Title Promoter Affiliations Abstract "Climate change impacts on the distribution of key tree species used by endemic lion tamarins in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: applications to conservation" "Alain Hambuckers, Kristel De Vleeschouwer" "Project BioBrasil, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp" "The aim of this study is to understand how lion tamarins and their habitat might be affected by climate change by focusing on whether and how the distribution of their key tree species might shift. In a context where future climate conditions are likely to change, whether lion tamarins’ key fruiting and sleeping-site tree species could even encounter propitious conditions for growth is a first question, and whether this possible migration would be helped or hindered by natural processes of seed dispersal and regeneration is another. We will be using a dynamic vegetation model (DVM) called CARAIB to understand the tree species’ response to climate change. Responding to critiques of DVMs, our objective is to improve the model to include plant-animal interactions in the form of seed dispersal by tamarins, as well as overlaying the results on land-use maps to support conservation practitioners in their efforts to conserve vital areas for tamarin conservation. All four species of lion tamarins are endangered due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation. They are also subject to pressure from hunting, with their vulnerability increasing with habitat degradation, which favours human mobility. Lion tamarins are frugivores, and sleep in tree holes. Several studies show that at least two species (golden-headed lion tamarins, L. chrysomelas and golden lion tamarins, L. rosalia) are effective seed dispersers and disseminators. Modelling climate change impacts on the primates themselves is not possible, given their highly localised distribution, but it is possible to model impact on tree species constituting their habitat, which are vital for their survival." "The numerus clausus in property law: an enemy of private environmental conservation?" "Vincent Sagaert" "Instituut voor Goederenrecht, Faculty of Law and Criminology, Kulak Kortrijk Campus" "The sustainability theme has meanwhile become omnipresent and is gaining more and more focus, mainly from a public (property) law perspective. Essential and often overlooked, however, is the question of what role private property law, and more particularly the right of ownership, can fulfill in this (fancy / hip) transition towards a more conscious use / occupation of space and the land together (and living on, under or above it). After all, the amount of available land / space is running up against its limits. Also the concept of ownership, the core of property law, seems - at least in its most liberal understanding - to run up against its limits and all kinds of restrictions. Increasingly, thought is being given to how holding / administering / managing property and how the right of ownership an sich can be subject to 'sustainable' requirements and positive obligations. One can think of some creative endeavours to collectivize property (e.g. through trusts (CLT's) or more generally through other fiduciary proprietary structures); also, certain rights in rem seem to be particularly suitable for all sorts of sustainability objectives (e.g. (environmental) servitudes); regulations on the gathering, keeping up to date and prompt providing of all relevant real estate information and property inventories are at an all-time high; also from a more public law point of view (zoning, spacial planning, administrative regulations, etc.), the use and occupation of (open) space is being increasingly scrutinised (e.g. Bouwshift); the abuse of rights-doctrine and the rules on neighborhood nuisance (as a micro-environment) are also making the ownership concept increasingly less absolute. The fundamental question that will be examined in this research project therefore is the extent to which all these restrictions to the right of ownership and also fiduciary duties involved with administering property could lead to a more sustainable and more balanced concept of ownership." "Socially innovative territories in the face of neo-extractivism: (Re)inventing nature conservation and communitarian development in Latin American and Peruvian Private Protected Areas" "Constanza Parra Novoa" "Geography and Tourism, Urban Design, Urbanism, Landscape and Planning" "The PhD research is part of an international collaborative project funded by VLIR-UOS (Belgium). This project seeks to trigger the sustainable development potential of rural areas with high poverty levels and under the social, economic and environmental threats of extractive industries in the Global South. It aims to stimulate sustainable rural development in the North of Peru through socially innovative and community-based conservation in the Chaparri Reserve region. Complementary academic partners and stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors will produce new knowledge in a collective process of action-research. This multi-actor process involves further consolidation of the Chaparri Reserve from a pilot case-study (previous