A5016330688- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Forest ecology and management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Climate change and permafrost
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Climate Change Policy and Economics
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Lichen and fungal ecology
KU Leuven
2018-2024
Research Institute for Nature and Forest
2018-2024
Joint Research Center
2022-2023
Indigenous agroforestry systems in tropical mountainous environments provide crucial ecosystem services, but these ecosystems are also facing some challenges. A loss of diversity and native tree species the overstory layer has been a growing concern worldwide, yet drivers behind it remain inadequately understood. We hypothesize that choice is closely linked to services required by farmers, their livelihood strategy, salient features each system. We, therefore, investigated four different...
Abstract In many terrestrial ecosystems, earthworms operate at the interface between plants and soil. As ecosystem engineers, they affect key functions such as decomposition, nutrient cycling bioturbation. Their incidence abundance depends on several soil properties, yet simultaneously also impact properties themselves. The existence of a positive feedback loop in which earthworm activity maintains their own niche—by promoting turnover rate forest floor, thereby increasing topsoil pH...
Soil organic carbon and soil fertility are critical components of health play a significant role in sustaining agricultural productivity. Indigenous agroforestry practices have been identified as an interesting avenue to sequester enhance tropical smallholder farms. However, that potential remains poorly quantified. To better understand the dynamics stocks fertility, this study evaluated compared 4 different indigenous systems (i.e., Kihamba, Ginger, Miraba, Mixed spices) northeastern...
Abstract Biodiversity experiments have identified both complementarity and selection as important drivers of the relationship between biodiversity ecosystem functioning. However, their relative importance in above‐ below‐ground compartments mature forests remains yet to be explored. We adopted a trait‐based approach partition effects selection. This was based on canopy root traits measured single‐ mixed‐species plots across European latitudinal gradient. assessed driving tree species...
Attempts to restore degraded highlands by tree planting are common in East Africa. However, up till now, little attention has been given effects of species choice on litter decomposition and nutrient recycling. In this study, three indigenous two exotic were selected for a study. The objective was identify optimal combinations diversity levels the restoration land via enhanced turnover. Litterbags installed June 2019 into potential sites (disturbed natural forest plantation) compared intact...
Abstract Aim Global warming and altered precipitation substantially affect soil carbon (C) pools can, in turn, feed back into climate change. However, how C respond to the combined effects of remains unclear. Location Global. Time period 1996–2021. Major taxa studied Soil organic pools. Method A meta‐analysis was performed using 657 observations obtained from 34 published articles that focused on both individual (SOC), dissolved (DOC) microbial biomass (MBC) quantify responses Results Across...
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is a broadleaved tree species native to Northern- and Central-America which was introduced in many other parts of the world, especially European countries. In places it has been classified as an invasive its management subject hotly debates. This review provides overview existing knowledge on ecology this non-native range, with special focus Europe. Based reviewed literature, fast-growing light-demanding forest gap specialist, tolerates most soil...
Nematodes are numerous in soils and play a crucial role soil food-webs. DNA metabarcoding offers time-effective alternative to morphology-based assessments of nematode diversity. However, it is unclear how different extraction methods prior could affect community analysis. We used with woody vegetation from European latitudinal gradient (29 sites, 39 79°N, ∼4500 km, covering six biomes) systematically evaluate the effect two sources either directly extracted vs. nematodes previously isolated...
Despite the general agreement that maximizing carbon storage and its persistence in forest soils are top priorities context of climate change mitigation, our knowledge on how to steer soil organic (SOC) through management remains limited. For some soils, tree species selection based litter quality has been shown a powerful measure boost SOC stocks stability, whereas other locations similar efforts result insignificant or even opposite effects. A better understanding which mechanisms underpin...
Abstract Background Changes in soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes caused by nitrogen (N) addition are considered as the key factors contributing to global climate change (global warming and altered precipitation regimes), which turn alters feedback between N GHG fluxes. However, effects of on emissions under highly variable context-dependent, so that further syntheses required. Here, a meta-analysis interactive (warming precipitation) three main GHGs [carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4...
The vitality of European forests continues to decline due new pests and diseases, climate-change related disturbances high loads atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Deteriorating soil health is a major factor underpinning the low West-European forests. Selecting tree species with ameliorative traits proposed as an avenue counteract acidification improve overall forest vitality. Here we evaluate impact black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), known rich litter species, on neighboring pedunculate...
Litter decomposition is a key ecosystem function in forests and varies response to range of climatic, edaphic, local stand characteristics. Disentangling the relative contribution these factors challenging, especially along large environmental gradients. In particular, knowing effect management options, such as tree planting density species composition, on nutrient carbon cycling would be highly valuable forestry. this study, we made use 15 diversity experiments spread over eight countries...
The molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) contains key information on the persistence carbon (C) in relation to changes vegetation and environmental factors. Depending ecosystem, analytical method specific objectives, many SOM fractions numerous fractionation schemes have been proposed study C. However, significance those different not yet compared systematically. We use a reverse fit approach fill this knowledge gap: i.e. we chose area with well-known land history assess which...
Abstract Background: Attempts to restore degraded highlands by tree planting are common in East Africa. However, up till now, little attention has been given effects of species choice on litter decomposition and nutrient recycling. Method: In this study, three indigenous two exotic were selected for a study. The objective was identify optimal combinations diversity levels the restoration land via enhanced turnover. Litterbags installed June 2019 into potential sites (disturbed natural forest...
European and Flemish climate-change policies aim to enhance carbon (C) storage in soils of conservation areas, including natural areas such as forests, grasslands wetlands. Soil capability condition however may impact C persistence material cycles soils, therefore the sustainability this policy effort, by making soil stocks more vulnerable climatic anomalies, shocks disturbances. Edaphic limitations terms nutrients, acidity, temperature or moisture availability have been shown affect...