Wouter van der Weijden

, a birdwatcher from his childhood, graduated in biology at the Free University (Amsterdam), specialising in bird geography and ecology. After research on the taxonomy of owls, he worked at Leiden University on sustainable agriculture. In 1980 he co-founded the Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CLM, www.clm.nl), of which he is still co-director. He is author of hundreds of articles, columns and reports and co-author of books on agrarian landscapes and biological globalisation. Wouter is the first author of the book. He wrote chapters 1 and 5 and contributed to Chapters 2 and 9.

Paul Terwan

graduated in agricultural sciences at Wageningen University. After 13 years at CLM, he became an independent consultant in 1997 (www.paulterwan.nl). He has extensive experience – in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe – in research and consultancy on agriculture and environment issues. He wrote numerous papers and reports and co-authored a book on agrarian landscapes. In his spare time, he is an enthusiast landscape photographer. Paul wrote chapter 3 and contributed to Chapters 2 and 9.

Adriaan Guldemond

graduated in biology at Wageningen University. After his PhD on the evolution of aphid-plant relationships, he worked at the University of East Anglia and at Wageningen University on integrated pest management. Since 1996 he has worked at CLM (www.clm.nl) on nature conservation, functional biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. He is a passionate birdwatcher with a special focus on grassland birds. Adriaan contributed to Chapters 2, 7 and 9.

Paul Donald

is principal conservation scientist in the International Research Team of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB, www.rspb.org.uk). He has worked on a range of farmland birds, with a special focus on larks, the causes of the decline in Europe's farmland bird populations and the biodiversity implications of oil palm plantations. He is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Ibis and has written a large number of scientific papers. Paul is the author of Chapter 4.

Linus van der Plas

is professor emeritus at Wageningen University. He graduated in biology at the Free University (Amsterdam), specialising in plant physiology and bird geography. After his PhD in plant physiology, he worked in this discipline at the Free University and from 1990 at Wageningen University. He has been watching birds across the world for 50 years and is active in monitoring birds, butterflies and dragonflies in the Netherlands. Linus is the author of Chapter 6.

Eefje den Belder

graduated at Wageningen University and presently works at Plant Research International of Wageningen UR (www.pri.wur.nl). She is crop protection specialist with broad international experience in Integrated Pest Management research and development. Her special expertise is in pest and natural resource management, biological control (PhD) and functional biodiversity. One of her projects is on sustainable coffee production in Peru. Eefje contributed to Chapter 7.

Hans Schinkel

studied biology at the Free University (Amsterdam) specialising in ecology, population biology and computer modelling of biological processes. After his study he made a career in ICT. Since his early retirement he is active in international birdwatching and in monitoring breeding and wintering birds, dragonflies and butterflies in the Netherlands. But most of his time he is a devoted nature photographer (www.fotoosenzo.nl). Hans is the author of Chapter 8 and was the main photo editor.