Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Mind the gap! Integrating taxonomic approaches to assess ant diversity at the southern extreme of the Atlantic Forest
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Litter-dwelling ants as bioindicators to gauge the sustainability of small arboreal monocultures embedded in the Amazonian rainforest
- One of the greatest threats to biodiversity and the sustainable functioning of ecosystems is the clearing of forests for agriculture. Because litter-dwelling ants are very good bioindicators of man-made disturbance, we used them to compare monospecific plantations of acacia trees, cocoa trees, rubber trees and pine trees with the surrounding Neotropical rainforest (in contrast to previous studies on forest fragments embedded in industrial monocultures). Although the global level of species turnover was weak, species richness decreased along a gradient from the forest (including a treefall gap) to the tree plantations among which the highest number of species was noted for the cocoa trees, which are known to be a good compromise between agriculture and conservation. Species composition was significantly different between natural habitats and the plantations that, in turn, were different from each other. Compared to the forest, alterations in the ant communities were (1) highest for the acacia and rubber trees, (2) intermediate for the cocoa trees, and, (3) surprisingly, far lower for the pine trees, likely due to very abundant litter. Functional traits only separated the rubber tree plantation from the other habitats due to the higher presence of exotic and leaf-cutting ants. This study shows that small monospecific stands are likely sustainable when embedded in the rainforest and that environmentally-friendly strategies can be planned accordingly.
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A global database of ant species abundances
- What forces structure ecological assemblages? A key limitation to general insights about assemblage structure is the availability of data that are collected at a small spatial grain (local assemblages) and a large spatial extent (global coverage). Here, we present published and unpublished data from 51,388 ant abundance and occurrence records of more than 2693 species and 7953 morphospecies from local assemblages collected at 4212 locations around the world. Ants were selected because they are diverse and abundant globally, comprise a large fraction of animal biomass in most terrestrial communities, and are key contributors to a range of ecosystem functions. Data were collected between 1949 and 2014, and include, for each geo-referenced sampling site, both the identity of the ants collected and details of sampling design, habitat type and degree of disturbance. The aim of compiling this dataset was to provide comprehensive species abundance data in order to test relationships between assemblage structure and environmental and biogeographic factors. Data were collected using a variety of standardised methods, such as pitfall and Winkler traps, and will be valuable for studies investigating large-scale forces structuring local assemblages. Understanding such relationships is particularly critical under current rates of global change. We encourage authors holding additional data on systematically collected ant assemblages, especially those in dry and cold, and remote areas, to contact us and contribute their data to this growing dataset. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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The relationship between taxonomic diversity and aboveground carbon storage is taxon-specific
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Subterranean ants: what have been advanced in the last frontier of ant biodiversity studies?
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Plant-invertebrate-vertebrate biodiversity and food web patterns along Mt Wilhelm and other complete altitudinal rainforest gradients.
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Ants mosaic in tropical lowland forest: Take a look on a bigger scale
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Organizing large-scale biodiversity inventories in the tropics: lessons from IBISCA projects
- Leponce, M.1, Pascal, O.2, Novotny, V.3,4 & Y. Basset5 (1) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium (Maurice.Leponce@naturalsciences.be); (2) Pro-Natura International, France; (3) University of South Bohemia, Czech Rep.; (4) Czech Academy of Sciences; (5) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Republic of Panama. Background: IBISCA is an international and informal network of biodiversity experts conducting large-scale biotic inventories in various regions of the World (www.ibisca.net). Each IBISCA project is a collective effort addressing a global ecological question. IBISCA-Panama (2003-2004) aimed at estimating the overall arthropod diversity of a lowland rainforest while the Papua New Guinea survey (2012-2014), conducted in the framework of the “Our Planet Reviewed” programme, aimed at assessing the diversity generated by the elevational factor, from sea level up to the tree line. Methods: All projects are multi-taxa (with an emphasis on plants and arthropods), multi-strata and multi-methods. A central database (DB) is at the heart of each project. Results: The data flow follows a 10 step standard process: (1) sampling design which is often a trade-off between sampling effort and representativeness; (2) pre-printing of permanent labels with unique codes for samples and specimens; (3) collection of specimens with standardized mass collection methods; (4) on-site pre-sorting of material by helpers (para-taxonomists, students) to Order level; (5) further sorting to Family level by Taxonomic Working Group (TWIG) leaders and dispatching of specimens to experts; (6) identification of the material to (morpho-)species level by taxonomic experts who send afterwards the results to their TWIG leader; (7) control of the quality of data by TWIG leaders who fill a data entry template and send it to the database administrator; (8) import and cleaning of the data by the database administrator; (9) analysis and publication of the data by participants, either collectively or individually; (10) export of the DB to a public repository of data. Assisted data entry with high tech equipment (barcode scanner, PDA) reduces the risk of errors. Discussion/conclusion: Our experience shows that the main bottleneck in the data flow is the processing of the huge quantity of specimens collected. Solutions include securing enough funds for this critical step, training research technicians (para-taxonomists/ecologists) to assist main investigators and focusing on a limited number of informative yet tractable taxa. An additional benefit is that providing employment to local research assistants supports initiatives of local communities to conserve their forests.
