Name Responsible Activity "Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity Conservation" "Robby Stoks" "LABORATORY OF AQUATIC ECOLOGY (F. Ollevier, L. Brendonck, L. De Meester, R. Stoks, F. Volckaert) - Aquatic ecology and biodiversity including population genetics & evolutionary genetics of aquatic vertebrates & invertebrates. - Fish diseases (parasites, bacteria) and aquatic microbiology. - Management of aquatic ecosystems (trophical cascade) in relation with eutrophication. - Ecophysiology related with aquaculture, reproduction. - Aquatic ecotoxicology : as well fundamental aspects as their application in aquaculture and evironmental management. - Projects of applied hydrobiology are run in Africa (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya), Asia (China, Vietnam) and South-America (Ecuador, Chili, Bolivia). LABORATORY FOR ENTOMOLOGY (J. Billen) Morphology and ultrastructure of exocrine glands in social insects, phylogeny of the Formicidae, chemical analysis of pheromone-producing glands in social insects, communication and pheromones in social insects, behavioural study of reproduction and dominance in ants. LABORATORY FOR COMPARATIVE ANATOMY AND BIODIVERSITY (K. W outers, W. Van Neer, J. Snoeks) - Systematic revisions of African and South-East Asian freshwater fishes. This research is focused on the economically important fish families such as the Cichlidae (tilapias and several groups from the East African Lakes), Clariidae, Schilbeidae, Bagridae (Chrysichtys) and Mastacembelidae. - Biodiversity studies, concentrated on Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Brazzaville, Ivory Coast and the great East African Lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi). - Osteology to elucidate relationships within certain fish groups such as the Polypteridae. - Taxonomic and (paleo)ecological study of ostracodes." "Department of Soil Management" "The research is situated in five research domains, which are strongly interconnected, including (1) Soil Physics, (2) Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management, (3) Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation, (4) Soil Contamination, and (5) Spatial Soil Inventory Techniques." "Geography and Tourism" "Nicole Van Lipzig" "Within the Department of Geography and Tourism spatial patterns at the surface of the earth are studied and the dynamic interaction between the (bio-) physical environment and society takes a central place." "Forest, Nature and Landscape" "Bart Muys" "Overall, the research carried out in this laboratory focuses on the spatial and quantitative assessment of biological and man-induced patterns and processes at the landscape and habitat level both in rural, urban and natural settings. We aim at coupling traditional research on forestry, landscape elements, land use, and biotic communities with earth observation, spatial data sciences, the statistical modeling environment, and planning tools. To that extent, intergrated use is made of field survey and inventory techniques, digital and photographic remote sensing, geographical/land information and global positioning system technologies (GIS,L IS,GPS), multivariate data analysis methods (ordination and classification), decision support system (DDS) approaches, life cycle assessment (LCA) routines etc. Specifically of concern are ecologically based models at micro and macro scales, the biotic aspects of forest, nature and landscape management, land use monitoring (actual and potential), and planning tools within the concepts of optimization, sustainability and societal acceptance. * Modeling and understanding of spatial heterogeneity, including the effects of isolation and fragmentation in the landscape, the impact of heterogeneity on biotic and abiotic processes and on biodiversity and its components. * Biomass, leaf area index, and growth efficiency monitoring of green canopies. * Multi-scale intergration of earth observation data and ground information into environmental data bases, operational monitoring tools, and decision support systems. * Integration of remote sensing, GIS, GPS, field survey, and telemetry to evaluate dynamic habitat use at the landscape level. * Assessment of the possibilities and quantification of the impacts of planning and management and ecological restoration measures on biodiversity of nature, forest areas and landscape elements (incl. the role of seed banks and dispersal of plant an animal species). * Assessment of forest regeneration, with among others, natural regeneration of oak. * Development of cost-effective and sustainable silvicultural practices. * Modeling of the interaction between microwave energy and vegetative land cover. * Landscape research as part of rural planning and environmental impact studies. * Assessment and monitoring of multifunctional use of forests, nature areas, green spaces and rural landscapes. * Research on forest inventory, forest management and forest sustainability. * Imagery-based landscape typology procedures and classifications * Expert systems for nature, forest and landscape inventory and classifications and management in rural as well as in urban environments. * Operational change detection methods in nature and forest ecosystems. * Land-use and vegetation assessment/mapping in temperate and tropical regions. * Integration of image analysis results in GIS environments. * Derivation from remote sensing data and field surveys of descriptive and predictive habitat models, probabilistic habitat usage models, and biotope fragmentation indices for a range of plant and animal species. * Synthesis studies on nature, forest and landscape management and ecological restoration. * Impact studies of land use regimes on the composition, structure and diversity of forest ecosystems (historical ecology). * Environmental impact studies." "Crop Husbandry and Environment" "This research aims for yield improvement and high-quality, sustainable plant production with respect for people, animals and the environment. We optimize and evaluate (new) crop husbandry techniques (rotations, new crops, soil management, nutrients) and seed processing techniques. We develop sustainable soil management and organize official variety testing. Some interface exists between crop husbandry and environment/nature." Data "Division of Geography and Tourism" "Within the Department of Geography and Tourism spatial patterns at the surface of the earth are studied and the dynamic interaction between the (bio-) physical environment and society takes a central place." "Department of Environment" "Kris Verheyen" "The mission of UGentU+2019s Department of Environment is to perform top-quality research to better understand, value, map, and manage the worldU+2019s natural resources. This research is oriented at the functioning and management of pristine and human-altered terrestrial ecosystems worldwide and this in the context of societal relevant themes like climate change, sustainable food production, land degradation and biodiversity conservation. There is a particular focus on the integrated management of the biotic (plants, animals) and abiotic (soil, water) elements for the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. Through high-quality academic master programmes we educate skilful bio-engineers and other MScs in the field of natural resource management. The department is furthermore engaged to reach out to society on current issues related to natural resources from an independent and critical scientific-based viewpoint. In this context, the ultimate target is to strive for a sustainable stewardship of the worldU+2019s natural capital." "Antwerp X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXIS)" "Koen Janssens" "The research group develops and uses non-invasive imaging methods of materials analysis, mostly based on X-ray fluorescence, X-ray absorption and X-ray diffraction. These methods are predominantly employed to solve problems in art conservation and art history. Next to conventional X-ray sources, also synchrotron micro- and nano X-ray beams are employed for high-resolution characterization of historical, natural and synthetic materials." Biology "The three main research orientations of the department are: molecular biology, human biology and environment. The project focus on the following areas: 1. Parasitology; 2. Immunology and cancer therapy; 3. Development biology; 4. Environmental genetics; 5. Bio-diversity and plant genetics/engineering; 6. Nature conservation; 7. Marine and terrestrial ecology; 8. Mangroves preservation; 9. Eco-(geno) toxicity."