Projects
SPatial and environmental determinants of Eco-Evolutionary DYnamics: anthropogenic environments as a model (SPEEDY) Ghent University
Spatial variation plays a key role in eco-evolutionary responses to environmental change. The way in which local populations, communities and ecosystems react to environmental change may critically depend on the interaction between local and regional responses. We here conduct an integrated study of eco-evolutionary dynamics along strong gradients in anthropogenic disturbance, covering replicates of habitats along (semi)natural-rural-urban ...
The disease pyramid: unravelling its interactions in the Daphnia magna-parasite model system KU Leuven
Despite the increasing consensus that parasites can have pronounced ecosystem level effects, their role in ecosystem functioning is still largely understudied. Additionally, the gut microbiota is increasingly considered as a key factor mediating performance of host individuals in continuously changing environments, whether it is challenged by parasites or not. This research project aims at obtaining insights in the role of the microbiome in ...
The development of transgene Daphnia in a molecular reconstruction of a host-parasite coevolution. KU Leuven
A mechanistic study of an evolving plant-herbivore metapopulation in controlled and anthropogenic environments Ghent University
Species do not live alone but interact and rely strongly on each other. Species also show a strong spatially structured distribution. Population dynamics, dispersal, and environmental change impact fitness, and the subsequent hereditary changes of individual traits. Evolutionary changes conversely impact population dynamics. These eco-evolutionary processes are therefore central to the functioning of populations and the maintenance of ...