Ammonia regulations near nature areas in Denmark and the Netherlands compared

Farms that want to expand within 400 m from Natura 2000 areas, have extra costs compared to farms with no negative influence on nature areas. These extra costs are higher for farms in Denmark than in the Netherlands. For farms further away from Natura 2000 areas (2,000 m) it is the other way around: then farmers in the Netherlands are confronted with higher costs than in Denmar

Have female twisted-wing parasites (Insecta: Strepsiptera) evolved tolerance traits as response to traumatic penetration?

Traumatic insemination describes an unusual form of mating during which a male penetrates the body wall of its female partner to inject sperm. Females unable to prevent traumatic insemination have been predicted to develop either traits of tolerance or of resistance, both reducing the fitness costs associated with the male-inflicted injury. The evolution of tolerance traits has previously been suggested for the bed bug. Here we present data suggesting that tolerance traits also evolved in females of the twisted-wing parasite species $\textit{Stylops ovinae}$ and $\textit{Xenos vesparum}$. Using micro-indentation experiments and confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found that females of both investigated species possess a uniform resilin-rich integument that is notably thicker at penetration sites than at control sites. As the thickened cuticle does not seem to hamper penetration by males, we hypothesise that thickening of the cuticle resulted in reduced penetration damage and loss of haemolymph and in improved wound sealing. To evaluate the evolutionary relevance of the $\textit{Stylops}$-specific paragenital organ and penis shape variation in the context of inter- and intraspecific competition, we conducted attraction and interspecific mating experiments, as well as a geometric-morphometric analysis of $\textit{S ovinae}$ and $\textit{X vesparum}$ penises. We found that $\textit{S ovinae}$ females indeed attract sympatrically distributed congeneric males. However, only conspecific males were able to mate. In contrast, we did not observe any heterospecific male attraction by $\textit{Xenos}$ females. We therefore hypothesise that the paragenital organ in the genus $\textit{Stylops}$ represents a prezygotic mating barrier that prevents heterospecific matings

Waterbeheer en de landbouw nader beschouwd : een aanvullende analyse op de houtskool-SWOT

Voor de periode 2021-2027 moeten lidstaten in een Nationaal Strategisch Plan (NSP) uiteenzetten hoe zij met hun beleidsinzet gaan bijdragen aan door de Europese Commissie geformuleerde doelstellingen voor het Gemeenschappelijk Landbouwbeleid. Met oog op het voorbereiden van het NSP, heeft het ministerie van LNV ervoor gekozen om een SWOT-analyse op hoofdlijnen te maken. In de eerste fase is een SWOT-analyse op hoofdlijnen (‘Houtskool-SWOT’) opgesteld. In een tweede fase komt de definitieve SWOT-analyse tot stand. Het voorliggende rapport betreft een aanvullende analyse op de ‘Houtskool-SWOT’ gericht op het thema water