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DNA barcoding halictine bee species from Europe and Africa
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2017/inproceedingsreference.2018-02-08.7053529390
No publisherPeer ReviewAbstract of an Oral Presentation or a PosterOpen AccessImpact FactorRBINS Collection(s)2018/02/08 15:09:34 GMT+1Inproceedings ReferenceWest African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis (LINK, 1795) in the Estuary of the Congo River (Democratic Republic of the Congo): Review and Update
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2017/articlereference.2018-02-15.9734928150
No publisherPeer ReviewOpen AccessInternational Redaction Board2018/02/15 14:45:00 GMT+1Article ReferenceImpact of Laying Date and Fire Ants on Hatchlings of Chelonoidis porteri on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2018/articlereference.2024-03-29.3080826742
Chelonoidis land tortoises are iconic species endemic to the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador. Their populations have been dramatically reduced by human activities in the last three centuries, including indirect effects such as the introduction of invasive species. We investigated the mortality of eggs and hatchlings in 48 nests of Chelonoidis porteri on Santa Cruz Island with regard to various mortality causes such as the occurrence of fire ants and the date of laying. The average mortality rate was 0.56. Tropical Fire Ants (Solenopsis geminata) were present within 1 m of 75% of the C. porteri nests, and we encountered fire ants in 12.5% of excavated nests. We found no relationship between Tropical Fire Ant abundance and C. porteri egg and hatchling survivorship. We observed no signs of mold inside the nests. We determined that early deposition dates were associated with lower clutch survival and identified egg development as the critical life stage. Finally, we discuss the potential impacts of fire ants and climate change on tortoise survival and reproduction and stress the importance of taking these factors into account for the conservation of the endemic land tortoises of the GalápagosNo publisherRBINS Publication(s)RBINS Collection(s)PDF availableOpen AccessPeer Review2024/03/29 10:00:06 GMT+1Article ReferenceIntroduction history and genetic diversity of the invasive ant Solenopsis geminata in the Gala´pagos Islands
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2018/articlereference.2024-03-29.8189335631
The Gala´pagos Islands constitute one of the most pristine tropical systems on Earth. However, the complex and fragile equilibrium of native species is threatened by invasive species, among which is one of the most successful ants in the world, the tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata. We characterized the genetic structure and diversity of populations of S. geminata in the Galapagos Islands and unravelled the archipelago colonization by combining Bayesian clustering methods and coalescent-based scenario testing. Using 12 microsatellite markers and one mitochondrial DNA fragment (COI), we analysed individuals collected in all main invaded islands of the archipelago and from the native areas in Costa Rica and mainland Ecuador. We also used mitochondrial DNA to infer evolutionary relationships of samples collected in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Costa Rica and other Latin American countries. Our results showed that genetic diversity was significantly lower in Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador populations when compared to Costa Rican populations, and that samples from Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador (Guayaquil) clustered in a single group and all share a single mtDNA haplotype. Approximate Bayesian Computation favoured a scenario assuming that populations from Galapagos Islands diverged from mainland Ecuador. The city of Guyaquil, an obligatory hub for tourism and trade, could act as a bridgehead.No publisherRBINS Publication(s)RBINS Collection(s)PDF availableOpen AccessPeer Review2024/03/29 10:12:48 GMT+1Article ReferenceFirst record of the invasive longhorn crazy ant, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille, 1802) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mt. Elgon, eastern Uganda
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2019/articlereference.2024-03-29.6852772339
We report the first observation of the invasive longhorn crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis) in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda. About 43 000 ants were sampled in 256 locations throughout the Ugandan foot slopes of Mt. Elgon in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016. We found P. longicornis in five locations in and around the town of Budadiri, Sironko district. The visual species identification was confirmed by COI gene-based DNA barcoding. That this species was found in only a small area suggests that it has only been recently introduced. The impact that P. longicornis will have on the local agricultural system or the biodiversity within the Mount Elgon National Park remains unclear. The Mt. Elgon region is a unique key biodiversity area where baseline data can be collected now to quantify the effects of P. longicornis as it increases its distribution within the regionNo publisherPeer ReviewOpen AccessPDF available2024/03/29 10:23:06 GMT+1Article ReferenceHighly polymorphic mitochondrial DNA and deceiving haplotypic differentiation: implications for assessing population genetic differentiation and connectivity
