Publicaties
query=user:U0005079 OR U0006002 OR U0010351 OR U0013609 OR U0049742 OR U0087619 OR U0058392 OR U0102378 OR U0014794 OR U0017358 OR U0007263 OR U0010696 OR U0016671 OR U0032419 OR U0009148 OR U0013297 OR U0115929 OR U0079484 OR U0002685 OR U0011680 OR U0019360 OR U0050928 OR U0043568 OR U0037739 OR U0015513 OR U0085701 OR U0007525 OR U0014839 OR U0015314 OR U0016134 OR U0030863 OR U0010818 OR U0028966 OR U0014039 OR U0040949 OR U0013779 OR U0014288 OR U0143067 OR U0129301 OR U0045301 OR U0076217 OR U0032674 OR U0001760 OR U0145154 OR U0085853 OR U0055883 OR U0101889 OR U0057917 OR U0036095 OR U0054824 year:[2012 TO 2024] &institution=lirias&from=1&step=20&sort=scdate
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thesis-dissertationLathouwers, Eline; 2024. Human-environment interactions in Flemish floodplains since the late 18th century. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4145031
beschrijving
This is one of two interdisciplinary PhD positions within a project that aims at providing a long-term reconstruction of human-environment interactions in floodplains in Flanders. During this project the various direct and indirect human interventions in three case study floodplain sites will be mapped by combining an archaeological, historic and geographical analysis. The goal of this PhD is to analyse how human societies through time have responded towards changes in the floodplain environment, whereby particular attention will be paid to rural communities. The time-depth analysis of past human-environment interactions in floodplains will learn us 1) how the present-day cultural palimpsest landscape came about and to which time period specific landscape features can be traced back, but also 2) how resilient the use and management of floodplains has evolved through time. This should allow us to better manage and preserve our cultural heritage within floodplains and to better assess the robustness of floodplain use and sustainable management in future. Chronologically, this position will focus on the early modern and modern period, with a special focus on 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The PhD-researcher will make use of a wide range of written sources, produced and formed by several actors, and includes among others census data, historical maps, images, official and private archival records, but also oral histories recorded through depth-interviews.
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journal-articleLiu, Chang; Van Meerbeek, Koenraad; 2024. Predicting the responses of European grassland communities to climate and land cover change.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci; 2024; Vol. 379; iss. 1902; pp. 20230335 - ... keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4152265
beschrijving
European grasslands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on small spatial scales. However, human-induced activities like land use and climate change pose significant threats to this diversity. To explore how climate and land cover change will affect biodiversity and community composition in grassland ecosystems, we conducted joint species distribution models (SDMs) on the extensive vegetation-plot database sPlotOpen to project distributions of 1178 grassland species across Europe under current conditions and three future scenarios. We further compared model accuracy and computational efficiency between joint SDMs (JSDMs) and stacked SDMs, especially for rare species. Our results show that: (i) grassland communities in the mountain ranges are expected to suffer high rates of species loss, while those in western, northern and eastern Europe will experience substantial turnover; (ii) scaling anomalies were observed in the predicted species richness, reflecting regional differences in the dominant drivers of assembly processes; (iii) JSDMs did not outperform stacked SDMs in predictive power but demonstrated superior efficiency in model fitting and predicting; and (iv) incorporating co-occurrence datasets improved the model performance in predicting the distribution of rare species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.
