Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group
In the Anthropocene, human pressures on wildlife are reaching unprecedented levels. Animals, plants, and entire ecosystems must bear these pressures across different spatial and temporal scales. The Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group (WEC) studies how humans influence wildlife. We examine both direct mechanisms like hunting and fire, and mechanisms that are more indirect and that are part of larger-scale processes, such as climate change.
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News
Wildlife cameras
Camera traps provide an easy and non-invasive way to study wildlife. However, manually processing the millions of images that a typical study generates quickly becomes a challenge.By leveraging artificial intelligence, Agouti can automatically recognise many species and filter blank images.
Education
The Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group is involved in teaching several courses. Additionally you can do an internship or thesis at our department.
Latest publications
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The interplay between urban greenspace, cats and the occurrence of rats and mice in private gardens in the Netherlands
Urban Ecosystems (2025), Volume: 28 - ISSN 1083-8155 - p. 1-14. -
Vegetation dynamics following three decades of trophic rewilding in the mesic grasslands of Oostvaardersplassen
Applied Vegetation Science (2024), Volume: 27, Issue: 3 - ISSN 1402-2001 -
Effectiveness of protected areas in the Caucasus Mountains in preventing rangeland degradation
Conservation Biology (2024) - ISSN 0888-8892 -
Flight activity and effort of breeding pied flycatchers in the wild, revealed with accelerometers and machine learning
Journal of Experimental Biology (2024), Volume: 227, Issue: 19 - ISSN 0022-0949