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2019/articlereference.2019-05-20.3308023770
Background Hyperdiverse mtDNA with more than 5% of variable synonymous nucleotide sites can lead to erroneous interpretations of population genetic differentiation patterns and parameters (φST, DEST). We illustrate this by using hyperdiverse mtDNA markers to infer population genetic differentiation and connectivity in Melarhaphe neritoides, a NE Atlantic (NEA) gastropod with a high dispersal potential. We also provide a recent literature example of how mtDNA hyperdiversity may have misguided the interpretation of genetic connectivity in the crab Opecarcinus hypostegus. Results mtDNA variation surveyed throughout the NEA showed that nearly all M. neritoides specimens had haplotypes private to populations, suggesting at first glance a lack of gene flow and thus a strong population genetic differentiation. Yet, the bush-like haplotype network, though visually misleading, showed no signs of phylogeographic or other haplotype structuring. Coalescent-based gene flow estimates were high throughout the NEA, irrespective of whether or not mtDNA hyperdiversity was reduced by removing hypervariable sites. Conclusions Melarhaphe neritoides seems to be panmictic over the entire NEA, which is consistent with its long-lived pelagic larval stage. With hyperdiverse mtDNA, the apparent lack of shared haplotypes among populations does not necessarily reflect a lack of gene flow and/or population genetic differentiation by fixation of alternative haplotypes (DEST ≈ 1 does not a fortiori imply φST ≈ 1), but may be due to (1) a too low sampling effort to detect shared haplotypes and/or (2) a very high mutation rate that may conceal the signal of gene flow. Hyperdiverse mtDNA can be used to assess connectivity by coalescent-based methods. Yet, the combined use of φST and DEST can provide a reasonable inference of connectivity patterns from hyperdiverse mtDNA, too.No publisherRBINS Collection(s)Open AccessImpact FactorPeer ReviewInternational Redaction Board2019/05/20 00:50:00 GMT+1Article ReferenceFitness-heterozygosity associations differ between male and female winter moths Operophtera brumata L.
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/associated_publications/bjz/bibliographic-references/ISI_000247461500006
The association between heterozygosity and fitness is positive but weak on average and varies between studies. inbreeding has been invoked as the driving force between the positive heterozygosity-fitness associations, yet in spatio-temporally stable environments a negative correlation is expected. Furthermore, different patterns can arise because of the effects of natural selection on different loci and variation can be expected among groups of individuals that experience different levels of stress. In this paper we report on fitness-heterozygosity associations in the winter moth for six allozyme loci. The relationship is estimated for males and females separately, in four areas differing in their degree of fragmentation, and variation among loci is modelled. We introduce a linear mixed model framework to achieve this analysis. This approach differs from more traditional (multiple) regression analyses and allows testing specific interactions. We show that fitness, as estimated by body size, is negatively correlated with heterozygosity, but only so in females. This association does not vary significantly among loci and the four areas. We speculate that a trade-off between fitness-consequences of inbreeding and outbreeding at different stages of the winter moth life cycle could explain the observed patterns.No publisherPeer ReviewInternational Redaction BoardImpact FactorOpen Access2017/08/02 12:15:00 GMT+1Article ReferenceFirst record of the lanternfly genus Limois Stål, 1863 in Vietnam with a new species, L. sonlaensis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2022-oa/articlereference.2022-01-26.4728626881
No publisherPeer ReviewPDF availableOpen AccessInternational Redaction Board2022/01/26 23:07:31 GMT+1Article ReferenceBlue mussel Mytilus edulis as habitat provider on offshore wind turbine foundations
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2021/inbookreference.2022-02-24.8313160833
We compare the species composition of the early (mussels not prevalent) and mature (mussels prevalent) subtidal colonizing communities at offshore windturbine foundations with special attention to the mobility and habitat preferences of the colonizing species. We identified 47 species belonging to nine different phyla from the samples of the mature community, including 21 species unique to the secondary substratum provided by the mussel shell, all of them are sessile species. Only 17 of the 37 species identified from the early subtidal colonizing community were present in the mature community. The main phyla present in both the early and mature samples were Mollusca, Arthropoda, and Annelida. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that mussels counteract the impoverishment of total species richness on wind turbines, caused by the abundant presence of Metridium senile in mature artificial hard substratum communities by providing secondary substratum for colonization by. sessile and hemi-sessile epifauna. The species assemblage found on these mussels is different from the one previously found on the piles, and only seventeen species (~36%) present in the mature community were already present in the first year after installation. In 2020, all bryozoan species (7) were exclusively observed on the secondary substratum provided by the shells of the mussels. However, these species were previously encountered on the scour protection or on the shells of other bivalves. This may be due to the fact that the secondary substratum provided by the mussels differs in physical properties (e.g., microhabitat complexity) from the primary (vertical) substratum of the pile.No publisherRBINS Publication(s)Open Access2022/02/24 10:35:00 GMT+1Inbook ReferenceOffshore renewable energy development in the Belgian part of the North Sea – 2021