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thesis-dissertationReher, Thomas; 2024. Agrivoltaics: optimizing crop production in synergy with solar panels. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4151389
beschrijving
Sustainable crop production and the continued profitability of agriculture in Europe are increasingly perceived as two opposing goals. The desire to continue traditional farming while reducing chemical inputs and fossil energy consumption brings with it many challenges. Also, the changing climate challenges agriculture in many new ways: jeopardizing harvests, pressuring growers to adopt new management practices or changing cropping systems entirely. To remain relevant and competitive, new ways of crop production will need to be considered. An ever-increasing global population and rise in energy demand stands in stark contrast with the available renewable energy in our electricity mix. Despite sustained efforts, the transition away from fossil fuels progresses at an insufficient pace. Additionally, increased opposition against nuclear energy leads to a re-uptake of gas- and coal-fired power stations, further increasing greenhouse gas emissions. To reach, or even approach our climate goals, solar- and wind energy production must be increased. Agrivoltaic (AV) production systems can serve as a bridge between agricultural sustainability and climate change challenges. By integrating solar panels on agricultural land, provided careful design choices are made, crop production can be maintained while solar energy generation can be expanded. Under AV, plants experience a modified microclimate characterized by reduced solar irradiance, changed temperatures and shifted precipitation inputs. Solar energy generation almost exclusively relies on crystalline silicon solar cells. New approaches such as perovskite-silicon tandem cells or wavelength selective technology show promise for continuing PV efficiency growth. A variety of solar panel types are available for AV. Fuel production directly from solar energy and ambient water has become a reality with the development of hydrogen panels. The use of hydrogen fuel can be a key factor in overcoming the energy density and storage problems associated with electric PV. By capturing water from the air, H2 panels thrive alongside transpiring crops. Where additional light transmission may be required, a range of semitransparent options are available. AV systems can make use of semitransparent modules, since they represent a useful tool for fine-tuning irradiance levels for the crops. One of the biggest challenges of implementing AV as a new sustainable farming system, is knowing the impact on crop productivity ahead of time and dealing with the uncertainty of fluctuating energy prices, both impacting profitability. We first performed an extensive literature search related to all the constraints that determine an AV system. Practical farming constraints, such as the use of heavy machinery, or intensive manual labor leads to a variety of AV system requirements. The variation in shade tolerance among commonly cultivated crops requires tailor-made AV system designs to optimize both energy production and agricultural yield. We distinguish three types of crop responses under AV. Crops such as maize or strawberry tolerate shade only to a limited extent and exhibit a steep decline in productivity with increasing shade. Other crops such as pear, grass or blackcurrant decrease in yield but at a much slower rate. Finally, there are crops that exhibit some level of shade tolerance, such as blueberry or raspberry. Another challenge for AV systems is determining its place in the landscape. Selecting suitable sites for AV systems requires the consideration of many factors and stakeholders' requirements. A GIS multi criteria decision analysis of Flanders revealed 60 % of its agricultural land as suitable for AV. All crops contended with important restrictions due to the proximity of heritage sites or areas of significant natural value. Most of the fruit cropping area reached AV suitability scores exceeding 0.95 out of a max of 1, while arable crops and vegetables scored on average 0.12 points lower. Despite contending with a highly fragmented landuse, agrivoltaic systems can supply up to 200 TWh of electricity per year- 4 times the current yearly electrical consumption of Flanders. Besides assessing the theoretical suitability of crops and determining the geographical selection of ideal farming plots for AV implementation, we also conducted field trials on several different AV systems in Flanders. We evaluated two experimental agrivoltaic pilot sites on arable farmland as well as an AV setup in a mature pear orchard. On the fist arable site, we investigated static and single-axis tracked bifacial modules paired to sugar beet, an important industry crop, at a light reduction of 15-20 %. Beets proved challenging to manage in practice due to weed and fungal pressure, with yields that were reduced by 11-19 % depending on position. Roots were found to be smaller but maintained sugar levels. The other arable AV pilot assessed the potential of wheat under an elevated agrivoltaic system at 22-30 % shading using traditional PV modules and hydrogen panels. Wheat suffered higher losses of 33-46 %. Smaller grains with high protein content were recorded under AV. Collectively, arable crops reached a land equivalent ratio (LER) between 1.00 and 1.22. In a third field experiment, we evaluated pear agrivoltaics under semitransparent PV cover. Fruit production represents a much smaller fraction of the agricultural landscape in Flanders. However, fruits have a much higher economical value per hectare, and are often cultivated in