Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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The retrospective analysis of Antarctic tracking data project
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Antarctic biology: scale matters
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Toward a Harmonization for Using in situ Nutrient Sensors in the Marine Environment
- Improved comparability of nutrient concentrations in seawater is required to enhance the quality and utility of measurements reported to global databases. Significant progress has been made over recent decades in improving the analysis and data quality for traditional laboratory measurements of nutrients. Similar efforts are required to establish high-quality data outputs from in situ nutrient sensors, which are rapidly becoming integral components of ocean observing systems. This paper suggests using the good practices routine established for laboratory reference methods to propose a harmonized set of deployment protocols and of quality control procedures for nutrient measurements obtained from in situ sensors. These procedures are intended to establish a framework to standardize the technical and analytical controls carried out on the three main types of in situ nutrient sensors currently available (wet chemical analyzers, ultraviolet optical sensors, electrochemical sensors) for their deployments on all kinds of platform. The routine reference controls that can be applied to the sensors are listed for each step of sensor use: initial qualification under controlled conditions in the laboratory, preparation of the sensor before deployment, field deployment and finally the sensor recovery. The fundamental principles applied to the laboratory reference method are then reviewed in terms of the calibration protocol, instrumental interferences, environmental interferences, external controls, and method performance assessment. Data corrections (linearity, sensitivity, drifts, interferences and outliers) are finally identified along with the concepts and calculations for qualification for both real time and time delayed data. This paper emphasizes the necessity of future collaborations between research groups, reference-accredited laboratories, and technology developers, to maintain comparability of the concentrations reported for the various nutrient parameters measured by in situ sensors.
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On the arachnofauna of the Jean Massart botanical garden (Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium)
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Two new species of Spiniphiline (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea) from the Middle and Eastern Atlantic Ocean
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A Review of Species in Fusceulima (Gastropoda: Eulimidae) from the NE Atlantic Ocean and the Western Mediterranean Sea with Illustration of Key Type Specimens
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Spatiotemporal Variability in Phytoplankton Size Class Modulated by Summer Monsoon Wind Forcing in the Central Arabian Sea
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Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Suspended Particulate Matter in Water Environments: A Review
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Rediscovery of Camponotus herculeanus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Belgium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
- Camponotus herculeanus (Linnaeus, 1758) was rediscovered in Belgium near Ouren. Throughout the spring and summer of 2023, workers were collected on multiple occasions in a Picea abies stand near the Belgian-German boarder.
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Estimation of Mud and Sand Fractions and Total Concentration From Coupled Optical‐Acoustic Sensors
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107 Ants in the clouds: A preliminary checklist of the ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) fauna of a Honduran cloud forest ecosystem, featuring a key to country genera
- Ant diversity in tropical montane rainforests is globally understudied. This is true for Cusuco National Park (CNP), a cloud forest ecosystem in northwestern Honduras that supports geographically isolated and threatened habitats. The current study presents the first comprehensive ant species checklist for CNP, which is also the first ant check- list for Honduras in over a century. Species records from several projects are also com- bined and presented. Sampling occurred along an elevational range (mainly between 1170 and 2030 m a.s.l.), with methodologies and intensities varying among projects and dates. Overall, 162 ant species belonging to nine subfamilies and 60 genera are reported from the CNP. Five species are recorded for the first time in Honduras (Pheidole natalie Longino, 2019; Strumigenys cf. calamita; Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972; Solenopsis tex- ana/carolinensis; Pseudomyrmex pallens Mayr, 1870). For the first time, male individuals are reported in Pheidole balatro Longino, 2019. For each species, we provide informa- tion on observed habitat preference, elevational range, and sampling technique. Species accumulation curves are provided for each sample technique, representing sampling intensity and community sample coverage. We also provide a key to the ant genera of Honduras to aid future taxonomic efforts in the country. Our research demonstrates that CNP harbours a surprisingly rich diversity of ant species, despite its small area, similar to many other taxa in the park. The information provided here represents baseline infor- mation for future work on ants in CNP and other Honduran cloud forests and will help guide research in these otherwise poorly explored yet highly threatened ecosystems.
