Biodiversity

This ties in with the current controversy around nitrogen depositions in the Netherlands, Sukkel stresses: 'That too is a problem that is much broader than biodiversity alone. For example, nitrogen also poses a threat to water quality and causes additional greenhouse gas emissions.'

A lot of Wageningen research focuses on the role of crop diversity. Another important theme is monitoring biodiversity in arable and livestock farming. "Only when you can measure farmers' biodiversity performance, you can start working with reward systems," Sukkel explains. 'That is why we are working on developing so-called critical performance indicators, or KPIs. These help in projects such as Farmers with Biodiversity, in which farmers themselves start monitoring biodiversity. A beneficial side effect is that it makes them aware of all that lives on their land. We study how well that monitoring works, and how it influences their actions.'

Public-private partnerships are central to many of these projects. They involve cooperation between provinces and farmers, for instance, but sometimes also with multinationals. ‘This is in line with the Wageningen Biodiversity Initiative, which is being adopted WUR-wide,' explains Sukkel, "and in which we also examine, for example, the role of investments.'

Another new initiative is the Farm of the Future. This pilot project focuses not only on biodiversity, but also on water management, climate adaptation, food production and sustainable energy. ‘If you take an integrated approach, you will see much greater effects,’ emphasises Sukkel. ‘Take strip cropping, for example, where monoculture is replaced by strips of different crops. Or agroforestry, where food crops are harvested from a diverse forest. This approach has significant benefits in various areas.’

However, new forms of agriculture require new technologies. Crops from mixed fields and food forests cannot be harvested with large, conventional machines. ‘This is why we are researching various new technologies, including robotics, in collaboration with other parties.’

The envisioned ‘broad transition’ in agriculture seems almost impossible to attain. Still, Sukkel is optimistic. ‘This transition is urgently needed and more and more stakeholders are aware of this,’ he says, ‘including the larger companies. They also realise that their economic futures are at stake. This is becoming more evident every day.’ Some elements of the transition have already been carried out, he notes. ‘Our research plays an important role in this process. It shows what is possible and what the impacts are when you make changes. This helps to get other parties on board as well.’

A large project will soon start, rooted in the Dutch National Science Agenda, aimed at the potential of crop diversity. And more and more consumers are aware of the need for an agricultural transition. Many are also willing to pay a little more for their groceries. ‘In our view, if we can achieve this transition, prices won’t necessarily be much higher compared to business-as-usual,’ Sukkel notes. ‘After all, if we do nothing, we will definitely face increasing costs.’

The CGN manages collections with more than 23,000 seed samples from 30 different crops. There are 2,500 different samples of lettuce alone, from modern to wild varieties. The collection is still growing, partly through collection missions abroad. In addition, the CGN preserves more than 300,000 samples of animal origin in its freezers, mainly semen and also embryos and ova from farm animals – from common as well as rare animal breeds. ‘We are planning to expand our collection with seeds from Dutch tree species,’ Hiemstra adds, ‘as well as with fish and shellfish.’

The collections are an important genetic source for scientific research. Importantly, they also have a direct application, emphasises the CGN director. ‘Plant and animal breeders regularly approach us for assistance,’ he says. ‘They are constantly developing new varieties, or improving existing varieties, to improve crop quality and resilience.’ Cross-breeding with wild relatives, for instance, can make plant varieties more resistant to drought or diseases. This reduces the need for irrigation and pesticides in agricultural production. ‘There are many more examples of useful applications,’ notes Hiemstra. ‘Genetic diversity is crucial for a sustainable future of agriculture.’

Wageningen scientists conduct research into genetic diversity, but also into methods for mapping diversity and better conservation of samples. ‘We develop state-of-the-art technologies in collaboration with colleagues in our European network,’ he says. ‘This also includes a digital infrastructure, which stores genomics data as well, and which is easily searchable. It’s a kind of parallel digital gene bank, next to the physical one.’

