Relevance of an Ecosystem Services approach in Wallonia.

in Jacobs, S.; Keune, H.; Dendoncker, N. (Eds.) Belgium Ecosystem Services – Global Issues Local Practices (in press)

Anopheles species associations in Southeast Asia: indicator species and environmental influences

in Parasites & Vectors (2013), 6

Evaluation et modélisation des services agro-écosystémiques

Conference (2013)

Influence of sampling effort on saproxylic beetle diversity assessment: Implications for insect monitoring studies in European temperate forests

in Agricultural & Forest Entomology (2013)

Saproxylic beetle diversity monitoring provides a tool for estimating the efficiency of forest conservation measures. Flight interception traps are commonly employed to monitor beetle assemblages ... [more ▼]

Saproxylic beetle diversity monitoring provides a tool for estimating the efficiency of forest conservation measures. Flight interception traps are commonly employed to monitor beetle assemblages, although little explicit knowledge of the efficiency of this trapping method is available. The present study investigated how slight changes in sampling effort can influence species richness and species composition of assemblages in data sets from standard window-flight traps. At both trap and plot levels, an additional year or an additional trap provided a 50% increase in the number of species detected (a 75% increase for rare species) and resulted in a different estimated composition of the assemblages. Adding 2 or 3years of sampling gave twice as many species and resulted in assemblages that were 50% dissimilar. Increases in the detection of species and the dissimilarity of assemblages were similarly affected along a gradient of forest conditions, suggesting that changes in sampling effort were not affected by forest condition. At the forest level, year or trap replication provided smaller increases in species richness (31% and 25%, respectively). Within sites, distance measures in species composition between traps did not differ significantly when based on 1 or 2years of data. Using two traps per plot compared with one trap influenced comparisons between stand types, based on species richness, in 25% of the cases. Species detection was similarly increased by either year replication or trap replication. The results of the present study highlight the significant role played by finescale patterns of habitat structure and inter-annual variation with respect to determining catch size and assemblages of saproxylic species. © 2013 The Royal Entomological Society. [less ▲]

La cartographie des sites Natura 2000 : méthodologie et développement des outils nécessaires.

in Forêt Wallonne (2012), 119

A test for assessment of saproxylic beetle biodiversity using subsets of "monitoring species"

in Ecological Indicators (2012), 20

In European forests, large scale biodiversity monitoring networks need to be implemented - networks which include components such as taxonomical groups that are at risk and that depend directly on forest ... [more ▼]

In European forests, large scale biodiversity monitoring networks need to be implemented - networks which include components such as taxonomical groups that are at risk and that depend directly on forest stand structure. In this context, monitoring the species-rich group of saproxylic beetles is challenging. In the absence of sufficient resources to comprehensively survey a particular group, surrogates of species richness can be meaningful tools in biodiversity evaluations. In search of restricted subsets of species to use as surrogates of saproxylic beetle richness, we led a case study in Western Europe. Beetle data were compiled from 67 biodiversity surveys and ecological studies carried out from 1999 to 2010 with standardised trapping methods in France and Belgium. This large-scale dataset contains 642 forest plots, 1521 traps and 856 species. Twenty-two simplified species subsets were identified as potential surrogates, as well as the number of genera, a higher taxonomic level, taking into account, for each surrogate, the effort required for species identification, the practical monitoring experience necessary, the species conservation potential or the frequency of species occurrence. The performance of each surrogate was analyzed based on the following parameters: overall surrogacy (correlation between subset richness and total species richness), surrogacy vs. identification cost balance, surrogacy variation over a wide range of ecological conditions (forest type, altitude, latitude and bio-geographical area) and consistency with spatial scale. Ecological representativeness and ability to monitor rare species were supplementary criteria used to assess surrogate performance. The subsets consisting of the identifiable (or only easy-to-identify species) could easily be applied in practice and appear to be the best performing subsets, from a global point of view. The number of genera showed good prediction at the trap level and its surrogacy did not vary across wide environmental gradients. However, the subset of easy-to-identify species and the genus number were highly sensitive to spatial scale, which limits their use in large-scale studies. The number of rare species or the species richness of single beetle families (even the best single-family subset, the Cerambycidae) was very weak surrogates for total species richness. Conversely, the German list of monitoring species had high surrogacy, low identification costs and was not strongly influenced by the main geographical parameters, even with our French and Belgian data. In European-wide monitoring networks, such internationally validated subsets could be very useful with regard to the timing and cost-efficiency of field inventories. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. [less ▲]

Portail "Biodiversité en Wallonie"

Textual, factual or bibliographical database (2011)

Milieux ouverts forestiers, lisières forestières et biodiversité: de la théorie à la pratique.