South Initiative: see www.chaparri.pe) into an inter-/trans-disciplinary in-situ living laboratory (current project). Outcomes of this project include: (i) Empowering local communities, by co-creating a rural development observatory, installing a fund for pilot projects and advancing policy recommendations; (ii) Increasing academic capacities, by creating a new research center on sustainable development at Trujillo University; (iii) Supporting Peru in achieving its commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets." "Are Flemish natural areas sufficiently robust to adapt to climate change with respect to species of European and Flemish conservation priority?" "Species Diversity" "Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to the survival of species and biotopes worldwide.Species can react to a changing climate in 3 different ways:1) Shifting with or extending the area to the appropriate climate zone2) adapt to the new climate on the spot3) local extinctionThreatened and/or habitat-typical species are often limited to nature reserves and are often not mobile enough to expand their acreage to new areas or to move with the most suitable climate zone. Especially in highly industrialised and densely populated regions such as Flanders, nature reserves are highly fragmented, and many species are in danger of disappearing because they can not or barely move through the landscape.With this project we want to investigate whether the current nature reserves are able to accommodate European and Flemish priority species (the \policy species\) in the event of a progressive climate change, or to accommodate species to adapt locally to a new climate. By nature areas we do not only mean habitat and bird directive areas, but also nature areas of private nature organisations." "Plant conservation in a changing world: modelling range dynamics, climate adaptation, and effects of habitat fragmentation" "Olivier Honnay" "Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation" "Climate change can alter the physical and biological parameters of existing habitats, shifting environmental variables beyond the range for which native plant species are adapted. These changes compel plant species to either adapt to new conditions or migrate to areas where conditions remain suitable. Concurrently, habitat fragmentation reduces the amount of suitable habitat and impedes plant species' ability to migrate, thereby reducing the genetic diversity within isolated populations. These stressors interact to amplify each other's impacts, thereby escalating the vulnerabilities of plant species. The accelerated pace of climate change often exceeds both the capacity for plant species to adapt or migrate, leaving them vulnerable to decline or extinction.In a rapidly changing world, effective plant conservation hinges on a nuanced understanding of how species interact with, adapt to, and persist within their environments. To safeguard plant species facing concurrent environmental stressors, there's a pressing need to develop integrated tools that can accurately forecast their eco-evolutionary responses to climate adaptation and habitat fragmentation. Utilising an interdisciplinary approach that includes species distribution modelling, conservation genomics, and experimental ecology, this study has developed complementary models that serve as a critical foundation for devising dynamic and resilient conservation strategies.To develop integrated conservation tools that enable effective implementation of proactive mitigation strategies, Primula elatior was chosen as a representative model species for plants that have high habitat fidelity, display climate sensitivity, and are sensitive to habitat fragmentation. Its geographical distribution along the Atlantic Biogeographic Region facilitates the study of local adaptation to varying climate conditions. The species is notably vulnerable to drought, providing a unique perspective for evaluating the effects of climate change on plant survival and reproduction. Additionally, P. elatior exhibits a herkogamous, self-incompatible mating system, making it an ideal candidate for investigating how mating systems are influenced by eco-evolutionary feedback loops in fragmented habitats. Its limited seed dispersal and constrained colonisation aptly reflect the challenges faced by many European forest herbs, thereby offering broader ecological insights. Moreover, the species' distylous flowers and bee-dependent pollination present a case study for the sensitivity to Allee-effects commonly found in self-incompatible European forest herbs, further solidifying its value as a model for studying the intertwined ecological and evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation.First, to evaluate the fundamental niche, a high-resolution species distribution model was developed using landscape and macro-climatic variables in order to model the range-wide habitat suitability for P. elatior. Second, to evaluate the accessible niche, a fine-grained genetically optimised dispersal model was developed to simulate spatio- temporal dispersal patterns among habitat patches. Third, in our quest to evaluate population persistence, a proximity resistance