long-term orchards. In a pioneering agrivoltaic pilot installation, three consecutive growing seasons of 'Conference' pears were evaluated under Agrivoltaics, with a yearly average light reduction of 24 %. We examined how the microclimate changes under AV with regard to canopy air temperature, pear yield, and fruit quality. The AV system was found to increase nighttime air temperatures during periods of frost by 0.5°C, and temper higher temperature peaks during a hot summer period. Fruit yield was consistently reduced by 15% over the 3 years of trial, without impacting postharvest quality or storability. However, a discrepancy in fruit shape was observed under AV, leading to an increased percentage (93 % increase on average) in bottle-shaped pears and a caliber that was decreased by 5mm. Despite these changes, the AV system was found to have no effects on flowering and fruit development, and flower and fruit abscission, but it delayed leaf senescent in the fall. It also offered some additional protection against sunburn. In conclusion, innovative crop production systems such as AV, often require initial fine-tuning and engineering to enable implementation to the fullest potential. By selecting an appropriate location, establishing a profitable energy use-case and implementing it for an appropriate shade-tolerant crop with the right light penetration percentage, agrivoltaic systems can contribute to advances in modern farming. This way, it has the potential to provide benefits for the cultivated crops (protection against climate change events), while expanding the amount of sustainable electricity production by means of PV in a local and rural community. Our research and practical experiences suggest that agrivoltaics not only represent a viable solution to the challenges faced by farmers, but also offer a viable pathway towards harmonizing energy production with profitable crop production. With carefully chosen system designs and crop types, agrivoltaics can improve land use efficiency, sustain or enhance crop yields, and contribute to the dual objectives of energy sustainability and food security.
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presentationStynen, Andreas; Stoffelen, Arie; 2024. Borderline tourism. Unlocking identities at the Belgian-German frontier since 1920.LIRIAS4137386
beschrijving
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Taye, Gebeyehu; Tesfaye, Samuel; Van Parijs, Inge; Poesen, Jean; Vanmaercke, Matthias; van Wesemael, Bas; Guyassa, Etefa; Nyssen, Jan; Deckers, Jozef; Haregeweyn, Nigussie;
2024.
Impact of soil and water conservation structures on the spatial variability of topsoil moisture content and crop productivity in semi-arid Ethiopia.
Soil & Tillage Research; 2024; Vol. 238; pp.
LIRIAS4136051
beschrijving
Publisher: Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co.
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thesis-dissertationBergen, Benoit; 2024. Cadmium and Uranium in Agricultural Soils: Accumulation, Mobility and Implications for Fertiliser Policy. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4149093
beschrijving
Uranium (U) is an ubiquitous radioactive and toxic trace metal present in soils. It is now well accepted that the continuous application of phosphate fertilizers has caused accumulation of U in agricultural soils above background levels. This enrichment is of concern, as U may be absorbed by crops or leached to groundwater and thereby enter the human food chain. Uranium is an unwanted impurity present in phosphate fertilizers but currently its levels are not monitored nor regulated at EU level. The goal of this study is to measure the long-term accumulation of bioavailable U in soil and plants due to the use of mineral phosphate fertilizers and to make future trends in soil and plant U exposure at EU-wide scale. We propose that bioavailable U is likely to be better indicated by the acid soluble fraction (aqua regia U) compared to real total concentrations and hence of environmental relevance. This project is probably first in assessing an EU mass balance of U in soils to identify exposure at a large scale which can be the base for the implementation of future regulations on U in fertilizers.
Accepted -
thesis-dissertationSaracanlao, Rochelle Joie; 2024. Effect of applying vivianite and P-containing Fe(III)oxides on P bioavailability and dynamics in different agricultural soil types. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4151124
beschrijving
Phosphorus (P) is a critical nutrient for plant growth. In soils with strong P retention or in soils with low P status, P willnot be directly available for plant use. Under such condition, P needs to be added as fertilizers, currently sourced from the non-renewable phosphate rock. Continuous application of P fertilizers, often more than what the crops utilize, can on the long-term exceed the natural capacity of soils to retain P. This leads to P leaching and runoff which disrupts aquatic ecosystems as a result of eutrophication. One solution to both problems lies in capturing P lost from agricultural areas in Fe(II) and Fe(III) phosphates, before it reaches surface waters and recycle this trapped P as fertilizer materials. This research is dedicated in determining the agricultural potential of these recycled materials in different soil types, to investigate whether capturing P from agricultural runoff can close the agronomic P cycle. This will be done by comparing P response of these Fe-based P fertilizers with commercial, readily available P fertilizers in short and long-term plant experiments. Biogeochemical and spectroscopic analyses will be carried out to explain the P availability of the materials in the soils tested.
