Koenraad Van Meerbeek
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kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek
@kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
1K followers 220 following 39 posts

Associate professor - KU Leuven
Global Change Ecology / Microclimate Ecology and Biogeography / Biodiversity - Ecosystem Functioning / Conservation Ecology
www.sglobelab.com

Videos
Environmental science 69%
Geography 17%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Tim Adriaens, Koenraad Van Meerbeek

inbo.be
INBO (Research Institute for Nature and Forest) @inbo.be · Dec 12
Looking for students with a proposal for a "INBO-FWO"-#PhD. Topics are "Exploring human dimensions of co-existence with large mammals in Flanders" & "Assisted migration of tree species to sustain functional forests in the future: www.vlaanderen.be/inbo/vacatur...

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

olivierhonnay.bsky.social
Olivier Honnay @olivierhonnay.bsky.social · Apr 17
New paper in The Lancet Planetary Health where we show that Nitrogen enrichment not only substantially increases the pollen production of grasslands, but also the pollen allergenicity 🤧.
The impact of ecosystem nitrogen enrichment on pollen allergy: a cross-sectional paired comparison study
Nitrogen enrichment substantially increased pollen abundance and allergenicity, indicating a heightened allergy burden in nitrogen-rich environments. These findings underscore the need for policies ad...
www.thelancet.com

Reposted by Ingolf Kühn, Meelis Pärtel, Julian Schrader , and 5 more

cpcarmona.bsky.social
Carlos P Carmona @cpcarmona.bsky.social · Apr 2
Excited to announce our new paper, “Global impoverishment of natural vegetation revealed by dark diversity,” out today in Nature – and it’s open access! Huge global collaboration led by Meelis Pärtel 🌐@macroecologyut.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Global impoverishment of natural vegetation revealed by dark diversity - Nature
A comparison of alpha diversity (number of plant species) and dark diversity (species that are currently absent from a site despite being ecologically suitable) demonstrates the negative effects of re...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Sharon A. Robinson, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Jonas J. Lembrechts , and 9 more

mebconf.bsky.social
Microclimate Ecology & Biogeography (MEB) conference @mebconf.bsky.social · Mar 28
We are very happy to announce that the next Microclimate Ecology & Biogeography (MEB) conference will happen in Montpellier (FRANCE), 1 - 5 June 2026 ☀️
meb-network.com/meb-2026/
Microclimate scientists: save the date in your agenda!!

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Mar 3
🌍 Why it matters:

With more droughts on the horizon due to climate change, forest management needs to be species- & site-specific.

Want the full details? Read the article here:
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.fe...

🔚 5/5
Redirecting
doi.org

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Mar 3
💡 The takeaway:

Competition reduction isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Beech sees a trade-off: 🌿 more growth, but at very low competition, more drought stress.

For oak? Thinning didn't make much difference. 🌰

🧵4/5

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Mar 3
🔬 How was it studied?

72 point dendrometers tracked daily water deficit (drought stress proxy) & growth along a competition gradient. 🌳📊

This gave a detailed look at how trees respond to competition & climate conditions.

🧵3/5

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Mar 3
🌱 Key findings:

• Less competition boosted beech growth! 📈
• But... it sometimes made beech more drought-stressed.
• Oak? Unbothered—competition had no clear effect.
• Climate factors (rain ☔ & vapor pressure deficit 💨) influenced both species.

🧵2/5

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Mar 3
📢 New research alert! How does reducing competition affect drought stress & growth in European beech and pedunculate oak? 🌳💦

A study led by Sanne Verdonck at @dfornatlan.bsky.social in @forestecosyst.bsky.social explores this in National Park Brabantse Wouden (Belgium). 🏞️

🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.fe...
Redirecting
doi.org

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

dfornatlan.bsky.social
dfornatlan @dfornatlan.bsky.social · Feb 24
Ben jij benieuwd naar hoe publiek toegankelijk groen (zoals parken en bossen) jouw sociaal welzijn beïnvloedt? Wij ook!

Draag als student in het hoger onderwijs bij aan ons onderzoek door deze enquête (15') in te vullen: survey.kuleuven.cloud/88?lang=nl

Deel gerust!
@kuleuvenplantinst.bsky.social

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

dfornatlan.bsky.social
dfornatlan @dfornatlan.bsky.social · Feb 13
Each month, we shine a spotlight on one of our colleagues in our FNL division🌳and share their interesting research! 🔍Today, we present the topic of @saskiadroege.bsky.social: Environmental outcomes of food and forest management certification. 🍫🍃

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Patrick Saccone, Rémy Beugnon

jlembrechts.bsky.social
Jonas Lembrechts @jlembrechts.bsky.social · Feb 11
Today, we launch MicroFracNet, a global network exploring how biodiversity varies across SCALES - big and small. 🌍

If you love vegetation and want to be part of something both larger - and smaller - than yourself, join us!

Learn more & sign up: the3dlab.org/2025/02/10/m...

📢 Please share widely!

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Feb 7
You'll be hosted by the sGlobe lab (@kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social, www.sglobelab.com) and the Earthmapps lab (@steflhermitte.bsky.social, www.earthmapps.io) at KU Leuven.

Interested? Get in touch! 🔗 #Postdoc #DeepLearning #Ecology #MarieCurie

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Feb 7
Are you an expert in deep learning and eager to push the boundaries of species distribution modeling? 🌍🔍 We’re looking for a motivated candidate to apply for a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship!