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2021/inbookreference.2022-02-24.1253657950
No publisherRBINS Publication(s)Open AccessReport2022/02/24 10:35:00 GMT+1Inbook ReferenceThe EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Opportunities and challenges on the path towards biodiversity recovery
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2022/HERMOSO2022263
The European Union (EU) has committed to an ambitious biodiversity recovery plan in its Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Green Deal. These policies aim to halt biodiversity loss and move towards sustainable development, focusing on restoring degraded habitats, extending the network of protected areas (PAs), and improving the effectiveness of management, governance, and funding. The achievement of conservation goals must be founded on understanding past successes and failures. Here, we summarise the strengths and weaknesses of past EU biodiversity conservation policies and practices and explore future opportunities and challenges. We focus on four main aspects: i) coordination among and within the EU Member States, ii) integration of biodiversity conservation into socio-economic sectors, iii) adequacy and sufficiency of funds, and iv) governance and stakeholder participation.Whilst past conservation efforts have benefitted from common rules across the EU and funding mechanisms, they have failed at operationalizing coordination within and across the Member States, integrating biodiversity conservation into other sectoral policies, adequately funding and effectively enforcing management, and facilitating stakeholder participation in decision-making. Future biodiversity conservation would benefit from an extended and better-managed network of PAs, additional novel funding opportunities, including the private sector, and enhanced co-governance. However, it will be critical to find sustainable solutions to potential conflicts between conservation goals and other socio-economic objectives and to resolve inconsistencies across sectoral policies.No publisherOpen AccessImpact FactorPeer Review2022/02/24 10:37:56 GMT+1Article ReferenceEnvironmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: Attraction, avoidance and habitat use at various spatial scales
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2021/bookreference.2022-02-24.5302268119
No publisherRBINS Publication(s)PDF availableOpen AccessReport2022/02/24 10:45:00 GMT+1Book ReferenceOccurrence of intense bird migration events at rotor height in Belgian offshore wind farms and curtailment as possible mitigation to reduce collision risk
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2021/inbookreference.2022-02-24.5856762818
No publisherRBINS Publication(s)Open AccessReportPeer Review2022/02/24 10:55:00 GMT+1Inbook ReferenceExecutive summary: Attraction, avoidance and habitat use at various spatial scales
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2021/inbookreference.2022-02-24.8534646949
No publisherRBINS Publication(s)Open AccessReport2022/02/24 11:10:00 GMT+1Inbook ReferenceUpward surface movement above deep coal mines after closure and flooding of underground workings
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/library-1/rbins-staff-publications-2018/VERVOORT201853
After the mass closures of entire coal mine districts in Europe at the end of the last century, a new phenomenon of surface movement was observed—an upward movement. Although most surface movement (i.e., subsidence) occurs in the months and years after mining by the longwall method, surface movement still occurs many decades after mining is terminated. After the closure and flooding of underground excavations and surrounding rock, this movement was reversed. This paper focuses on quantifying the upward movement in two neighboring coal mines (Winterslag and Zwartberg, Belgium). The study is based on data from a remote sensing technique: interferometry with synthetic aperture radar (INSAR). The results of the study show that the rate of upward movement in the decade after closure is about 10 mm/year on average. The upward movements are not linked directly to the past exploitation directly underneath a location. The amounts of subsidence at specific locations are linked mainly to their positions relative to an inverse trough shape situated over the entire mined-out areas and their immediate surroundings. Local features, such as geological faults, can have a secondary effect on the local variation of the uplift. The processes of subsidence and uplift are based on completely different mechanisms. Subsidence is initiated by a caving process, while the process of uplift is clearly linked to flooding.No publisherPeer ReviewOpen AccessImpact Factor2019/02/26 14:49:20 GMT+1Article Reference