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Spotorno, Stefano; Gobin, Anne; Vanongeval, Fien; Del Borghi, Adriana; Gallo, Michela;
2024.
Carbon Farming practices assessment: Modelling spatial changes of Soil Organic Carbon in Flanders, Belgium.
Science Of The Total Environment; 2024; Vol. 922; pp.
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LIRIAS4145020
beschrijving
Carbon sequestration in soils is a strategy to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable soil management. Since the European Union (EU) stimulates the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) from the atmosphere, the necessity to explore innovative approaches to sequester carbon in agricultural landscapes is becoming urgent. Carbon Farming (CF) has emerged as a promising program to mitigate climate change in agriculture but there is still a lack of agreement on which tools can be used to calculate Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) dynamics in this context. Using the RothC model a spatial analysis of SOC in the agricultural parcels of Flanders, Belgium was performed. Two among the various CF practices were simulated: a use of cover crops (CC) and the most common crop rotations adopted in the area, enriched with the use of cover crops. The performances of the model were evaluated and compared to other studies in areas with similar climate and environments. The selected CF practices can mitigate the carbon emissions from agricultural soils up to 60 % of the current projections. The most sensitive variables in the RothC model that affect the final total SOC, and thus determining the model outcome, are the Business As Usual (BAU) carbon inputs and the initial carbon content. For these variables the Pearson Correlation Coefficient with the change in SOC reached values of -0.78 and -0.50 respectively. To achieve net carbon sequestration in the agricultural soils of Flanders, Belgium, more effective solutions need to be evaluated. Furthermore, a larger amount and accessibility of data are required to reach better modelling performances.
Publisher: Elsevier
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journal-articleKollert, Andreas; Mayr, Andreas; Dullinger, Stefan; Hülber, Karl; Moser, Dietmar; Lhermitte, Stefaan; Gascoin, Simon; Rutzinger, Martin; 2024. Downscaling MODIS NDSI to Sentinel-2 fractional snow cover by random forest regression. Remote Sensing Letters; 2024; Vol. 15; iss. 4; pp. 363 - 372LIRIAS4149029
beschrijving
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
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journal-articleLathouwers, Eline; Segers, Yves; Verstraeten, Gert; 2024. Changing Course. Water Management in the Demer Valley: From Agricultural Exploitation to Nature Conservation, 1950s–1990s. Environment And History; 2024; Vol. 30; iss. 2; pp. 315 - 338LIRIAS4009138
beschrijving
Publisher: White Horse Press
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journal-articleChiriboga, Gonzalo; Bouillon, Steven; Borges, Alberto V; 2024. Dissolved greenhouse gas (CO< /sub>2< //sub>, CH< /sub>4< //sub>, and N< /sub>2< //sub>O) emissions from highland lakes of the Andes cordillera in Northern Ecuador. Aquatic Sciences; 2024; Vol. 86; iss. 2; pp.LIRIAS4141886
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Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature)
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journal-articleReher, Thomas; Lavaert, Cas; Willockx, Brecht; Huyghe, Yasmin; Bisschop, Jolien; Martens, Johan A; Diels, Jan; Cappelle, Jan; Van de Poel, Bram; 2024. Potential of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) production in vertical bifacial, tracked, or elevated agrivoltaic systems in Belgium. Applied Energy; 2024; Vol. 359; iss. 359; pp.LIRIAS4140410
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Publisher: Elsevier
