Department IV. EDUCATION AND NATURE
The department is divided in three sections.
Head of department : Koen Martens
Section 7. Freshwater biology
> Section head: Koen Martens- Study of benthic organisms of ancient lakes such as lakes Baikal, Tanganyika and Nyasa/Malawi. Owing to their largely endemic fauna, these lakes are excellent natural laboratories for the research on evolution and speciation.
- Ecologic strategies of fresh-water organisms, a.o. through particular adaptations of their spreading mechanisms and of their life-cycles, notably sexual versus asexual reproduction.
- Paleao-ecology of African mountain lakes.
- Taxonomy and ecology of groundwater invertebrates.
The studied organisms are branchiopods, chironomids, leeches and ostracods.
The section is a partner of the BIOFRESH (Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems) project (this website will be opened in a new window).
Section 8. Biological evaluation
> Section head: Maurice Leponce- Conservation biology: species, habitats, ecological networks, impact assessment. Projects: Sahelo-Saharan Antelopes*, Gorilla Agreement*
- Belgian Ringing Centre: monitoring of bird population by individual marking (migration, population dynamics, surveillance of epidemics)
- Biodiversity assessment: arthropodsin tropical forests, social insects, canopies. Project: IBISCA*
Section 9. Educational and museological services
Educational Service
> Section heads: Hans Van Lierde and Pierre Coulon
=> Educational services website
Exhibition Development
> Section head: Michèle Antoine
Museological Service
> Section head: Marcella Haemelinck