Most species are declining due to human-induced perturbations:
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habitat destruction and fragmentation
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climate change
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pollution
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over-hunting and fishing
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introduction of exotic species
Stopping this biological erosion has become a major challenge for humanity.
Proactive biodiversity conservation and management imply a deep understanding of processes determining species and population viability.
My research in quantitative ecology is driven by this goal to protect biodiversity.
MAIN RESEARCH INTERESTS
Metapopulation dynamics
Metapopulations are groups of local populations inhabiting a fragmented landscape, persisting in a balance of local extinctions and recolonizations by dispersal movements.
Our research is focused on the interplay between local dynamics (demography) and regional dynamics (dispersal and population synchrony).
Our main butterfly study model since 1992 in Belgium
Capture-Mark-Recapture informs on abundance and movements
Salmon form metapopulations, an understudied aspect of their biology
Our main butterfly study model since 1992 in Belgium
Dispersal and movement ecology
Dispersal is a fundamental process for metapopulation dynamics, and more broadly for ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
We are interested in the causes and consequences of dispersal, and how movement behaviour of individuals interacts with landscape configuration in determining effective dispersal and connectivity.
A 50µm long protist we use in laboratory microcosms
This protist actively moves using its ciliae
Butterflies move straighter outside than in their habitat (pink zones)
A 50µm long protist we use in laboratory microcosms
Forecasting species viability
The ability to forecast how a species or (meta)population will perform in the future is of prime importance to design and assess conservation and management guidelines.
We use modelling approaches (such as Population Viability Analysis) to predict their future according to environmental scenarios and conservation plans.
PVA predicts the future of the species according to various scenarios
Will B. eunomia survive the reintroduction of beaver?
How many females must be sterilized to prevent population explosion in Padangtegal Monkey Forest (Bali, Indonesia)?
PVA predicts the future of the species according to various scenarios
Developing methods for ecology
Research in ecology and evolution has much to gain from the generalization and dissemination of methods developed for specific case studies.
Whether they are related to data collection and statistical analysis, modelling approaches or building research devices, we are committed to make our developments as general as possible, document them and provide them to the scientific community.
A 3D printer turns a landscape configuration into a real microcosm for Tetrahymena
Automatic image analysis is a powerful data collection method
Capture-Mark-Recapture is a standard, reliable but costly procedure to estimate population sizes. Consequently, simpler and less costly alternatives are highly desirable for conservation and population ecologists.
A 3D printer turns a landscape configuration into a real microcosm for Tetrahymena