Research into diversity will become increasingly important in the future, concludes Hiemstra. ‘Discussions increasingly focus on questions like: how can diversity contribute to more resilient, sustainable systems? This is what we excel at in Wageningen, thanks to the involvement of various different research groups. Very often, this interdisciplinary approach leads to exciting and important new developments.’

REEFolution therefore combines various activities. Researchers and students from WUR are conducting research into optimal artificial reef construction and coral farming, together with Kenyan students. ‘In addition, local people are trained to become ‘reef rangers’,’ says Murk. ‘They are taught how to dive and learn about the ecology of the reef. These people, men and women, gain the knowledge and skills to protect underwater biodiversity. And invariably, they also gain a passion for the reef, which they share with their fellow villagers.’

Biodiversity is not just the number of species or animals, Murk emphasises. ‘Habitat diversity and functional biodiversity are also very important,’ she says, ‘which means that all ecological functions are represented. It is very important that we listen carefully to the local residents: which species are important to them? What do they consider to be a rich reef?’

Together with local experts and professionals, the Wageningen researchers are working on ways to introduce the population to the rich biodiversity under water. ‘Many people have no idea about this,’ she says. ‘Learning how to snorkel can have a huge effect in this regard. We also take photos and make virtual reality videos of natural reefs and ‘grey’, dead, reefs to show the difference. All of this makes a big impression.’ The researchers are working with local project partners on alternative sources of income for the population. Income generated from seaweed farming, ecotourism and snorkelling excursions will reduce the need for intensive fishing, which benefits reef recovery.

They also study which structures and materials are attractive to coral larvae. Young coral polyps will naturally populate artificial structures and thus form new reefs. ‘We also try to make corals more heat-resistant in a natural way,’ says Murk, ‘for example through selective breeding from relatively warm local pools. In addition, we’re working on protecting corals against voracious starfish, such as the infamous crown of thorns, for example by using smart structures for coral cultivation that are difficult for starfish to reach.’

In all cases, the Wageningen team strives for an integrated approach, combining input from various disciplines. Different projects feed into each other and have a strong focus on local capacity building. ‘In addition, we are developing a toolkit that helps people to apply this approach at other locations as well. This seems to be working well: people are enthusiastic, there is a lot of positive energy, and all kinds of good things are happening.’

Hard structures deposited on the North Sea floor will immediately attract life: all kinds of shellfish, anemones, bristle worms, starfish, crustaceans, fish and eventually also marine mammals. This is great from a nature perspective, but are the energy companies equally enthusiastic? ‘One component in tender procedures is the extent to which projects contribute to biodiversity,’ says Coolen. ‘This is a result of European regulations. Companies that present solid plans for biodiversity restoration will score more points in the tendering procedure.’

Branding also plays a role: companies that ‘go green’ have a market advantage. ‘Interestingly, these measures do not necessarily have to cost extra money or effort,’ Coolen emphasises, ‘because the rocks would be put down anyway. Our research shows how these actions can have maximum effect.’

Together with other parties, including the NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Coolen and colleagues are investigating the effects of the new biotic communities on the surrounding North Sea. ‘All this extra life has an impact on factors such as the oxygen, nitrogen and carbon balance in the water,’ he explains. ‘An intervention around one wind turbine may not make much difference, but this will change with ten or a hundred wind turbines – and soon even many thousands in much larger parts of the North Sea. We design ecosystem models that allow us to predict the impacts, and possibly prevent unfavourable effects.’

Both projects are still in the start-up phase. It is still too early to report outcomes, except that the artificial structures can indeed be a hotspot for biodiversity. ‘For now, we are mainly developing and testing new techniques and methods,’ says Coolen. Colleagues are modelling other issues, such as the impacts of wind farms – in which fishing is not allowed – on the fishing industry. Perhaps these areas can function as a breeding ground for fish, allowing stocks to recover.

But even if the new biodiversity has no direct economic benefits, this work is definitely worth the effort, says Coolen: ‘The intrinsic value of this biodiversity is enormous. With artificial structures we can restore a small part of what we have lost in past centuries.’

