Nature reports

The climate warmed up almost as quickly 56 million years ago as it is doing now. When a huge amount of CO2 entered the atmosphere in a short period of time, it led to large-scale forest fires and erosion. Mei Nelissen, PhD..

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..

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..

Can animal populations adapt to climate change by becoming genetically similar to more southerly populations? That is the question posed by ecologist Natalie van Dis. This knowledge could indicate which populations are most at..

After a winter that was slightly drier than usual, the extremely dry spring is putting the Dutch water system under pressure. Groundwater levels have dropped significantly below the normal level for this time of year in many..

Every summer there they are again, blue-green algae. Why are they a problem, are they getting worse with climate change and what can we do about them? These are questions that over the past few years the Netherlands Institute of..

Dunes are considered to be essential for coastal protection. In countries like the Netherlands, where one third of the country is below sea-level, it is crucial to understand how they grow. Sand will play a role, of course, but..

Oystercatchers will decline by 56 to 79 percent on three Wadden Islands over the next hundred years. This is according to results from James Cook University in Australia which continues on previous research by the Netherlands..

The heat gradient in urban areas has affected the biodiversity of plants and animals. Yet, how it affects the hidden urban biodiversity, such as bacteria in soil and lichens, is still virtually unknown. This new study shows that..

Climate change has an effect on forests and trees. They suffer from heatwaves and periods of drought. Although we see tree mortality increase as a result, much is still unknown about the underlying mechanisms. ..