index was calculated to predict the meta-population stability. By simulating spatio-temporal patterns in the accessible niche and meta-population stability, we could identify habitat-specific conservation and mitigation strategies for ecological restoration. Next, through the integration of genetically optimised dispersal models with state-of-the-art landscape genomics, it became possible to predict climate sensitivity, a crucial metric encapsulating both genomic offset and adaptive potential. Furthermore, landscape ecological methods were employed to evaluate the impact of habitat fragmentation on the adaptive genomic architecture of P. elatior. Lastly, to evaluate the impact of varying environmental conditions on plant adaptive responses, a common garden experiment was conducted. This experiment involved P. elatior progeny from populations along a climate cline and varying levels of habitat fragmentation, enabling a comprehensive assessment of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity.The eco-evolutionary dynamics of climate adaptation and habitat fragmentation compound to jeopardise the accessible distribution range and meta-population stability of P. elatior. The species faces severe limitations in its ability to naturally migrate to new favourable habitats, severely affecting species persistence. Moreover, our genomic analyses caution against relying solely on assisted migration strategies, particularly from southern source populations, due to their low adaptive capacities and risk of non-climatic maladaptation. These multi-layered challenges not only impede natural dispersal but also diminish the species' evolutionary capacity to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Furthermore, habitat fragmentation disrupts established climate clines of several traits, hampers drought tolerance, and alters mating system adaptations, as evidenced by the common garden experiment and field survey of herkogamy. These eco-evolutionary consequences highlight the necessity for integrated conservation approaches that are both multi-faceted and regionally tailored, encompassing habitat restoration, carefully planned assisted migration, and continuous monitoring of genetic diversity and adaptability." "Managing environmental pressures in temperate forests: Processbased modelling of understorey community dynamics to promote biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision" "Department of Environment, Department of Applied ecology and environmental biology" "Urbanisation, land use intensification, climate change and deposition of acidifying and eutrophying pollutants have led to a decline of biodiversity across Europe. To halt or reverse this trend, remaining natural and semi-natural ecosystems need to be managed well. This study aims at understanding the influence of forest management on the response of temperate forests to these pressures. The study will focus on plant communities that occur on the forest floor, as they determine most of the forest’ plant biodiversity and substantially contribute to its overall functioning. Since forests and their understoreys react slowly to changing environmental conditions and management interventions, the effects of management practices need to be investigated in the long term. Process-based models that mimic the dynamics of the understorey by considering all processes that drive their dynamics, from leaf-level photosynthesis to plant growth and community assembly, will be extremely useful to study such long-term effects but are currently absent. By merging concepts of grassland models, yield-based crop models and forest gap models, this project will develop an innovative process-based model to predict changes of understorey communities in temperate forests driven by climate change, acidifying and eutrophying deposition and forest management. Changes in understorey composition will be evaluated in terms of biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provisioning." "Plant root effects on erosion of sandy soils in a temperate climate. A trait-based methodology to select native plants for biological soil conservation measures" "Jean Poesen" "Division of Geography and Tourism, Geography and Tourism" "Soil erosion is a major problem leading to severe land degradation problems. To control these soil erosion processes, plant species can be used. Both above- and below-ground biomass can help to protect the soil. Plant roots can be very effective in stabilizing the soil against concentrated flow erosion and shallow mass movements. Most research on the erosion-reducing potential of plant roots was conducted on loamy soils and at present, almost no research exists on the effectiveness of plant roots in reducing concentrated flow erosion rates in sandy soils while they can ve verry susceptible to incisive erosion processes. Therefore, the prime objective of this study was to assess the erosion-reducing potential of both fibrous and tap roots in sandy soils.When using plant species to control soil erosion-processes, species have to be selected. In the last decades, many research was conducted on identifying benificial plant traits to control soil erosion processes. Using this information, suitable