Publications by authors named "Koert van Geffen"

Rapidly increasing levels of light pollution subject nocturnal organisms to major alterations of their habitat, the ecological consequences of which are largely unknown. Moths are well-known to be attracted to light at night, but effects of light on other aspects of moth ecology, such as larval development and life-history, remain unknown. Such effects may have important consequences for fitness and thus for moth population sizes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dead wood plays a critical role in carbon storage and provides habitats for various organisms as it decays, necessitating a better understanding of the factors influencing wood decomposition.
  • The LOGLIFE experiment aims to explore how different wood traits and environmental conditions affect the decomposition process and the related diversity of microbial and invertebrate communities.
  • Conducted in two contrasting forest sites in the Netherlands, LOGLIFE will collaborate with other researchers to improve forest management practices for enhanced carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As a result of low decomposition rates, high-latitude ecosystems store large amounts of carbon. Litter decomposition in these ecosystems is constrained by harsh abiotic conditions, but also by the absence of macro-detritivores. We have studied the potential effects of their climate change-driven northward range expansion on the decomposition of two contrasting subarctic litter types.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The decomposition of dead wood is a critical uncertainty in models of the global carbon cycle. Despite this, relatively few studies have focused on dead wood decomposition, with a strong bias to higher latitudes. Especially the effect of interspecific variation in species traits on differences in wood decomposition rates remains unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF