PhD students
Marina Sentís VILA
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WO PhD Fellowship (2020-2024, with Prof Dr Luc Lens, Dr Luis Reino and Dr Gonçalo Cardoso (University of Porto, Portugal)).
Biological invasions rank among the top threats to biodiversity, economy and human wellbeing globally. Spatially explicit predictions of invasion risk are a crucial component of invasive species risk assessment. Yet, current assessments rely heavily on forecasts of species’ range dynamics based on extrapolating native-range realized niche characteristics onto new areas. Invasive species however often spread beyond their native (realized) niches, calling into question the validity of such forecasts. A mechanistic approach, using key functional traits to characterize species’ fundamental thermal niches instead of realized niches, is likely better suited to generate key ecological insights that determine species range distributions. Using the invasion of Europe by common waxbills (Estrilda astrild), a Sub-Saharan estrildid finch that is a popular aviary bird, we will therefore test the predictive accuracy of mechanistic forecasts of invasion risk as well as investigate how functional traits drive the invasion of this highly successful avian invader. |
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CESARE pacioni
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PhD Fellowship FWO-RSF bilateral cooperation with Russia (2020-2024, with Prof Dr Luc Lens, Prof Dr Anvar Kerimov and Dr Andrey (Moscow State University, Russia)).
Global change is causing a redistribution of biodiversity worldwide. Understanding what underlies species’ geographical distributions is a longstanding question in ecology and evolution, given new impetus by the conservation challenges global change brings. In this project we use birds to test which fundamental mechanisms and processes that underly species’ capacity to sustain temperatures outside of their thermoneutral zones. Whereas most ecological forecasting currently relies on extrapolating realized niches, we will quantify species’ fundamental (thermal) niches to tackle the problem of how endothermic organisms balance the need to both generate and dissipate heat. By combining experimental studies on (sub)tropical birds introduced to Europe and on native European passerines that either migrate to the tropics or stay to overwinter in the north, we will elucidate what underlies bird species’ capacity for thermoregulation. By integrating this information with spatial environmental data under a single biophysical framework, we will leverage information on thermoregulation to generate, and evaluate, ‘mechanistic’ predictions of invasion success and range distributions. This way, the project will foster the uptake of ecophysiological frameworks in predictive ecology. |
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Bram catfolis
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PhD Fellowship UGent GOA (2020-2024, with Prof Dr Luc Lens, Prof Dr An Martel, Prof Dr Johan Aerts (UGent)).
The world’s biodiversity is in crisis, with species going extinct at unprecedented rates and multiple global change drivers disrupting ecosystem integrity. Unraveling the effects of biodiversity on the functioning of ecosystems is therefore currently one of the most active fields of research in biodiversity science. Biodiversity–disease relationships, and the question whether more biodiverse communities help to protect humans and wildlife against pathogens in particular, is increasingly attracting attention from both scientists and practitioners. There is an urgent need to better understand the likely mechanisms underlying the relationships between environmentally-induced stress and pathogen susceptibility. The main objective of our project therefore is to quantify the role of chronic stress-mediated pathogen susceptibility in forests with contrasting tree species diversity. Our overarching research hypothesis is that lower chronic stress levels of host species inhabiting more diverse, better functioning forests lead to a lower susceptibility to pathogens at the individual level and, in turn, to a lower pathogen prevalence at the community level. |
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lior ventura
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Hosted at Technion University, Israel under a PhD Fellowship (2020-2023) part of ERC project 'Beyond assuming co-benefits in Nature-based Solutions: Applying the niche concept for optimizing social and ecological outcomes' led by Prof. Dr. Assaf Shwartz (Technion University).
