J Environ Manage
December 2024
A sufficient supply of goods and services from ecosystems is vital to ensure human well-being. This study evaluates whether the demand for goods and services within the Netherlands is met by Dutch ecosystems, could otherwise be provided through technology and/or by imports, or remains (partially) unmet. Additionally, this study shows the dynamics of supply and demand of these services over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature-based solutions (NbS) offer a promising and sustainable approach to addressing multiple environmental challenges, including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Despite the potential of NbS, their actual effectiveness in solving these challenges remains uncertain. Therefore, this study evaluates the contribution of NbS implemented in a nature-inclusive scenario for six environmental challenges and associated policy targets in the Netherlands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study investigated how infestation rates of an important oilseed rape pest, the cabbage seed weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus) and rates of parasitization by its parasitoids are affected by land use, up to 1000 m from 18 focal fields.
Results: The mean proportion of C. obstrictus-infested pods per plant was 8% (2-19.
Chemical information mediates species interactions in a wide range of organisms. Yet, the effect of chemical information on population dynamics is rarely addressed. We designed a spatio-temporal parasitoid--host model to investigate the population dynamics when both the insect host and the parasitic wasp that attacks it can respond to chemical information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdaptation in dynamic environments depends on the grain, magnitude and predictability of ecological fluctuations experienced within and across generations. Phenotypic plasticity is a well-studied mechanism in this regard, yet the potentially complex effects of stochastic environmental variation on optimal mean trait values are often overlooked. Using an optimality model inspired by timing of reproduction in great tits, we show that temporal variation affects not only optimal reaction norm slope, but also elevation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimal aggregation is a general phenomenon in ecological systems. Aggregations are generally considered as an evolutionary advantageous state in which members derive the benefits of mate choice and protection against natural enemies, balanced by the costs of limiting resources and intraspecific competition. Many insects use chemical information to find conspecifics and to form aggregations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimal aggregation is a general phenomenon in ecological systems. Aggregations are generally considered as an evolutionary advantageous state in which members derive the benefits of protection and mate choice, balanced by the costs of limiting resources and competition. In insects, chemical information conveyance plays an important role in finding conspecifics and forming aggregations.
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