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journal-articleSimões, Laura HP; Guillemot, Joannès; Ronquim, Carlos C; Weidlich, Emanuela WA; Muys, Bart; Fuza, Matheus S; Lima, Renato AF; Brancalion, Pedro HS; 2024. Green deserts, but not always: A global synthesis of native woody species regeneration under tropical tree monocultures.. Glob Chang Biol; 2024; Vol. 30; iss. 4; pp. e17269 - ... keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4152229
beschrijving
Tree monocultures constitute an increasing fraction of the global tree cover and are the dominant tree-growing strategy of forest landscape restoration commitments. Their advantages to produce timber are well known, but their value for biodiversity is highly controversial and context dependent. Therefore, understanding whether, and in which conditions, they can harbor native species regeneration is crucial. Here, we conducted meta-analyses based on a global survey of the literature and on a database created with local, unpublished studies throughout Brazil to evaluate the regeneration potential of native species under tree monocultures and the way management influences this regeneration. Native woody species regeneration under tree monocultures harbors a substantial fraction of the diversity (on average 40% and 68% in the global and Brazilian surveys, respectively) and abundance (on average 25% and 60% in the global and Brazilian surveys, respectively) of regeneration observed in natural forests. Plantations with longer rotation lengths, composed of native tree species, and located adjacent to forest remnants harbor more species. Pine plantations harbor more native individuals than eucalypt plantations, and the abundance of regenerating trees is higher in sites with higher mean temperatures. Species-area curves revealed that the number of woody species under pine and eucalypt plantations in Brazil is 606 and 598 species, respectively, over an aggregated sampled area of ca. 12 ha. We highlight that the understory of tree monocultures can harbor a considerable diversity of regenerating native species at the landscape and regional scales, but this diversity strongly depends on management. Long-rotation length and favorable location are key factors for woody regeneration success under tropical tree monocultures. Therefore, tree monocultures can play a role in forest landscape restoration and conservation, but only if they are planned and managed for achieving this purpose.
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thesis-dissertationLu, Min; 2024. Multi-method assessment of river-aquifer interactions in lowland floodplains across spatial scales. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4147799
beschrijving
This research focuses on the hydrological processes for the "Future Floodplains" project. The floodplain hydrology is strongly related to the interactions between the shallow groundwater (GW) and the surface water (SW), especially in the hyporheic zone. The exchange fluxes between the river and aquifer are often characterized by a high temporal and spatial variability. For measuring the fluxes, a multi-method approach is considered in the selected study sites in the Scheldt catchment in Belgium. As groundwater head observations do not directly reveal the exchange fluxes, other state variable observations, like temperature measurements or hydrochemical analyses with different spatial support, will be performed to quantify the fluxes. The exchange fluxes will be computed using independent analytical or/and numerical methods. Afterwards, they will be used as the input data for building the hyporheic zone model. I will then develop an integrated multi-scale GW-SW model, which will couple the small scale hydrological model with a catchment-scale groundwater model. After the model calibration and validation using the multiple measured dataset, the coupled model will be able to stimulate the mid- to long-term hydrological status of the floodplains through the changes in channel morphology, climate change, land cover change and urbanization. Meanwhile, the output from the coupled GW-SW model such as groundwater levels and seepage rates will deliver input for developing the ecological model of the floodplains in other working package.