plant species can be selected based on these plant traits. In this study a trait-based methodology will be used to select most suitable native plant species growing on sandy soils." "Reinventing Anthrosols: an ancient answer to modern-day problems concerning climate change, soil degradation, nature conservation and agricultural yield decline?" "Jozef A. Deckers" "Division of Soil and Water Management, Bioengineering Technology, Geel Campus" "The Plaggic Anthrosols of the Campine area are a fascinating soil type, as they contain an important stock of so-called 'old carbon'. The carbon-rich A-horizons of these soils were formed by adding heathland sods enriched with stable manure, mostly during medieval times. This practice enhanced the organic matter content, CEC and fertility of the poor and sandy soils of the Campine area. Although it has been abandoned for centuries, the thick A-horizons, high carbon stocks and better soil properties are still present today. Why this 'old carbon' is so stable remains very poorly understood. The aim of this project is to assess carbon stability in Anthrosols and to implement this knowledge for carbon-sequestration and to combat soil degradation and yield decline on sandy soils." "Reinventing Anthrosols: closing carbon cycles between infields and outfields to address modern-day problems concerning climate change, soil degradation, nature conservation and agricultural yield decline?" "Karen Vancampenhout" "Bioengineering Technology, Geel Campus" "Dit project pakt twee heel prangende problemen aan in de land- en tuinbouw. In een eerste luik wordt getracht een oplossing te bieden aan de slinkende bodemkoolstofvoorraden. Een tekort aan bodemkoolstof zorgt voor een lage inherente fertiliteit door een gebrek aan nutriëntenbindend vermogen, een beperkte buffercapaciteit en een beperkt waterhoudend vermogen. In de Vlaamse Zandstreek, de Kempen en de Zandleemstreek zit respectievelijk 43%, 30% en 33% van de akkers en 47%, 51% en 32% van het weiland met een koolstofvoorraad beneden de streefzone. Land- en tuinbouwers worden dagelijks met deze problematiek geconfronteerd, het beïnvloedt rechtstreeks hun plantkwaliteit en als gevolg ook hun winstmarges. De projectpartners willen een toeslagstof ontwikkelen die het C-gehalte in akkers en weilanden uit het doelgebied duurzaam kan verhogen en dat binnen de krijtlijnen van MAP4. Dit betekent een toeslagstof met veel effectieve koolstof en zo weinig mogelijk N-verhoging. Het gebruik ervan moet bovendien economisch haalbaar zijn en gemakkelijk in te passen in de bedrijfsvoering. In een tweede luik wordt getracht een oplossing te vinden voor telers met substraatteelten (teelten in potten (containers) of matten). Hun klanten accepteren steeds minder het gebruik van turf- en veenproducten als substraat. Veen in al zijn types wordt gebruikt voor de bufferende eigenschappen, de watervasthoudende en -vrijstellende eigenschappen, de stabiele pH en het lage zoutgehalte. Gevoelige teelten gedijen slecht op klassiek gebruikte turfvervangers zoals GFT-compost, oa omwille van de te hoge zoutgehaltes en minder geschikte pH. Kokosvezel wordt beperkt gebruikt in de sierteelt, maar is weinig duurzaam omwille van zijn exotische oorsprong. Langdurig, goedkoop en grootschalig beschikbaar materiaal - in casu plaggen, chopper, bosstrooisel en ruw maaisel, oftewel biosolids- zou het antwoord kunnen betekenen voor beide bovenstaande geschetste problematieken. Voor volle grondteelten toonden studies aan dat biosolids interessante eigenschappen hebben aangaande de koolstof-, stikstof- en pH-dynamiek. Ze kunnen de bodemkoolstof van een perceel in één bewerking met een beoordelingsklasse laten stijgen, mineraliseren traag, zetten weinig werkzame stikstof vrij en hebben sterk pH-verlagende eigenschappen. Het voortraject bij ILVO en het PCS identificeerde heidechopper als enige beschikbare natuurlijk zure grondstof om veen in substraat te vervangen. De sterkte van dit project is daarnaast de samenwerking tussen de projectpartners: KU Leuven, ILVO, BDB, de Hooibeekhoeve en het PCS. De drie eerstgenoemden zijn experten in het diepgaand onderzoek naar stabilisatie en karakterisatie van enerzijds koolstof-verhogend materiaal en anderzijds een waardige veen-vervanger. De twee laatstgenoemde staan heel dicht bij de praktijk. Zij kunnen via proeven op het centrum en via aangelegde demoproeven op voorbeeldbedrijven heel snel het overgrote deel van de sector bereiken. De sector die kan bereikt worden is bijzonder groot: landbouwers in het focusgebied, bijna alle siertelers en de telers van kleinfuit. Maar ook daarbuiten is nog veel potentieel, denk maar o.a. telers van vrucht- en bladgroenten. Het akker- en weidegebied rechtstreeks geaffecteerd door Europese maatregelen met betrekking tot bodemkoolstof kan geschat worden op 58.138 ha en 26.559 ha, daarnaast zijn er ca. 50 bedrijven en 100 ha frambozen, bramen en bessen in Vlaanderen en ca. 1700 sierteeltbedrijven. Aan de verspreiding en vertaling van de verworven kennis (bedrijfsbereik) en ondersteuning bij toepassing naar zoveel mogelijk doelgroepbedrijven (implementatie) wordt veel aandacht besteed. Daarvoor wordt een valorisatieproces uitgebouwd op basis van drie