Urbanization is a major environmental global issue, destroying and degrading natural ecosystems worldwide. Designing sustainable and biodiverse cities can be beneficial to both city dwellers and urban ecosystems, but it is a challenging task, as trade-offs often arise between different objectives and across spatial scales. Cities may be able to further enhance biodiversity through nature-based solutions (NbS), such as green roofs and walls, that focus on renaturing the current urban infrastructure without allocating more green space. However, biodiversity impacts of spatial configuration of both urban growth strategies and NbS implementation have been little studied. The objectives of this thesis therefore are to assess the value of urban biodiversity to regional conservation, by examining how different urban habitats contribute to the regional species pool; to predict the effect of spatially-explicit future regional urban growth strategies on species distributions and diversity; to map current city-wide NbS and predict the effect of future implementation scenarios on species distributions and diversity. The research takes place in a highly urbanized region, the Tel-Aviv district. |
FERehiwot ademassie
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VLIR-UOS PhD Fellowship (2017-2021, with Prof. Dr. Luc Lens and Prof. Dr Bart Muys, KU Leuven)).
Forest fragmentation is globally pervasive but especially severe in tropical forests, as exemplified by the state of Afrotropical montane forests in Ethiopia, where remnant forests almost exclusively exists as small, isolated fragments centered around churches, forming networks of partially intact ‘habitat islands.’ Even though the interrelation between church forests and the birds inhabiting them may have a significant role to enhance crop production via physical (e.g. a buffer against wind and floods) and biological (e.g. sources of pollinators and pest regulators), little is known about the ES of birds and church forests. To effectively enhance ecological restoration and sustainable supplies of ES now and in the future, an understanding of how landscape structure affects bird species composition and ES is urgently required. Therefore, our study aims at understanding the ecological value of church forests as safeguards for avian biodiversity and associated ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal, and pest control and the ecological importance of connectivity of the landscape matrix in which these forests are embedded. |
Master students
yahya ghalayini |
fleur petersen |
TIM claerhout |
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Does microclimate and spring phenology influence ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) timing of breeding and breeding success?
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The effect of intraspecific niche variation and landcover data on the performance of invasive species distribution models
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An integrative study of species distribution modelling and conservation genetics: Magnolia in Hispaniola
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Alumni
Daan Dekeukeleire
PhD Fellowship UGent GOA (2015-2020, with Prof Dr Luc Lens; PhD defended Feb. 19th 2021).
Due to anthropogenic land use changes, natural habitats such as forests are being subdivided in small and isolated fragments. Adequate management of such forest fragments will be essential to safeguard biodiversity and for the provision of ecosystem services. The overarching aim of my study was to assess how forest fragmentation and resource availability synergistically affect the fitness of avian insectivores, and how this feeds back to lower trophic levels. I demonstrated that both local (resource availability) and landscape level (forest fragmentation) factors jointly affect the fitness of forest-dependent insectivorous birds. Tree species-linked food resource availability can affect breeding bird performance both directly through arthropod availability during spring, and indirectly through carry-over effects from winter habitat use, linked to food availability in winter. Fragmentation effects on breeding success were only observed in resource poor forests fragments. Both forest fragmentation and tree species composition affected avian functioning, as top down control of herbivorous arthropods and its cascading effects on plant growth, were influenced by forest edges and by tree species composition. My study indicates that diversifying forest stands, especially in small forest fragments, represents a management strategy that promotes both avian fitness and avian ecosystem functioning in fragmented landscapes.
Due to anthropogenic land use changes, natural habitats such as forests are being subdivided in small and isolated fragments. Adequate management of such forest fragments will be essential to safeguard biodiversity and for the provision of ecosystem services. The overarching aim of my study was to assess how forest fragmentation and resource availability synergistically affect the fitness of avian insectivores, and how this feeds back to lower trophic levels. I demonstrated that both local (resource availability) and landscape level (forest fragmentation) factors jointly affect the fitness of forest-dependent insectivorous birds. Tree species-linked food resource availability can affect breeding bird performance both directly through arthropod availability during spring, and indirectly through carry-over effects from winter habitat use, linked to food availability in winter. Fragmentation effects on breeding success were only observed in resource poor forests fragments. Both forest fragmentation and tree species composition affected avian functioning, as top down control of herbivorous arthropods and its cascading effects on plant growth, were influenced by forest edges and by tree species composition. My study indicates that diversifying forest stands, especially in small forest fragments, represents a management strategy that promotes both avian fitness and avian ecosystem functioning in fragmented landscapes.
amy js davis
Postdoctoral researcher (TrIAS project, 2016-2021; Amy recently took up a position as senior data analyst at Ipsos European Public Affairs).