Those reasons roughly fall into three categories, she explains. ‘First of all, nature has an intrinsic value: nature for nature’s sake,’ says Nel. ‘In addition, nature has relational value. Humans have a relationship with nature – and with each other and their past through nature. We derive identity, inspiration and relaxation from nature, which is part of our culture. And finally, there is the value that nature has for society, for example in the form of food, building materials, medicines, and clean air and water.’

Those are not the only ways to appreciate nature, the researcher emphasises. There are reasons we may not even know about. ‘Many people tend to only look at the ‘nature for society’ value, and want to express it in terms of money,’ she says. ‘But such a narrow approach to the concept of ‘value’ contributes directly to the decline of biodiversity. That is also the position of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, say, the IPCC of biodiversity.’

Together with several partners, Wageningen is working on the so-called Nature Futures Framework, which further elaborates these three categories. ‘On the relational level, we investigate, for example, how local food initiatives connect people with their living environment,’ says Nel. ‘And in the field of value for society, we participate in so-called Ecosystem Accounting. This is a method that makes explicit how ecosystem services contribute to economic growth. This method immediately shows that too much economic growth may come at the expense of ecosystem services, and is therefore not sustainable.’

The question is not so much putting a price tag on nature, emphasises Nel. ‘It is more about showing the impact of certain economic activities on biodiversity – and thus the real price of those activities. The point is that we should always take into account all costs when we debate whether something is worthwhile from an economic point of view. This also includes environmental damage.’

Importantly, we should not just focus on measuring this damage in the field, Nel concludes. ‘We should also map out the underlying motives – namely the ways in which we value nature as a society,’ she clarifies. ‘If you make this explicit, also for a wider audience, then people can make better decisions: decisions based on all aspects of nature that are important to us.’

Tauritz and her colleagues investigated at what age children become susceptible for this information, and how best to get it across to them. ‘We found out that from the age of about nine to ten years, children can understand what the concept of biodiversity means,’ she says, ‘especially after a lot of repetition with varied working methods. At this age, children are open not only to new knowledge and skills, but also to an emotional involvement with the issue at hand. In secondary school, you may have lost them already.’

Tauritz developed the teaching programme Bio-diversi-WHAT?!, which explains the meaning of biodiversity through the stories of eight endangered animal species. ‘We found that this was a good way to get children involved,’ she says. ‘We compared what was more effective: a series of five lessons just at school, or four lessons at school and one lesson in a zoo, combined with specific assignments.’

Children learned a lot about biodiversity in both set-ups, the study found. However, the lesson programme in combination with the zoo visit turned out to be much more effective than a visit to the zoo without a lesson programme. The zoo also offered unique learning opportunities. For example, students used their senses to experience the differences between habitats, and they even managed to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to adult zoo visitors.

Using questionnaires and interviews, Tauritz also investigated how children’s emotions and values ​​had changed as a result of the lessons. ‘It’s difficult to measure this properly, and many teachers find this part of the curriculum challenging,’ says Tauritz. ‘But it’s still very important. For example, we saw that children felt more worried, sad and angry. That is why it is important to tell them what they can do themselves. To give them concrete options for action.’

Tauritz is still analysing her data, but is already looking forward to follow-up research. ‘For example, what happens to those emotions and attitudes in the longer term?’ she cites as an example. ‘How can we make even better use of embodied learning, i.e. using all your senses, in a location like a zoo? Which elements of the lesson series are the most important? How can we best support and motivate teachers? And how can these lessons be embedded in the primary school curriculum?’

There is still a lot to discover, but one thing is certain, according to Tauritz: ‘It is very important, and very possible, to plant seeds of awareness during those primary school days. Even if biodiversity is the last thing on students’ minds in secondary school, they will still have a basis that they can link new knowledge to. And then hopefully this will rekindle their motivation to take action, perhaps at a later stage.’ Tauritz is now setting up a database with the teaching materials for organisations, including primary schools, nature education centres and zoos. ‘This way, rather than reinventing the wheel, professionals can develop their own teaching programmes based on proven principles.’

