Netherlands | Ecology of the past

PhD Scholarship program for migrants in the Netherlands

April 5, 2024
WDG

The Dutch science foundation (NWO) currently has a call for proposals to support migrants to the Netherlands to undertake a PhD project.

Applicants must have:

a Dutch passport (or residency status),
a masters level degree from a university in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and
have been born in specific regions outsides the Netherlands (or be the child of someone born outside the Netherlands)

For full details click here visit the NWO Mozaiek 2.0 call web page.

If you think you might fulfill all the criteria for application, and are interested in conducting a PhD on a “ecology of the past” related theme at the University of Amsterdam, please do not hesitate to get in contact. I am then happy to check eligibility and discuss if your skill set and interests would be appropriate to apply for a PhD scholarship with us. I would be delighted if we would be able to support an applicant to this scheme.

Deadline for applications: 21 May 2024 (but please get in contact as soon as possible so that we can make the relevant eligibility checks and discuss ideas).

Contact: William D. Gosling

New funding opportunity for African researchers

November 8, 2023
WDG

A new funding stream is about to open up (1 December 2023) to support African scientists to carry out PhD research at Dutch universities. The GROW research programme (Graduate Research on Worldwide Challenges) will fund 51 PhD positions to be based at one of five Dutch universities, including with the Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics, at the University of Amsterdam.

To find out more click here.

Applications open 1 December 2023 and close 31 January 2024.

Unlocking the wealth of Dutch pollen data for future research and education

September 8, 2023
WDG

Open access:

de Wolf, I.K., Donders, T.H., Hoek, W.Z., Gouw-Bouman, M. & Giesecke, T. (2023) Unlocking the wealth of Dutch pollen data for future research and education. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany. DOI: 10.1007/s00334-023-00951-z

Nederlandse Archaeologevereniging – day out

September 1, 2023
WDG

For more information click here.

Dutch palynology meeting

June 6, 2023
WDG

The next meeting of the Palynologische Kring will take place on the afternon of Tuesday 13 June in Amersfoort. There will be scientific seminars from Roy van Beek (Wageningen University & Research), Otto Brinkkemper (Cultural Heritage Agency), and Jos Bazelmans (Cultural Heritage Agency) focused on the development of the Dutch landscape. In addition the prize for best palynological MSc thesis in the Netherlands – the Florschütz Award – will be given out.

To find out more details and how to register click here.

Bison of the Maashorst (Netherlands)

May 17, 2023
WDG

On Tuesday 16 May 2023 a small team of researchers from the Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (University of Amsterdam) visited the Maashorst (Netherlands) to visited an area “re-wilded” with European Bison (Bison bonasus). In addition to the bison the area is also now home to Tauros and Exmoor Ponies The purpose of the trip was to collect soil surface samples to examine for dung fungal spores. Certain fungi grow only on the dung of herbivores and the spores of these fungi can be preserved in the sedimentary record (for more information see Lee et al., 2022). Analysis of dung fungal spore diversity through the sedimentary record can therefore provide insights into the changes in the amount of dung (animals) in the landscape in the past. The purpose of this sampling effort was to see if we can quantify how many, and what type, of spores are representative of this group of bison. This information will help us to be able to interpret ancient records of fungal spores in more detail.

Special thanks to Maurice van Doorn (Gemeente Maashorst) for showing us around.

Characterising Dutch forests, wetlands and cultivated lands on the basis of phytolith assemblages

September 13, 2022
WDG

Open access:

de Wolf, I.K., McMichael, C.N.H., Philip, A.L. & Gosling, W.D. (2022) Characterising Dutch forests, wetlands and cultivated lands on the basis of phytolith assemblages. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 101, e17. DOI: 10.1017/njg.2022.14

This paper started off as a research thesis undertaken by Iris de Wolf at the University of Amsterdam as part of her BSc Biology degree in 2018. The project was supervised by Crystal McMichael and William Gosling and has subsequently been further developed. If you are student or researcher interested in undertaking a similar type of projects please get in touch.

Listen to Iris’s journal podcast speaking about the subject here.

Dutch Palynologists Then and Now

May 9, 2022
WDG

I am pleased to announce the next seminar series from the Palynologische Kring “Dutch Palynologists Then and Now: A brief history or Frans Florschütz, and new research from scientists who have been working abroad”

The meeting will take place on the afternoon of the 19th May at the Institute for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Dynamics (University of Amsterdam); if you are not a member of the society and want to follow the talk online or attend in person please contact me for details. Full program below.

The origin of alkaline fen in the Mosbeek Valley in the Netherlands is due to human impact rather than a natural development

April 21, 2022
WDG

Smeenge, H., Kooijman, A., Brinkkemper, O., Mars, H.d., Mauquoy, D. & van Geel, B. (2022) The origin of alkaline fen in the Mosbeek Valley in the Netherlands is due to human impact rather than a natural development. The Holocene 09596836221088230. DOI: 10.1177/09596836221088230

Online meeting of Dutch palynology society

February 1, 2022
WDG

The next online seminar day of the Palynologishe Kring will take place on Friday 18 February.

Programma

13:00 Welcome

13:10 – 13:30 Annual General Meeting – finances, activities and board election. New Board member: Nelleke van Asch

13:30 – 14:00 Sander Houben (TNO) – Advances in Palaeozoic stratigraphy in the Netherlands

14:00 – 14:30 Marjolein van der Linden & Lucy Kubiak-Martens (BIAX) – What goes up must come down: The Neolithic human diet based on coprolites from the Swifterbant sites

14:30 – 14:45 Break

14:45 – 15:00 Announcement of Florschütz award winner 2021

15:00 – 15:30 Iris de Wolf and Thomas Giesecke (UU) – Unlocking the wealth of Dutch Pollen data: A new data portal and highlights

15:30 – 16:00 Stefan Uitdehaag (NFI) – Pollen – Silent witness to solving homicides

16:00 – 16:15 Discussion and closure

For more information on the society visit: https://www.palynologischekring.nl