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Premier signalement en Belgique de Phloeotribus liminaris (Harris, 1852), un scolyte nord-américain introduit en Europe (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2021
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Control of simulated ocean ecosystem indicators by biogeochemical observations
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To protect marine ecosystems threatened by climate change and anthropic stressors, it is essential to operationally monitor ocean health indicators. These are metrics synthetizing multiple marine processes relevant to the users of operational services. Here we assess if selected ocean indicators simulated by operational models can be controlled (here meaning constrained effectively) by biogeochemical observations, by using a newly proposed methodological framework. The method consists in firstly screening the sensitivities of the indicators with respect to the initial conditions of the observable variables. These initial conditions are perturbed stochastically in Monte Carlo simulations of one-dimensional configurations of a multi-model ensemble. Then, the models are applied in three-dimensional ensemble assimilation experiments, where the reduction of the ensemble variance corroborates the controllability of the indicators by the observations. The method is applied for ten relevant ecosystem indicators (ranging from inorganic chemicals to plankton production), seven observation types (representing data from satellite and underwater platforms), and an ensemble of five biogeochemical models of different complexity, employed operationally by the European Copernicus Marine Service. We demonstrate that all the indicators are controlled by one or more types of observations. In particular, the indicators of phytoplankton phenology are controlled and improved by the merged observations from the surface ocean colour and chlorophyll profiles. Similar observations also control and reduce the uncertainty of the plankton community structure and production. However, the uncertainty of the trophic efficiency and POC increases when assimilating chlorophyll-a data, though observations were not available to assess whether that was due to a worsen model skill. We recommend that the assessment of controllability proposed here becomes a standard practice in designing operational monitoring, reanalysis and forecast systems, to ultimately provide the users of operational services with more precise estimates of ocean ecosystem indicators.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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High-Latitude Dinosaur Nesting Strategies during the Latest Cretaceous in North-Eastern Russia
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Hadrosaur-like vascularisation in the dentary of an early diverging iguanodontian dinosaur
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Surface suspended particulate matter concentration in Taiwan Strait during summer and winter monsoon
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The Taiwan Strait (TS), situated between Taiwan and China, is shallow, relatively turbid, and characterized by strong tidal currents and winter and summer monsoon seasons. The aim of this study was to use images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)on board the Aqua satellite to investigate how local sediment sources in addition to the seasonality in wind, oceanographic currents, and waves influence the suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics in the TS. In winter, northeast (NE) winds drive the China Coastal Current southward. Cold water with a high SPM concentration is transported southward into the Strait. After the highest SPM concentration reaches its peak in December and January, the winds weaken and the SPM concentration decreases. During summer, winds are less strong and SPM concentration is lower. Although typhoons typically occur in summer, they generate only a weak signal in the surface SPM concentration data from MODIS because of the low number of cloud-free images during these periods. Typhoons result in a short-term increase in the SPM concentration but do not strongly influence the seasonal values in the satellite-derived SPM concentration maps.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Neanderthal exploitation of birds in north-western Europe: Avian remains from Scladina Cave (Belgium)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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MYRMECOPHILOUS LABOULBENIALES (ASCOMYCOTA) IN BELGIUM
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This paper presents the first record of Rickia wasmannii (Laboulbeniales) from Myrmica sabuleti in Belgium. Aspects of prevalence and thallus density of R. wasmannii are discussed, and a description and illustrations are given. Screening of the oldest colony of Lasius neglectus in Belgium (Ghent University Botanic Garden) did not reveal infections with Laboulbenia formicarum.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Eerste waarnemingen van de sneeuwvlo Boreus hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1767) voor West-Vlaanderen: een zeldzame soort of een soort die zelden wordt waargenomen? (Mecoptera: Boreidae)
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During a pitfall sampling in the winter of 2014-2015 in some heathland relicts near Bruges, Boreus hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1767) was recorded at three sites. These are the first records of this species for the Province West Flanders. Formerly, this species was only known in Flanders from large and spacious heathlands and shifting sand dunes. As an adult, Boreus hyemalis is only active during the coldest period of the year, even when soils are covered with snow and ice. Probably this species is more common than so far assumed, but because during winter entomological surveys are very rare, this species has probably been overlooked at several places. We give an up-date of its current observed distribution in Belgium and we discuss the recent observations in the western part of Belgium.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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De spinnenfauna van enkele heidegebieden nabij Brugge. Deel 1: bemonsteringen 2014-2015
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131 species of spiders were collected during a year-round sampling with pitfall traps of 8 heathland patches west of Bruges. One species, Ozyptila westringi, was recorded for the first time in Belgium, 20 species are mentioned as threatened on the Red list of spiders of Flanders and one species is catalogued as critically endangered on that list: Pirata uliginosus. An important part of the spider fauna in these heathlands consist of species characteristic for heathland, dunes and dry, oligotrophic grasslands. Notwithstanding these heathlands are embedded in a matrix of forest, we observed that the number of forest species was rather low. Management and restoration of heathlands near Bruges are discussed.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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De spinnenfauna van enkele Rode dopheidegebieden nabij Brugge: Deel 2: Bemonsteringen in Provinciedomein Tillegembos in 2015-2016
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105 species of spiders were collected during a year-round sampling with pitfall traps of 3 heathland patches in Provinciedomein Tillegembos south of Bruges. Several rare and interesting species were discovered and discussed. An important part of the spider fauna in these heathlands consists of species characteristic for dry, oligotrophic grasslands. Also some species of heathland and dunes were found. 13 species are mentioned as threatened on the Red list of spiders of Flanders. Five species are catalogued as endangered, Seven species as vulnerable and one species is catalogued as critically endangered on that list: Thyreosthenius biovatus. Restoration of heathlands near Bruges in the context of spider- and insect-friendly management are discussed.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019