Against this background, Van Rooij is involved in a unique project. Wageningen Environmental Research is developing a Regional Bee Landscape in South Holland, together with citizens, the business community, farmers and governments, EIS Knowledge Center for Insects, Dutch Butterfly Conservation, and several companies. ‘Unique is the fact that companies, governments and knowledge institutions, on a voluntary basis, are working together on a shared dream in which they all need each other.’

The project started in 2015 and quickly grew. A lot of knowledge has been developed, says Van Rooij: ‘What do pollinators need in the landscape and on which scale? Which measures are effective, which plant species are most suitable? Based on our research outcomes, we have developed building blocks for a bee landscape.’

The most important building blocks are so-called ‘Bed & Breakfast’ areas. ‘These are the major hotspots for wild pollinators in a landscape,’ explains Van Rooij. ‘You can strengthen these with flow-rich corridors. And small flowery spots also help. We call these ‘refuelling stations’, for example pots with summer lilacs, or borders along gardens, which make the hostile landscape a little friendlier for insects.’

Wageningen is working with the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on the so-called Pollinators Knowledge Impulse, a programme in which additional knowledge about pollinators and effective measures is developed and made available to others. The website hulpvoorbestuivers.nl offers reliable information about wild pollinators, as well as a tool that shows which measures are helpful to wild pollinators in areas by postal code, and a road map of how to set up or strengthen a bee landscape.

Regional initiatives have also started in other areas in Netherlands. ‘In a short time, many parties have found each other in their common goal of helping wild pollinators,’ says Van Rooij, ‘and they have already made a real difference in practice. We hope that this development will spread to the rest of the country, supported by the tools of the Knowledge Impulse.’

During this period, Snep has witnessed some interesting developments. ‘Initially, the emphasis was mainly on those separate goals,’ he says, ‘starting with biodiversity. Human health and climate adaptation gradually gained attention. Now we see that, with the emergence of the concept of ‘nature-inclusive construction', this integrated approach is becoming more prominent.’

Nature-inclusive construction means that ‘green and blue’ opportunities are already incorporated in the planning phase, using an integrated approach, explains Snep. ‘Various stakeholders are working together on this: governments, from municipalities to the national government; companies, such as construction and housing corporations; civil society organisations, such as the Dutch Bird Protection Society and Dutch Butterfly Conservation, as well as citizens.’

The result is a much greener city, with parks, green corridors and freshwater features, but also homes with green roofs and lush gardens and with nesting facilities for swifts, bats and insects. Pioneer cities, such as Amsterdam and The Hague, are already experimenting with requirements for nature-inclusive construction in their regulations and tendering procedures. In the last decade, much progress has been made in industrial areas as well, as Snep notes. ‘These developments also extend to the national level’, he says. ‘For example, the Dutch Environmental Outlook Report 2022 does not just address nature and rural areas, but also the importance of nature for cities, and vice versa: the potential contribution of urban areas to achieving nature objectives.’

The research conducted by Snep and his colleagues is already making a difference, he notes. ‘A so-called Community of Practice has been set up to further support all these developments,’ he says. ‘All partners work together in this. Wageningen is involved in its role as knowledge institute.’

Of course, it takes time before concrete effects can be seen, says Snep. ‘However, many cities have already become a lot greener,’ he says. ‘This is reflected in the species that occur there. We see species such as sparrows, swifts and peregrine falcons in an increasing number of cities.’

But even more important is the increased awareness, says the researcher. ‘More and more parties ask themselves: which additional benefits are there? How do these measures benefit not only biodiversity, but also health and climate adaptation? What is the cost-benefit balance? Stakeholders are increasingly empowered to act, for example through online tools and information.’

This is very positive – but also urgently needed, as Snep highlights, because urbanisation is continuing. ‘We all have to step up our efforts to green the urban environment. In this respect, our research in Wageningen has a major role to play.’