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Malacological inventory of a sediment sample collected around the 500-meter isobath, southwest of Iceland
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Male spiders control offspring sex ratio through greater production of female-determining sperm
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Mammalian remains from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Kamenka, Buryatia (Siberia)
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Mammals from the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Belgium (Tienen Formation, MP7): Paleobiogeographical and biostratigraphical implications
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Mammoth taphonomy of two fluvial sites from the Flemish Valley, Belgium
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Man and environment in the territory of Sagalassos, a classical city in SW Turkey
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Since 1990 archaeological research by the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) has been carried out at the ancient site of Sagalassos (Aǧlasun, Burdur province, Southwestern Turkey). At first, research focused on the excavation of the city and the study of the immediate vicinity which provided it with raw materials. The main objective was to obtain a clear picture of the history and development of the city. Since 1993 research has also incorporated a study of the territory of the Roman city, from prehistoric to modern times, in order to understand why the site was selected for settlement, why it developed into a middle-sized town, its economy and subsistence, how it affected and exploited the environment, its decline, and what changes have taken place in the district subsequently. The focus has now shifted towards obtaining a better understanding of the linkages between human and environment systems so that inter-relations between the two can be more readily understood. As a result, a number of environmental topics concerning the territory of the Roman city are presently being studied. This territory extended from Lake Burdur in the West to the Aksu canyon in the East, from the Aǧlasun Daǧlari in the North to Mt. Kestel in the South. Interdisciplinary research revealed that for the early Neolithic and the Roman period there was a slightly warmer climate, a richer vegetation and more fertile soils for agricultural practice.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Managing canopy cover to preserve forest microclimate and diverse macroarthropod communities in times of drought
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1. Forest canopies play a vital role in buffering macroclimatic conditions, creating stable microclimates that support species unable to survive under the surrounding climate. However, disturbances driven by climate change alongside management interventions can disrupt canopy cover, altering forest microclimates and, consequently, forest- related biodiversity. 2. To investigate these dynamics, we monitored forest floor temperature, soil moisture and macroarthropod communities along a canopy cover gradient in the National Park Brabantse Wouden, Belgium. Forest microclimate was recorded using TMS4- loggers throughout the 2022–2023 growing seasons. Macroarthropod activity- density and species richness were sampled using pitfall traps during the 2022 summer. Generalized linear mixed models and piecewise structural equation modelling were used to assess the influence of forest structure. 3. As canopy cover decreased, microclimate temperatures became more similar to macroclimate temperatures, reducing the forest's thermal buffering capacity. Once canopy cover dropped below 50%, temperatures were amplified rather than buffered. Additionally, lower stand densities were linked to higher soil moisture levels. 4. Microclimatic conditions significantly affected both the activity- density and species richness of macroarthropod communities. Woodlice profited from temporarily elevated forest floor temperatures if soil moisture was sufficient, while prolonged high temperatures negatively affected ground beetles. Ground beetles benefited from reduced canopy cover and increased deadwood, while woodlice preferred oak- dominated stands. 5. Synthesis and applications. To sustain a stable and well- buffered microclimate, we recommend maintaining canopies as closed as possible. Even small openings reduce the forest's ability to buffer temperature, with canopy covers below 50% leading to temperature amplification. Closed canopies should be combined with isolated canopy gaps to promote habitat heterogeneity. Additionally, deadwood amounts should increase to provide shelter during droughts. This balanced management approach fosters stable forest microclimates and diverse habitats, supporting long- and short- term macroarthropod biodiversity in temperate broadleaf forests.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Managing geological uncertainty in CO2-EOR reservoir assessments
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Mangrove Ecosystem Properties Regulate High Water Levels in a River Delta
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Mangrove ecosystem properties regulate high water levels in a river delta
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Intertidal wetlands, such as mangroves in the tropics, are increasingly recognized for their role in nature-based mitigation of coastal flood risks. Yet it is still poorly understood how effective they are at attenuating the propagation of extreme sea levels through large (order of 100 km2) estuarine or deltaic systems, with complex geometry formed by networks of branching channels intertwined with mangrove and intertidal flat areas. Here, we present a delta-scale hydrodynamic modelling study, aiming to explicitly account for these complex landforms, for the case of the Guayas delta (Ecuador), the largest estuarine system on the Pacific coast of Latin America. Despite coping with data scarcity, our model accurately reproduces the observed propagation of high water levels during a spring tide. Further, based on a model sensitivity analysis, we show that high water levels are most sensitive to the mangrove platform elevation and degree of channelization but to a much lesser extent to vegetation-induced friction. Mangroves with a lower surface elevation, lower vegetation density, and higher degree of channelization all favour a more efficient flooding of the mangroves and therefore more effectively attenuate the high water levels in the deltaic channels. Our findings indicate that vast areas of channelized mangrove forests, rather than densely vegetated forests, are most effective for nature-based flood risk mitigation in a river delta.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024