| Expertise |
The research group of Luc De Meester has strong expertise in two main fields: aquatic ecology and evolutionary biology. Within the field of aquatic ecology, our research focuses on the structure and functioning of freshwater systems (mainly shallow lakes and ponds, including temporary pools), on community ecology and ecological biogeography, on nature conservation and on biodiversity studies. The research group of Luc De Meester coordinated EU project BIOMAN (EVK2-CT-1999-00046) on biodiversity and human impact in shallow lakes in Europe, in which system-wide diversity was studied in 96 lakes along a NS gradient across Europe. Through EU project BIOMAN, Belspo project MANSCAPE and EU-IP project ALARM, the research group has obtained very strong expertise with field work on biodiversity, community structure and ecosystem functioning in shallow lakes, ponds and pools. The research group has also gained much expertise with outdoor cattle tank experiments, which will be further developed through the recently started ESF project BIOPOOL. The BIOPOOL project, through its focus on an experimental approach involving cattle tank experiments, provides unique opportunities for complementarity to the research presented in the current project application.
|
| Selection of 5 recent publications |
- Declerck, S., J. Vandekerkhove, L. Johansson, K. Muylaert, J. M. Conde-Porcuna, K. Van der Gucht, C. Perez-Martinez, T. Lauridsen, K. Schwenk, G. Zwart, W. Rommens, J. Lopez-Ramos, E. Jeppesen, W. Vyverman, L. Brendonck and L. De Meester. 2005. Multi-group biodiversity in shallow lakes along gradients of phosphorus and water plant cover. Ecology 86:1905-1915.
- Declerck, S., T. De Bie, D. Ercken, H. Hampel, S. Schrijvers, J. Van Wichelen, V. Gillard, R. Mandiki, B. Losson, D. Bauwens, S. Keijers, W. Vyverman, B. Goddeeris, L. De Meester, L. Brendonck and K. Martens. 2006. Ecological characteristic's of small farmland ponds: Associations with land use practices at multiple spatial scales. Biological Conservation 131:523-532.
- Declerck, S., M. Vanderstukken, A. Pals, K. Muylaert and L. De Meester. 2007. Plankton biodiversity along a gradient of productivity and its mediation by macrophytes. Ecology 88:2199-2210.
- De Bie, T., S. Declerck, K. Martens, L. De Meester and L. Brendonck. 2008. A comparative analysis of cladoceran communities from different water body types: patterns in community composition and diversity. Hydrobiologia 597:19-27.
- Louette, G., L. De Meester and S. Declerck. 2008. Assembly of zooplankton communities in newly created ponds. Freshwater Biology 53:2309-2320.
- Scheffer, M., G. J. van Geest, K. Zimmer, E. Jeppesen, M. Sondergaard, M. G. Butler, M. A. Hanson, S. Declerck, and L. De Meester. 2006. Small habitat size and isolation can promote species richness: second-order effects on biodiversity in shallow lakes and ponds. Oikos 112:227-231.
|