrophytes was reduced at both small and large water-level fluctuations, whereas species richness of submerged macrophytes was reduced at small water-level fluctuations only. In addition, species richness of submerged macrophytes was higher in lakes that experienced drawdown, whereas no similar pattern was detected for floating-leaved and emergent macrophytes. The decline in amplitude of lake water-level with lake age implies that the number of hydrologically dynamic lakes will decrease over time. Therefore, we suggest that excavation of new lakes is essential to conserve the successional sequence of floodplain water bodies including conditions of high biodiversity. Shallow, moderately isolated, lakes with occasional bottom exposure have the highest potential for creating macrophyte-rich floodplain lakes along large lowland rivers. The water-level regime of such lakes can in part be designed, through choice of the location along the river, the distance away from the river and the depth profile of the lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Focuses on the impact of receding groundwater levels and atmospheric deposition on biodiversity of Dutch forests. Increase of drought tolerant species in the forests; Adverse effects of desiccation; Disruption of nutrient balance of trees.

We discuss a diversity measure combining information of relative abundances and taxonomic distinctiveness suggested by Ricotta (2004). We show that Ricotta's measure violates weak species monotonicity, a condition that requires that the addition of a species should always increase a diversity index if abundances change only marginally. We suggest an alternative index satisfying weak species monotonicity and apply it to the ‘Zeesserveld’ forest reserve in the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]