A timely identification of emerging invasive alien species and assessment their current and future risk is crucial for informing policy and management. However, current workflows from biodiversity observations to invasion science and policy are slow, not easily repeatable, and their scope is often taxonomically, spatially and temporally limited. As part of the TrIAS project, I develop a data mobilization framework for invasive species data sources, as well as open-science data-driven procedures for risk evaluation. These workflows will feed indicators for the identification of emerging species; their level of invasion in Belgium; changes in their invasion status and the identification of areas and species of concern that could be impacted upon by bioinvasions. Data-driven risk evaluation of identified emerging species will be supported by niche modelling and consequent risk mapping using critical habitat, land-use and climatic variables for the current and projected future climate periods at high resolution. The resulting risk maps will complement risk assessments performed with the recently developed Harmonia+ protocol to assess risks posed by emergent species to biodiversity and human, plant, and animal health. The use of open data will ensure that interested stakeholders in Belgium and abroad can make use of the information generated.
A timely identification of emerging invasive alien species and assessment their current and future risk is crucial for informing policy and management. However, current workflows from biodiversity observations to invasion science and policy are slow, not easily repeatable, and their scope is often taxonomically, spatially and temporally limited. As part of the TrIAS project, I develop a data mobilization framework for invasive species data sources, as well as open-science data-driven procedures for risk evaluation. These workflows will feed indicators for the identification of emerging species; their level of invasion in Belgium; changes in their invasion status and the identification of areas and species of concern that could be impacted upon by bioinvasions. Data-driven risk evaluation of identified emerging species will be supported by niche modelling and consequent risk mapping using critical habitat, land-use and climatic variables for the current and projected future climate periods at high resolution. The resulting risk maps will complement risk assessments performed with the recently developed Harmonia+ protocol to assess risks posed by emergent species to biodiversity and human, plant, and animal health. The use of open data will ensure that interested stakeholders in Belgium and abroad can make use of the information generated.
constance fastré
FWO PhD Fellowship (2015-2021, with Prof. Dr. Erik Matthysen (University of Antwerp); PhD defended March 9th 2020; Constance is currently at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Nkuba, Congo).
Effective management of protected areas is necessary to ensure they deliver socio-economic benefits to local communities while conserving the biodiversity they contain. In my doctoral research, I used targeted monitoring and remote sensing data combined with modeling tools to generate scientifically-based management recommendations designed to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in the Tunari National Park (TNP) in Bolivia. I investigated which characteristics of the Polylepis fragments of the Southern Slope of the TNP are associated with bird species richness, studied habitat selection patterns for forest-dependent bird species occurring in a mosaic landscape made of Polylepis fragments, agricultural fields and exotic plantations, and used species distribution models to identify the areas of highest priority for the conservation of the avifauna. I then applied this information to inform the conservation planning software Marxan with Zones to generate optimal land use plans that maximize the conservation of several bird species, including species of conservation concern, while minimizing opportunity cost for the local communities on the Southern Slope of the TNP. Finally, I explore the potential trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and the delivery of water-related ecosystem services, a limited resource in the area and important source of conflicts.
Effective management of protected areas is necessary to ensure they deliver socio-economic benefits to local communities while conserving the biodiversity they contain. In my doctoral research, I used targeted monitoring and remote sensing data combined with modeling tools to generate scientifically-based management recommendations designed to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in the Tunari National Park (TNP) in Bolivia. I investigated which characteristics of the Polylepis fragments of the Southern Slope of the TNP are associated with bird species richness, studied habitat selection patterns for forest-dependent bird species occurring in a mosaic landscape made of Polylepis fragments, agricultural fields and exotic plantations, and used species distribution models to identify the areas of highest priority for the conservation of the avifauna. I then applied this information to inform the conservation planning software Marxan with Zones to generate optimal land use plans that maximize the conservation of several bird species, including species of conservation concern, while minimizing opportunity cost for the local communities on the Southern Slope of the TNP. Finally, I explore the potential trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and the delivery of water-related ecosystem services, a limited resource in the area and important source of conflicts.