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journal-articlePohankova, E; Hlavinka, P; Kersebaum, KC; Nendel, C; Rodriguez, A; Balek, J; Dubrovsky, M; Gobin, A; Hoogenboom, G; Moriondo, M; Olesen, JE; Rotter, R; Ruiz-Ramos, M; Shelia, V; Stella, T; Hoffmann, MP; Takáč, J; Eitzinger, J; Dibari, C; Ferrise, R; Bohuslav, J; Bláhová, M; Trnka, M; 2024. Expected effects of climate change on the soil organic matter content related to contrasting agricultural management practices based on a crop model ensemble for locations in Czechia. European Journal Of Agronomy; 2024; Vol. 156; pp.LIRIAS4149404
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Publisher: Elsevier
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journal-articleVan Eupen, Camille; Maes, Dirk; Heremans, Stien; Swinnen, Kristijn RR; Somers, Ben; Luca, Stijn; 2024. Integrating citizen science and multispectral satellite data for multiscale habitat management. Biodiversity And Conservation; 2024; Vol. 33; iss. 4; pp. 1479 - 1501 keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4151892
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Habitat management is necessary for the conservation of threatened species, yet best practices in fragmented human-dominated landscapes have remained difficult to generalise. We show that multi-scale vegetation management decisions in heathlands can be supported by integrating opportunistic citizen science data and multispectral satellite data. Opportunistic observations were gathered from ten typical, mostly threatened animal species of dry heathlands in Flanders as point records with specified precision. We considered vegetation structure at the local scale, quantified by image texture within 0.25 ha derived from multispectral satellite data, and heathland heterogeneity at the habitat scale, quantified by the diversity in heathland vegetation communities within 50 ha. Additionally, locations inside heathlands were attributed to an open, closed or anthropogenic landscape context. Point process models were used to test the impact of heathland size, vegetation structure and heathland heterogeneity on the habitat suitability of the studied species. We found that (1) heathland vegetation management can benefit habitat suitability in fragmented heathlands, but with a different approach for local management of vegetation structure in small versus large heathlands (e.g. due to micro-fragmentation effects), (2) the landscape induces positive and negative edge effects (e.g. due to a high versus low resource availability), especially in small heathlands and (3) habitat suitability is driven by both vegetation structure and heathland heterogeneity but with different relative importance for birds, butterflies and grasshoppers (e.g. due to differences in mobility).
Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature)
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thesis-dissertationD'herde, Jakob; 2024. Living (at) Home. On Older People’s making of Home and Dignity. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4141896
beschrijving
In Belgium, as elsewhere, the proportion of older people among the population steadily increases. This demographic evolution gives rise to a lot of discussions, in particular in relation to eldercare and its expenditures. How should societies handle the question of eldercare? Across Europe and North America, the dominant answer is the ageing-in-place paradigm. This paradigm meets the wishes of most older people, who overwhelmingly express the desire to remain living independently. The approach is also hailed by governments because it promotes independence and self-sufficiency, and allows them to cut on expensive care expenditures. However, ageing-in-place is all too often understood as merely staying put in one's current residence without taking other precautions for later life. People do not age in a spatial vacuum, so ageing well in place also means ageing in the right place. Spatial factors play a major role in one's ability to age well: the current dwelling may be oversized and difficult to maintain, or have too many stairs to climb. Perhaps the house is quite suitable for decreased mobility, but the wider neighbourhood is not, requiring the use of a car to go anywhere, as shops and services are few and far away. Moving in time to a smaller flat or house in one's neighbourhood closer to amenities and services might ensure an increased quality of life for older people. However, moving in later life is often met with resistance from older people themselves. This dissertation sets out to understand this reluctance to moving. It investigates therefore how older people foster a sense of home and what manner of (sub)conscious homemaking practices they undertake. The goal of this dissertation is twofold: first, to understand how older people experience and practice homemaking in later life, and what role spatial patterns play in these processes, and secondly, how these processes affect a person's sense of dignity. Home is understood as a socio-spatial imaginary, shaped by cultural, economic, political and highly personal factors, which people attempt to manifest spatially in the dwelling, neighbourhood, and wider living environment. Triangulating qualitative in-depth interviews and spatial analyses, the research attempts to establish a link between the everyday inhabitation of the dwelling and feelings of home and dignity from an interdisciplinary perspective spanning architecture, geography and sociology. The research is based on material stemming from 38 home visits and interviews with older people ageing-in-place in eight municipalities geographically dispersed over