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Our Planet Reviewed 2012 biodiversity survey along Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea.
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Spatio-temporal variation of ant distribution among ground layers in an Andean tropical forest
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Canopy exploration and paraecologist training in Papua New Guinea
- Canopy exploration and paraecologist training in Papua New Guinea Leponce, M. (1) (1) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, (Maurice.Leponce@naturalsciences.be) Background: Papua New Guinea rainforests are among the most biodiverse on Earth. They still cover extensive areas but are being altered at a rapid rate. Their biodiversity is still largely unexplored especially in the treetops, called the canopy. The New Guinea Binatang Research Center, led by Prof. V. Novotny, is seeking for innovative solutions to promote ecological research, capacity building and nature conservation. Methods: For exploring the canopy biodiversity, new tools based on hot air or helium balloons were developed by a French NGO, Opération Canopée. The balloons were used to collect in situ plants and insects, ants in particular. Results: Ants reigned in the canopy. They were sometimes found living inside extraordinary myrmecophytes (Myrmecodia, Hydnophytum) which adapted their structure to accommodate the ants. A few territorial dominant ants such as Oecophylla or Crematogaster excluded each other from tree crowns, forming “ant mosaics”. Discussion/conclusion: For protecting native rainforests an innovative approach, linking biodiversity research and capacity building, was implemented. Gifted naturalists, called parataxonomists and paraecologists, were recruited in villages and trained by internationally-renowned scientists. Research stations created local employment. This source of income added to money from sponsors allowed local communities to obtain access to a higher level of education and health care without having to give in to the pressure related to deforestation. Video HD 16:9, French, English subtitles, 12min. Full version “In the treetops of Papua New Guinea” available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04h2FLb1HtA
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Contrasting ant diversity and distribution between ground, understorey and canopy rainforest strata along Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea.
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Dna barcoding and ecological surveys of the ants of southern Atlantic forest: looking at the tip of the iceberg in a biodiversity hotspot
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DNA barcoding and ecological survey of the ants of Iguazu National Park: looking at the tip of the iceberg in a biodiversity hotspot
- Understanding patterns of species diversity can only be achieved by long-term research and the integration of taxonomical, ecological and behavioral data. Here we studied the diversity and ecology of ants of Iguazu National Park (INP), Argentina, using six sampling techniques. DNA barcodes were used to uncover cryptic diversity, test species/morphospecies delimitation accuracy, and link unidentified male and queen specimens with their worker caste. Results: INP houses 195 described ant species and an additional 49 morphospecies. Leaf litter sampling and pitfall traps were the most efficient sampling methods, while surface baiting revealed the prevalence of large predatory species at different times of the day. Comparing baiting to other sampling methods provided information on species co-existence and the presence of possible dominance hierarchies among ant species. We obtained the DNA barcodes of 312 specimens from 124 species (51% of the ants of INP). Our analyses evidenced a clear barcode gap in all species but two, with an average distance to the nearest neighbor of 15.75%, almost eight times larger than the mean distance to the furthest conspecific (2.07%). Eighty-three percent of the sequence clusters obtained with different clustering algorithms (ABGD, RESL, TCS) matched the reference species or morphospecies, while 10% highlighted possible cryptic diversity. In terms of efficacy, this barcode library allowed a correct identification in more than 94% of the species/morphospecies, and to assign a species name to 69% of the unidentified males and queens. Significance: This study evidences that DNA barcodes are a valuable tool for identifying the ants of the Atlantic Forest, a global diversity hotspot. Furthermore, our project provides a framework for understanding the ecology and the taxonomic diversity of the ants of this region, including the identification of currently undescribed reproductive castes and the discovery of possible cryptic species.
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Management of the water quality in Vietnamese coastal waters impacted by CLIMate change and human induces DISasters using a marine modelling tool
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Preliminary results on the bone histology of hadrosaurs from the Latest Cretaceous of Far Eastern Russia
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New species of Microraptor gives a glimpse on their ecological diversification
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Les calcaires lorrains dénommés « Pierres blanches » dans les monuments publics et funéraires en cité des Tongres au Haut-Empire (province de Germanie inférieure).
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Abstract book of the International Conference Tongeren 2016: Roman Ornamental stones in north-western Europe.
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Ein Sammelfund frühkaiserzeitlichter Wetzsteine aus der Colonia Ulpia Traiana.
