A healthy soil life often forms the foundations for a healthy environment. In addition to this, it provides many ecosystem services such as heat reduction and flood protection. These benefits soil...Show moreA healthy soil life often forms the foundations for a healthy environment. In addition to this, it provides many ecosystem services such as heat reduction and flood protection. These benefits soil biodiversity provides remain relatively unknown, especially concerning urban areas. To further the knowledge of urban soil biodiversity, this research will focus on the earthworm (Lumbricina) population present within tree pits, which in this research refers to a tree pit with a bit of exposed soil within the urban environment. While surrounded by human infrastructure on all four sides, by either asphalt or tiles. The earthworm has been selected as it is an important species in the soil and their presence often can function as an indicator for the health of the soil biodiversity in that area. The sampling of earthworms (Lumbricina) will use the mustard extraction method. This allows for a comparison of abundances of earthworms in different locations, such as the size of the tree pit and vegetation coverage of the tree pit. For this 15 trees were sampled daily, and each tree has been sampled 3 times. They are totalling in a database containing 45 samples. This study has found strong evidence in favour of a correlation between earthworm abundance compared to distance from a larger green area. In addition to that it found a weak relationship between an increased earthworm abundance as the size of the tree pit increases. These results line up with the island theory. The only other aspect this study found evidence for was concerning tree species present in the tree pit influencing the earthworm abundance at that tree pit. Other factors did not find any evidence to show that it might influence earthworm abundance.Show less
In many European countries, Arion vulgaris and Cepaea nemoralis are characterised as invasive species (Ożgo and Bogucki 2011, 463, Zając et al. 2017, 81). Arion vulgaris, native to southwestern...Show moreIn many European countries, Arion vulgaris and Cepaea nemoralis are characterised as invasive species (Ożgo and Bogucki 2011, 463, Zając et al. 2017, 81). Arion vulgaris, native to southwestern Europe, has rapidly expanded its range to much of the continent, causing damage as an agricultural pest and having a detrimental impact on the populations of native Arion slugs. Cepaea nemoralis, originating from Western Europe, despite seemingly no detrimental impact of this species in its non-native European habitats having been established to date, has gradually spread to Eastern Europe (Ożgo and Bogucki 2011, 463). Furthermore urban-dwelling snails, and in particular their dispersal potential, remain understudied (Proćków et al. 2019). Maximum Entropy Modelling, using the MaxEnt software, has been used to model the potential distribution of invasive snail species under certain environmental conditions (Sarma, Munsi and Anathram 2015). Such analyses can then be used to monitor invasive species already present in a region and identify areas of interest due to their vulnerability to invasion or the potential detrimental impact on native species (Kingsbury et al. 2021). Focusing on three Central European cities: Berlin, Prague and Warsaw, MaxEnt modelling was used to investigate the impact of temperature-related data on the habitat suitability of Arion vulgaris and Cepaea nemoralis. The results indicate that the dispersal potential by proxy of habitat suitability for Arion vulgaris and Cepaea nemoralis can be assumed to be influenced by changes in temperature or temperature extremes, which goes in line with prior scientific findings (Nicolai and Ansart 2017, Zając et al. 2017).Show less
Through rapid urban growth, light pollution will likely increase significantly. This light pollution does not only affect human health, but also that of nocturnal animals. This thesis takes the...Show moreThrough rapid urban growth, light pollution will likely increase significantly. This light pollution does not only affect human health, but also that of nocturnal animals. This thesis takes the form of a research proposal, aiming to answer the following research question: “How does light pollution affect habitat fragmentation of the common pipistrelle bat?” The common pipistrelle bat was chosen as it is a common urban species of bat and therefore easily researchable. The common pipistrelle bat could be seen as an indicator species, which means that researching the species could give insights in other species as well. The effects of light pollution mainly affect the prey of the common pipistrelle, which in turn leads to the foraging behaviour of the species being altered. The thesis will be written as a literature review collecting information that will be used to propose a research design for answering the research question. This literature review is not intended as a systematic literature review. Collecting the data ourselves for this study was not possible given the timeframe for a bachelor thesis. The proposed research design presents a way to measure the effects of light pollution on foraging behaviour and habitat connectivity for one colony of bats, accounting for the requirements of habitat, foraging and roosting behaviour of the common pipistrelle as defined through the literature review.Show less
The aim of this study is to assess whether there is a correlation between water quality and the avifauna in the city of The Hague, as well as determine whether the type of land use near water...Show moreThe aim of this study is to assess whether there is a correlation between water quality and the avifauna in the city of The Hague, as well as determine whether the type of land use near water bodies also have an effect on the water quality. In order to do so, the case study of Ardea cinerea (grey heron) was selected as an indicator species, a bird species that is rapidly adapting to urban environments. The selected metric to inspect water quality of urban blue spaces was pH, as it is a parameter found to be present at the basis of most reactions in aquatic environments, thus making it a rather significant indicator for this purpose. Land use was analysed based on two categories: natural areas, which include urban parks and natural reserves, and urbanised, which mainly include roads and (post)industrial areas. Urban blue spaces in three natural locations (Koekamp, Meijendel, and Henry Dunatpad), and three urban areas (Veenkade/Centrum, Binckhorst, and Leyenburg) were assessed via in situ pH measurements to determine water quality and citizen science methods to assess A. cinerea abundance within 1 km radius of the water bodies. Findings show a moderate correlation between bird abundance and pH levels in favour of the natural areas, and statistical significance of pH as a metric to compare the two types of locations.Show less