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

dnthomas01.bsky.social
David N. Thomas @dnthomas01.bsky.social · Jan 12
Good to see UK universities beginning an exodus from Twitterx

www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-...
UK universities join retreat from Elon Musk's X, citing misinformation on platform
Universities and other higher education establishments have joined a retreat among British institutions from Elon Musk's X social media platform, citing its role in spreading misinformation that fuelled race riots last year.
www.reuters.com

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Fabien Spicher

jonlen.bsky.social
Jonathan Lenoir 🌳🌲🌴 @jonlen.bsky.social · Jan 8
🚨 Mosses on the spotlight ⬇️ We made the cover of the current issue of Journal of Ecology 😍🤩 for the last paper of Eva's PhD on the affinity of understory #plant species, including mosses, to #forest #microclimate buffering 🌳

Picture from Eva Gril

@journalofecology.bsky.social

shorturl.at/LVS7F

Reposted by John Parker, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Haben Blondeel , and 7 more

xaviermorin.bsky.social
Xavier Morin @xaviermorin.bsky.social · Jan 6
New paper out! 🌳 🌲 (and this one is very special to me)
➡️ Diversity boosts forest productivity also (and especially?) through its effect on the number of trees within forests
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@journalofecology.bsky.social @cnrsoccitanieest.bsky.social
More ⬇️ 1/7

Reposted by Teja Tscharntke, David Lusseau, Helmut Hillebrand , and 14 more

dpmoriarity.bsky.social
Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · Jan 4
"A study of federally funded research projects in the United States estimated that principal investigators spend on average about 45% of their time on administrative activities related to applying for and managing projects rather than conducting active research"

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

waiterich.bsky.social
Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · Jan 4
Interesting story by @dancharles.bsky.social about what happens when farmers abandon land, and what types of ecosystems come back. (Globally agricultural land is still expanding on a net basis, but it is contracting in some places.)
Farmers are abandoning land worldwide. What should happen to it?
Ecologists differ on whether to steer recovery or let nature take its course
www.science.org

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social @kuleuvenplantinst.bsky.social #ClimateChange #Drylands #MachineLearning #NatureClimateChange

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
Take-home message: ML-based EWS offer a scalable, data-driven way to predict and mitigate abrupt shifts in dryland ecosystems—essential in the face of climate change and increasing pressure on these vital regions (6/6)

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
The study focused on the Sudano–Sahelian drylands, a region highly vulnerable to climate change. Predictions for 2025 highlight a southern belt with high probabilities of abrupt ecosystem shifts, linked to long-term rainfall trends🌍🌱 (5/6)

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
Machine learning (ML) to the rescue! We used ML to analyze complex patterns in satellite data. By integrating resilience metrics (e.g., autocorrelation) with vegetation, rainfall, and other environmental factors, we achieved 75.1% accuracy and 76.6% precision (4/6)

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
Current methods for EWS rely on metrics like temporal autocorrelation to detect loss of resilience. However, applying these to large-scale satellite data is tricky due to noise & short time series. So, what’s the solution? 🤔 (3/6)

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
The problem: Drylands face degradation that threatens their ability to act as carbon sinks & provide resources. Abrupt shifts in ecosystem functioning—like desertification—can occur when thresholds are crossed. Early warning systems (EWS) are urgently needed (2/6)

kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social
Koenraad Van Meerbeek @kvanmeerbeek.bsky.social · Jan 3
New study alert! Drylands are critical to ~1/3 of the global population, but risk abrupt shifts due to climate change & land degradation. Can we predict these shifts? In a paper led by Paulo Bernardino in @natclimchange.bsky.social, we tackle this challenge: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Predictability of abrupt shifts in dryland ecosystem functioning - Nature Climate Change
The authors develop a machine learning-based approach to derive abrupt shift probability in dryland ecosystem functioning in the Sudano–Sahel. They highlight areas with high probabilities of abrupt sh...
www.nature.com

Reposted by Bernd Lenzner, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, J. Sebastián Tello

jcsvenning.bsky.social
Jens-Christian Svenning @jcsvenning.bsky.social · Dec 22
Interesting read:
💰The high costs of peer review & grant writing
📊Bibliometrics as a partial alternative to peer review
🚀Exploring better ways to evaluate impact & fairness
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#grantwriting #funding #science #peerreview #bibliometrics
The costs of competition in distributing scarce research funds | PNAS
Research funding systems fundamentally influence how science operates. This paper aims to analyze the allocation of competitive research funding fr...
www.pnas.org

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

jellevdberghe.bsky.social
Jelle Van den Berghe @jellevdberghe.bsky.social · Dec 22
"Het gaat goed met onze natuur want kijk, er keren soorten terug!" Toch?

Voor @inbo.bsky.social mocht ik samen met @wimveraghtert.bsky.social van @natuurpunt.bsky.social een genuanceerd antwoord brengen in dS.

Het antwoord?
Een paar soorten: ja
Veel habitats: bwaaa

m.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20241...
De boomkikker kwaakt weer, de zwammen schieten weelderig op, maar toch was 2024 geen hoerajaar voor de Vlaamse natuur
Tienduizenden boomkikkers lieten dit jaar van zich horen in Vlaanderen. Niet slecht voor een dier dat hier ooit bijna uitgestorven was. Ook andere soorten boden goed natuurnieuws. Toch was 2024 geen hoerajaar voor de natuur.
m.standaard.be

Reposted by Koenraad Van Meerbeek

methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
Methods in Ecology and Evolution @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social · Dec 21
📖Published📖

Check out our new Research Article 👉 Measuring overall functional diversity by aggregating its multiple facets: Functional richness, biomass evenness, trait evenness and dispersion 🌎 🧪

https://buff.ly/3ZWJQwr

Reposted by Pieter De Frenne, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Eva Gril