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Familie-indeling en diversiteit van wespen (Hymenoptera) in de Lage Landen
- De classificatie van de families van de orde Hymenoptera is de afgelopen vijf jaar aanzienlijk veranderd, onder meer door meer moleculair onderzoek. De evolutionaire geschiedenis van de orde wordt ook steeds duidelijker. Op basis van onderzoek uit recente literatuur en in lijn met nieuwe inzichten presenteren wij een nieuw familieoverzicht voor Nederland en België. In Nederland en België zijn vertegenwoordigers gevonden van 88 families. Om een idee te krijgen van de diversiteit van de verschillende families wordt een overzicht gegeven van het aantal genera en het (geschatte) aantal soorten voor elke familie. Deze cijfers zijn gebaseerd op literatuuronderzoek, websites of deskundig oordeel van specialisten. Een groot aantal foto’s toont de enorme soortendiversiteit van de wespen. Er valt echter ook in beide landen nog veel te ontdekken, vooral in de Parasitica-groep.
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Role of windbreaks on ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) conservation in a cotton-growing agroecosystem of the humid savannah in Togo
- Intensive agriculture and monoculture lead to significant reduction, or loss, of the initial biodiversity. This reduction or loss of biodiversity, can be mitigated by the presence of windbreaks around the fields that serve not only as natural barrier against adverse weather conditions but also as refuge for critical organisms. The aim of this study was to determine the role of natural windbreaks in the conservation of ants at the Experimental Station of the Centre de Recherche Agronomique de la Savane Humide in Kolokop´e (Togo). Ants’ diversity was assessed in two cotton fields and their surrounding natural windbreaks using pitfall traps and monolith method in 100 m x 2 m transects. In total, 58 ant species belonging to 22 genera in six subfamilies (Dolichoderinae, Dorylinae, For- micinae, Myrmicinae, Ponerinae and Proceratinae) were identified. The species richness of ants was higher in the windbreaks (43 and 36 species) than the cotton fields (15 and 19). The occurrence of ants was also higher in the windbreaks (35.65 % and 36.24 %) than the cotton fields (11.69 % and 16.42 %). Thirty-four out of the 58 species were sampled exclusively in the windbreaks, compared to only two species exclusively sampled in the cotton fields (Crematogaster sp.3 and Lepisiota sp.3), while only three species were common for all the habitats (Camponotus flavomarginatus Mayr, 1862, Tetramorium sp.1 and Tetramorium simillimum (Smith, 1851)). The study shows that ants were more diversified and active in the windbreaks than the cotton fields. Windbreaks, characterized by less anthropic disturbance, could function as refuge for ants within this agroecosystem.
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Conclusions and future actions
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Vooruitgangsrapport (juni 2024) over de effecten op het mariene milieu van baggerspeciestortingen (vergunningsperiode 01/01/2022-31/12/2026).
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Milieueffectenbeoordeling van de aanvraag van de Federale Overheidsdienst Economie, K.M.O., Middenstand en Energie, Algemene Directie Energie, voor de aanleg en exploitatie van offshore windparken en parkbekabeling in de Prinses Elisabeth-zone (PEZ).
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Passende Beroordeling van de aanvraag van de Federale Overheidsdienst Economie, K.M.O., Middenstand en Energie, Algemene Directie Energie, voor de aanleg en exploitatie van offshore windparken en parkbekabeling in de Prinses Elisabeth-zone (PEZ).
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Milieueffectenbeoordeling van de aanvraag van EXA Infrastructure Belgium voor het verkrijgen van een machtiging voor het leggen, en een vergunning voor de exploitatie van een telecommunicatiekabel in de Belgische zeegebieden.
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Physical loss and disturbance of the seabed in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Assessment of the Belgian Marine Waters, MSFD. ANS-BE-BENT-PHYS2024
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Physical loss and disturbance of the seabed in the Belgian part of the North Sea (EU MSFD D6C1-2).
