Research

WILD researchers have an interest in biodiversity restoration, with particular attention to endangered and exotic invasive species, and in mechanisms of species coexistence, competition, and facilitation. Central themes are (1) the question of how ecological processes are affected by the stoichiometry (i.e. the balance) of elements as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus,  (2) understanding whether and to what degree populations are able to cope with and/or adapt to urban conditions, typically characterized by habitat fragmentation, urban heat and artificial light at night, and (3) exploring how nature and agriculture can be reconciled in ‘agriwilding’ ecosystems serving both purposes. Overall, our research can be divided in three intertwined main themes:

We study the functioning of wild and disturbed ecosystems from the perspective of plants, or plants in interaction with other ecosystem components such as soil microbes, herbivores or pollinators. We investigate growth, performance and biodiversity of plants in relation to (changed) environmental conditions, as well as mechanisms of species coexistence, competition and facilitation. We have a particular interest in endangered and invasive plant species, and combine an experimental approach with field monitoring studies and meta-analysis of existing data. A uniting theme in our research is the question of how processes are affected by the stoichiometry (i.e. the balance) of nutrients.

Our research focuses on urban (evolutionary) ecology and global change biology, using insects as model systems to understand how they cope with and adapt to various global change stressors. We study mainly butterflies, moths, and beetles (e.g., fireflies) to investigate their responses, for instance to urban stressors, such as the urban-heat-island effect, habitat fragmentation and light pollution. We do so by examining morphological and behavioral changes, as well as distributional and phenological shifts.

While Brussels serves as our primary 'living lab’, our research also extends to continental and global scales. Beyond species-specific studies, we aim to understand how environmental drivers like urbanization, climate change, nitrogen deposition, farmland abandonment, habitat fragmentation, and forestry and agri-environmental management affect species communities. Through a combination of experimental lab and fieldwork, along with citizen-science data analysis, we seek to identify and quantify the impacts of these environmental stressors on individual species and communities.

Our ultimate goal is to mitigate the negative effects of global change and promote the development of wilder, insect-rich ecosystems. By fostering such environments, we aim to enhance the delivery of ecosystem services that benefit all, both in urban settings and beyond.

Our research team is studying ‘agriwilding’, the creation of wild, productive ecosystems in which the farmer acts as a keystone species that steers evolutionary processes and ecological succession. It involves agroecosystems that mimic natural wood pastures by combining polycultures of perennial plant communities producing high-quality ‘edible nature’ with open areas of species-rich grasslands. The team investigates how agriwilding may restore more biodiversity than currently subsidized, non-productive strategies, while the farmer can maintain a level of productivity and associated income.