Book published by Service public de Wallonie (2011)

L'aspect de la forêt naturelle, dans laquelle ont évolué les espèces forestières actuelles pendant des milliers d'années, était probablement beaucoup plus ouvert que ce que l'on peut imaginer aujourd'hui ... [more ▼]

L'aspect de la forêt naturelle, dans laquelle ont évolué les espèces forestières actuelles pendant des milliers d'années, était probablement beaucoup plus ouvert que ce que l'on peut imaginer aujourd'hui, sous l'effet de perturbations diverses et de l'action des grands herbivores. Si les ouvertures en forêt sont désormais le plus souvent liées à l'action humaine, le potentiel biologique de ces milieux n'en est pas moins élevé grâce au développement de cortèges d'organismes héliophiles caractéristiques des faciès de régénération des forêts naturelles. Par ailleurs, les lisières, qu'elles soient situées en bordure de ces ouvertures intra-forestières ou en périphérie des massifs forestiers, contribuent dans une large mesure à l'intérêt biologique des zones ouvertes, pour peu qu'elles soient progressives et dynamiques. La co-existence de lisières et de différents types de milieux ouverts variant entre eux à la fois dans l'espace (taille, forme,...) et dans le temps (événements ponctuels, récurrents ou permanents) au sein d'un massif géré est un atout incontestable pour la biodiversité. Leur intérêt biologique est intimement lié à la structure et à la composition de la végétation et, partant, à leur mode d'exploitation et de gestion. Ce guide propose donc, au-delà d'une révision théorique sur le sujet, de nombreux conseils pratiques d'aménagement et d'entretien des ouvertures forestières, afin d'en optimiser la capacité d'accueil tout en interférant le moins possible avec la production sylvicole. [less ▲]

Changes in the distribution of carabid beetles in Belgium revisited: Have we halted the diversity loss?

in Biological Conservation (2010), 143(6), 1549-1557

Twenty years ago, Desender and Turin (1989) analysed the changes in the composition of carabid beetles in four NW European countries between the periods <1950 and 1950-1985. Recently, a new distribution ... [more ▼]

Twenty years ago, Desender and Turin (1989) analysed the changes in the composition of carabid beetles in four NW European countries between the periods <1950 and 1950-1985. Recently, a new distribution atlas of carabid beetles in Belgium was compiled using data collected during the period 1986-2008. In the light of the Countdown2010 target of halting the loss of biodiversity, we used these new data to test whether or not previously observed trends were altered. Since 1950, 46 species were no longer recorded in Belgium and seven species were added to the Belgian fauna. By relating the changes in distribution area to ecological and life history traits as well as to conservation priorities of the species, we examined which species characteristics were associated with the strongest changes in distribution. Comparing the period before 1950 with the period 1950-1985 showed that species from nutrient-poor dry biotopes and heathlands, threatened, rare and big species declined. Generalists, non-threatened species, species with a pan-European distribution range, species in the centre of their distribution range and common species, on the other hand, increased. From the period 1950-1985 to 1986-2008, mainly macropterous species, both rare and very common species and big species decreased, while generalists, dimorphic species, species with a pan-European distribution range and species that were already common in the second period increased. For the conservation of carabid beetles in a strongly industrialised and highly fragmented NW European landscape, we propose actions on two levels: first, the protection and adequate management of high quality biotopes, especially nutrient-poor grasslands and heathlands, in large core areas for specialist species and second, the creation and/or restoration of a 'matrix' that facilitates the exchange of individuals between core areas for the conservation of both generalist and specialist species. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. [less ▲]

An ArcGIS-based tool for the relational data management assistance of Natura 2000 habitat units in the Walloon Region, Belgium

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (2009), 13(2), 243-248

The Natura 2000 network designation stems from two important European conservation directives (79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC). Each EU member state was instructed to draw up a national list of Natura 2000 ... [more ▼]

The Natura 2000 network designation stems from two important European conservation directives (79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC). Each EU member state was instructed to draw up a national list of Natura 2000 conservation sites. This has largely been done. The next step is to specify what action has to be taken and what needs to be controlled in these sites by means of specific designation acts. In the Walloon Region in Belgium, the designation acts have to include a full description of the site and the habitats composing it. For this purpose, field biologists have been making a detailed inventory of all Natura 2000 sites. Land use and habitats are mapped into a Geographic Information System (ArcGIS) and a full description of them (including information needed to describe conservation states) is stored in a relational database (Access). The main problem is ensuring data integrity between the cartographic and database systems, which are completely separate. The technical solution that has been developed is an original set of tools integrated into the ArcGIS interface. These tools offer a variety of functions that enable users to create dynamic links between ArcGIS and Access. A tool will also carry out batch synchronization between the two systems. [less ▲]