Lucas Chojnacki: Shaping Tropical Forests

Wageningen University & Research Secondary forests, most often regenerating from abandoned lands, offer insights into post-disturbance recovery. Succession, the dynamic process of change in forest structure and composition, is influenced by various factors. Understanding the role of dominant and rare species in driving forest attributes is essential is for estimating restorative potential of secondary forests. To […]
Fabiënne de Jager: The effect of stressors on the onset of pneumatophore development of black mangroves

Wageningen University & Research For my Master Thesis I went to Semarang to study the effects of flooding events on the Avicennia mangrove species in the Demak Regency (Timbulsloko). Seawater with a high salinity (30 ppt) flows further into the estuaries and rivers, which causes salinity concentrations in aquifers, aquaculture ponds and in ground water. […]
Xenia Davide: Effects of Temperature and Rainfall on Stem Growth in the Tropical Tree Species Toona ciliata

Maastricht University and Wageningen University Tropical forests are essential to the regulation of climate and the global carbon cycle. They account for a third of global primary productivity, drive fluctuations in the terrestrial land sink, and thus have the potential to influence the pace of climate change. Multiple investigations revealed declining tree growth rates and […]
Alba Gimeno: Secondary forest regeneration in Mexico

Wageningen University and Research Tropical forests are disappearing rapidly due to deforestation and forest degradation. However, secondary forests can regrow once the land is left fallow through a process called secondary succession. This study aims to (1) understand the effect of the surrounding landscape in terms of distance to the nearest forest and percentage of […]
Angélique Meyer: Explaining Zostera noltii seed distribution in Arcachon Bay

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Seagrass meadows, found in shallow coastal waters, provide valuable ecosystem services such as nutrient filtering, carbon storage, and supporting biodiversity. However, human pressure has led to rapid losses of these ecosystems on a global scale. Traditional methods of restoring seagrass meadows through transplanting shoots and rhizomes have limitations, leading to an increased interest […]
Julian Voet: Population dynamics of Persoonia arborea

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Tree Geebung (Persoonia arborea) is een boomsoort die alleen voorkomt in de Central Highlands van Victoria, Australië. Deze bossen zijn doorgaans onderhevig aan bosbranden en houtkap. Veldobservaties suggereren dat Tree Geebung bosbranden kan overleven (ondanks dat de soort beschouwd wordt al brandgevoelig) en dat het massaal kan kiemen na houtkapactiviteiten. Hoewel er weinig […]
Tim Claerhout: Deelname botanische expeditie Sint-Helena

PhD student Hortus Botanicus Leiden Sint-Helena, een eiland gelegen op zo’n 2000 km van de Afrikaanse kust, is een van de meest afgelegen plaatsen op aarde. Ondanks het enorme potentieel voor endemische soorten kwam de eerste verregaande lichenologische expeditie pas in 2006. Onze expeditie bouwt hierop voort door het inschatten van de populatiegroottes en de […]
Steyn Hendriksen – How are microclimate and soil conditions determined by successional drivers in the Neotropical dry- and wet forests of México?

Wageningen University Over 50% of tropical old growth forests have disappeared due to human-driven disturbances. Logically, this has serious consequences for the functioning of tropical ecosystems, biodiversity conservation and the ecosystem services. To combat these effects, Second growth forests have received more attention in the past decades. Second growth forests are forests that grow as […]
Yiran Liu – The effect of biodiversity on productivity in a Mexican tropical dry forest

Wageningen University Global climate has changed more dramatically since 1950, with the human activities have led to declining of biodiversity. The disappearance or degradation of some ecosystems, seriously affecting ecosystem services and functions. Productivity is a fundamental and important component of ecosystem functioning and continued loss of biodiversity will lead to an accelerated decline in […]
Hidde Hereijgers en Levi Duijst: Groei, reproductie en transplantatie van Eikenmos

Universiteit Leiden Begeleiding: Barbara Gravendeel (Radboud Universiteit) en Laurens Sparrius (FLORON/BLWG). Afgelopen 3 jaar hebben verschillende studenten onderzoek gedaan naar de kleur, groei, en reproductie van het korstmos Eikenmos (Evernia prunastri). Afgelopen jaar is ook een transplantatie experiment opgezet. Deze eigenschappen zijn onderzocht met verschillende meetreeksen. De groei is gemeten bij 6 verschillende kleuren Eikenmos. […]