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Article Reference Quantitative approach for assessing risks and benefits to the supply of ecosystem services in response to human activities
Escalating human activities threaten ecosystems and the benefits they provide, known as ecosystem services (ES). Despite the recognized importance of ES for both ecological health and human well-being, integrated methods for evaluating ES within decision-making frameworks remain limited. Current environmental assessments, such as ecological risk assessment (ERA), typically focus on risks to specific endpoints such as survival, growth and reproduction of test species without capturing broader ecosystem risks and benefits. This study introduces a novel method designed to quantitatively assess risks and benefits to ES supply by integrating ES as assessment endpoints within ERA. Using cumulative distribution functions, we establish risk and benefit thresholds and calculate the probability and magnitude of exceeding these following human interventions. The method was tested by quantifying risk and benefit metrics for a regulating ES, waste remediation, in three marine offshore case studies: an existing offshore wind farm, a hypothetical mussel longline culture, and a multi-use scenario combining both. The results enabled detailed comparisons of the probability and magnitude of creating risks and providing benefits across scenarios, demonstrating the utility of cumulative distribution functions for both visualizing and quantifying risks and benefits to ES supply. This generic and broadly applicable method can evaluate ES trade-offs regardless of the ecosystem under study, providing a valuable tool to operationalize the integration of ES into decision-making and environmental management frameworks.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Multi-isotope analysis of bone collagen of Late Pleistocene ungulates reveals niche partitioning and behavioural plasticity of reindeer during MIS 3
Here we present stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of collagen extracted from Rangifer, Equus and Bison bone (n = 128) from different stratigraphic levels at the chronologically well-constrained Middle and Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Cottés, France. Samples were taken from five phases of site use (US08, US06, US04 [upper and lower], and US02; ~ 45.8–35.3 ka cal BP) to explore the dietary and spatial palaeoecology of these ungulate species during MIS 3, and the contemporary climate. Temporal trends in δ15N values of all species broadly align with other climatic indicators at the site and the lowest values in US04 correspond to the Heinrich 4 cooling event, reflecting changes in the composition of soil/plant nitrogen at this time. Rangifer collagen is 13C-enriched compared to the other species throughout, consistent with lichen consumption. However, this isotopic niche partitioning between Rangifer and Equus/Bison is most extensive during US04, indicating plasticity in reindeer feeding behaviour, and potentially overall increased lichen biomass during this cooler/more arid phase. Rangifer δ34S values are consistently lower than Equus and Bison, which could be indicative of their more extensive spatial ranges incorporating greater inland areas. Equus and Bison demonstrate a significant decrease in δ34S values through time, which may be linked to contemporary climatic decline.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Method assessment and observer variation in age estimation: A comparative analysis of the Suchey-Brooks and the İşcan methods on an archaeological medieval population
Age-at-death estimation methods have faced challenges in their applicability to past populations. This study aims to evaluate the assessment and observer variability of the Suchey-Brooks (SB) and İşcan methods within archaeological contexts. Our sample consisted of 400 individuals from the medieval cemetery of the Dunes Abbey in Koksijde, Belgium. The skeletal remains exhibited good preservation, especially for the İşcan methods, which showed higher sensitivity to preservation conditions. Intra- and inter-observer variation were investigated using Spearman correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon paired ranks test, and Cohen's kappa test. The Spearman coefficient revealed a strong positive correlation, with a moderate to almost excellent kappa coefficient for both intra- and inter-observer error. Overall, the SB method displayed better inter-observer agreement, while the İşcan method presented better intra-observer agreement. Applying these methods to younger individuals resulted in less variability. Certain descriptive phase categories, such as phase III for the SB method and phase 3 and 4 for the İşcan methods, seemed problematic. Only 188 sufficiently preserved individuals could be scored using both the SB and the İşcan methods. They were classified into age groups, and the methods assessment were evaluated using the same statistical approach. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated consistent age group attribution between the two methods (rho = 0.92), with a moderate to almost excellent agreement (k = 0.45; wk = 0.91). Overall, the two methods mainly differ by only one age group, except for older adults. The SB method tended to assign older age groups compared to İşcan's method, leading to effective overestimation.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Article Reference Investigating suspended particulate matter in coastal waters using the fractal theory
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Article Reference Pick up the pieces - Harmonising and collating seabed substrate data for European Maritime Areas
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Article Reference Updating Frasnian miospore zonation from the Boulonnais (Northern France) and comparison with new data from the Upper Palaeozoic cover on the Brabant Massif (Western Belgium).
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Multituberculate mammal of possible North American affinity in the Maastrichtian of the Russian Far East
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
Article Reference Cariocecus bocagei, a new basal hadrosauroid from the Lower Cretaceous of Portugal
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Deciphering causes and behaviors: A recurrent pattern of tail injuries in hadrosaurid dinosaurs
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Developmental types and a new cryptic species of Chicoreus (Gastropoda: Muricidae) from Papua New Guinea
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025