kennisverspreidingsstrategieën: (i) via de (vak)pers, (iii) via demonstraties on-station en on-farm en (iv) via inbedding in de sector door demobedrijven. Het succes van dit project zal afgetoetst worden aan de hand van een aantal performantie-indicatoren. De voornaamste zijn de realiseerbare verhoging van de bodemC-voorraad in één bewerking, succesvol uittesten van biosolids als additief bij veen, het aantal doelgroepbedrijven dat wordt bereikt via de kennisverspreidingsstrategieën en het aantal doelgroepbedrijven dat het materiaal wil gebruiken binnen de looptijd van het project. Dit project is sterk innoverend: er werd niet eerde een succesvol additief gevonden. Landbouwers met akkers en/of weilanden kunnen een eenvoudige roadmap volgen voor inpassing in de verdere bedrijfsvoering en voor evaluatie van de gekozen opties." "Projet Grands Singes, Cameroon: Community based conservation of great apes in non-protected areas of Cameroon" "Nikki Tagg" "Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp" "The threats faced by populations of great apes vary across their range, but mainly comprise hunting, forest loss and fragmentation and disease epidemics. Populations of large bodied and slow reproducing species, like chimpanzees and gorillas, do not easily recover from even low hunting pressures, and rates of offtake in many cases dramatically exceed any sustainable limit. With the encroachment of humans more and more into ape habitats and the reduction of remaining forests through agriculture and logging, existing populations experience greater conflicts with people, an increased chance of virus transmission and more intense hunting pressures. Climate change is likely to compound each of the existing threats to the survival of apes, by causing vegetation shifts and reducing the suitability of habitats, and increasing the occurrence of infectious diseases, for example. People living in ape habitats are generally poverty-stricken, living hand-to-mouth below the poverty line, with few of their basic needs being met.Cameroon is a large country, with approximately 200 000 km2 of great ape habitat in the form of tropical rainforest; only 23% of which falls into protected areas such as national parks and reserves – many of the country’s great apes therefore have little official protection. The Dja Biosphere Reserve in the southeast of the country is an area of exceptional conservation priority for great apes: an area of great size and biodiversity and still harbouring healthy populations of great apes. Animals live in and around protected areas, with ranges and territories often spanning into and beyond these more disturbed buffer zones. As part of the range-wide fight to preserve wild populations of great apes, active protection of populations living in buffer zones of parks and reserves is crucial to species’ survival. In the northern buffer zone of the Dja Reserve, forest resources are heavily used by local people and logging companies alike. Hunting for bushmeat is a traditional activity, yet increased commercialisation of the bushmeat trade as a result of accessibility of firearms, the carving up of forests by logging, agriculture and human population growth and a swelling demand from towns and cities, is leading to the depletion of populations and species at local, regional and national levels.To address these issues, the CRC runs Projet Grands Singes (PGS) in this area. The target is to promote tropical conservation and decelerate the rate of decline of great apes through a community-based conservation and development approach. This approach respects the economic requirements of rural people, through mutually-interdependent conservation and development objectives (sustainable hunting management, the provision of incentives in conservation, environmental education, etc). It is arguably impossible to study endangered species without concerning yourself with their conservation, and on the flipside, informed conservation efforts require science-based evidence and support, strengthening the intricate link between research and conservation. In a further step, PGS uses scientific research as a conservation tool to forge a rare and important direct link between wildlife conservation and benefits for the local communities: regular employment of local people in research activities reinforces the value of living wildlife and intact forests to the community.PGS seeks to respond to the urgent need for population estimates, surveys and monitoring of western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees across the entirety of their range—including within surrounding and connecting matrices—to help improve and devise ape conservation actions, prevent population isolation and loss of genetic variation, and to effectively manage PAs. Through long-term, hypothesis-driven, applied- conservation research in situ, PGS staff and students investigate great ape ecology, diet and behaviour; forest structure and use by primates, the impacts of human activity on great apes, phenology, botany and food availability of the rain forest habitats; and the changing status of great apes in the site and elsewhere, for improved understanding and species conservation in the long term."