Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML)

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is under pressure worldwide, but is essential for our health, food security and well-being. What is the influence of human actions on ecosystems? Can we provide biodiversity-inclusive solutions for our key societal challenges? These questions are central to the Biodiversity research theme.

Plenty of space for nature with a variety of species has all kinds of beneficial effects. In addition to the intrinsic values that organisms have, greater biodiversity in cities, for example, contributes to more coolness in times of climate change. And more soil life ensures greater self-cleaning capacity and more organic material, which, like a kind of sponge, ensures that the soil can retain more water.

The CML is distinguished by its system approach. That is, it always looks at all the processes and stressors that act on the entire ecosystem. One of the problems with today's man-made systems is that they are often used intensively and become exhausted. The CML is investigating how we can make our ecosystem much more circular.

Healthy biodiversity

CML scientists aim to work towards solutions. That is, for example, the approach of the citizens' initiative Polderlab in Oud Ade, just outside Leiden. Together with citizens, farmers and entrepreneurs, the CML investigates how you can farm in a sustainable way. So food is grown here with low nitrogen and CO₂ emissions and while maintaining a healthy biodiversity. Biodiversity as basis for sustainability.

The CML continuously collects large amounts of data from, among other things, (environmental) DNA, satellites and transmitters. This big data provides important insights. For example, flying satellites show where major fires are so that CML scientists can map the effects of fire. They also collect herbivore faeces to examine the DNA and learn more about their diet.

Design landscapes differently

Biodiversity offers benefits, but sometimes also leads to problems. For example, birds and insects transmit diseases such as influenza and West Nile, and coexistence with wolves or lions can results in conflict. CML researchers are investigating how we can redesign our landscapes so that they can reduce disadvantages, for example by reducing the risk of spreading viruses, and how we can increase the benefits of biodiversity. We use a combination of experiments and living labs where we test how we can optimize biodiverse landscapes.