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Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics

About IBED

Life on Earth evolves under continuously changing environmental conditions. Changes in climate, the atmosphere, geo-morphology, ocean currents, hydrology, soils, habitats: they all may affect the functioning of ecosystems and the diversity of organisms they sustain.

To enable a sustainable management of the system called Earth, a thorough understanding of the functioning of ecosystems and their response to natural and human-induced changes is needed. The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) meets this challenge through a joint effort of scientists with expertise in biology, physical geography, environmental chemistry and mathematical modelling.

News

'Secret Signals: odors of plants in distress' visualized by Rogier Arents

A phenomenon called 'indirect plant defense' is an important research topic investigated by the population biologists of IBED together with the plant physiologists of SILS at the Faculty of Science. The research has now become the central topic of the latest movie made by the designer Rogier Arents of the Design Academy at Eindhoven.

Gullies evidence of water on Mars? Microgravity experiments say perhaps not

Gullies on the surface of planet Mars are often interpreted as evidence that water must have been present at its surface at some point in time. However, microgravity research by researchers from the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Delft University of Technology indicate that gullies on Mars may have formed without the help of water.

Focus on research: Plant Biologist Eric Schranz

Though there are few clues on the outside, most plants today have doubled their amount of hereditary material (DNA) at some point on the evolutionary path. And then doubled it again, and again. IBED researcher Eric Schranz is trying to learn when this happens and what the effects are.

New Year’s Eve no cause for celebration for birds

Researchers of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) used an operational weather radar to quantify the reactions of birds to the thousands of tons of fireworks set off on New Year’s Eve every year. They found that New Year’s Eve is no cause for celebration for birds. The results were published in the November/December 2011 issue of Behavioral Ecology.

Stealthy feeding: why do host plants allow it?

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) awarded a TOP-grant to the IBED Population Biologists Maurice Sabelis, Martijn Egas, Arne Janssen en Merijn Kant to answer this question.

Dr G. Muyzer

Dr G. Muyzer has been named Professor of Microbial Systems Ecology at the University of Amsterdam’s (UvA) Faculty of Science.

Migratory whales track the phytoplankton spring bloom

It is commonly believed that the world’s largest animals, baleen whales, are fasting during their spring migration towards the summer feeding grounds in the Arctic Ocean. However, a new study by Fleur Visser and Jef Huisman of the University of Amsterdam and international colleagues overthrows this classic paradigm. They observed that baleen whales tune their spring migration to the timing of the phytoplankton spring bloom, and utilize mid-latitude areas as feeding stops en route.

Progress 45P freighter successfully launches IBED-flavoured educational experiment to the International Space Station

The Progress 45P freighter successfully launched into orbit on 30 October 2011, carrying the educational ‘Convection’ experiment amongst its cargo. The experiment, proposed by IBED scientist Sebastiaan de Vet, will be part of the educational programme ‘Spaceship Earth’ carried out during the 6-month space mission of the Dutch ESA-astronaut André Kuipers.

Climate brochure presented to members of the Dutch Parliament

On 4 October 2011, the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) presented the document ‘Climate change, science and debate’ to the Permanent Committee for Infrastructure and the Environment of the Dutch Parliament. The brochure, which was written by five experts two of which are connected to the UvA, presents the scientific facts about climate change and discusses the controversies and uncertainties in climate research.

IBED scientists test new theory to explain declining biodiversity

Paul van Rijn and Maurice Sabelis of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) acquired a grant from the ‘Biodiversity Works’ programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to explore concepts and mechanisms to explain biodiversity and related ecosystem services that are still little used in landscape ecology and nature conservation, but are thought to be of significant importance.

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Research Showcase

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The LifeWatch Project

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