Flanders. This manuscript critically approaches the intersection of meanings and materialities of home, everyday inhabitation and homemaking practices, and dignity. Over their later life's course, older people are increasingly faced with both practical and emotional challenges like, among others, the loss of a partner, reduced physical mobility, and in the early 2020's, the COVID-pandemic. Yet in many cases these disruptions seem to have had little impact on the way people organized their dwelling. The dwelling thus appears to remain a very stable entity, largely resistant to changes in household size or the abilities of its inhabitants. On the other end of the spectrum are those cases where it has become clear the older person can no longer remain living in their current dwelling, forcing the complete transformation of the living environment, most often through a relocation, either to a smaller dwelling, or to an assisted living flat, and often closer to adult children. Based on the fieldwork, negotiating home in later life proves to be highly complex and deeply entangled with numerous human and non-human actants. The findings indicate a mutually influential relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit, and that different spatial elements generate different affordances to their users, structuring the everyday inhabitation and use of space. Furthermore, a strong connection between dignity and home in Flemish culture was discovered, and its spatial manifestations explored. The research regarding the meaning and experience of dignity in later life can refine the often presumed strong ties between older people and their physical dwelling. Dignity is an important question on many older people's minds, especially when expressing opinions on residential care facilities. As such, dignity is often reflected on primarily as having the freedom of choice, which was connected to the idea of living independently. The dwelling thus became a physical manifestation of dignity inasmuch as it continued to provide this freedom - conversations with people who moved in later life showed that the move was primarily inspired to regain such freedom, and thus re-establish dignity. The desire for independence and freedom of choice may surpass the emotional bond with the house or neighbourhood, putting into question the emphasis policymakers place on older people's current dwelling.
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journal-articleVermeulen, Liezl Mari; Van Meerbeek, Koenraad; Somers, Ben; Verbist, Bruno; Slingsby, Jasper; Negri Bernardino, Paulo; 2024. Wetness severity increases abrupt shifts in ecosystem functioning in arid savannas. Global Change Biology; 2024; Vol. 30; iss. 13; pp. keyboard_arrow_downLIRIAS4148902
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The accelerating pace of climate change has led to unprecedented shifts in surface temperature and precipitation patterns worldwide, with African savannas being among the most vulnerable regions. Understanding the impacts of these extreme changes on ecosystem health, functioning and stability is crucial. This paper focuses on the detection of breakpoints, indicative of shifts in ecosystem functioning, while also determining relevant ecosystem characteristics and climatic drivers that increase susceptibility to these shifts within the semi-arid to arid savanna biome. Utilising a remote sensing change detection approach and rain use efficiency (RaUE) as a proxy for ecosystem functioning, spatial and temporal patterns of breakpoints in the savanna biome were identified. We then employed a novel combination of survival analysis and remote sensing time series analysis to compare ecosystem characteristics and climatic drivers in areas experiencing breakpoints versus areas with stable ecosystem functioning. Key ecosystem factors increasing savanna breakpoint susceptibility were identified, namely higher soil sand content, flatter terrain and a cooler long-term mean temperature during the wet summer season. Moreover, the primary driver of changes in ecosystem functioning in arid savannas, as opposed to wetter tropical savannas, was found to be the increased frequency and severity of rainfall events, rather than drought pressures. This research highlights the importance of incorporating wetness severity metrics alongside drought metrics to comprehensively understand climate–ecosystem interactions leading to abrupt shifts in ecosystem functioning in arid biomes. The findings also emphasise the need to consider the underlying ecosystem characteristics, including soil, topography and vegetation composition, in assessing ecosystem responses to climate change. While this research primarily concentrated on the southern African savanna as a case study, the methodological robustness of this approach enables its application to diverse arid and semi-arid biomes for the assessment of climate–ecosystem interactions that contribute to abrupt shifts.
Publisher: Wiley
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chapterMoulaert, Frank; Simmons, Liana; Parra, Constanza; 2024. Social Relations in Commoning: Towards a Socially Innovative Perspective to Action Research in Building Landed Commons. From Land Ownership to Landed Commons. Social Innovation in the Commoning of Scarce Land Resources; 2024; pp. 129 - 157 Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing; CheltenhamLIRIAS4135679
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presentationGathura, Hezron Kagia; Aalbers, Manuel; Esho, Lawrence; 2024. Unraveling Forced Evictions in Nairobi: Towards Housing Equity.LIRIAS4148982
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Published