Drs. Garben Logghe
Terrestrial Ecology Unit
Department of Biology
Ghent University
K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35
9000 Gent Belgium
E-mail: garben.logghe@ugent.be
Connectivity conservation of arthropods under global warming
The recent wave of studies demonstrating dramatic declines in species richness and biomass of insects has caused great concern among both scientists and the general public. Climate change plays a key role in this crisis, as it puts many insect (and other arthropod) species at risk. Persistence can only be guaranteed if species either adapt to the changing thermal conditions, or if they are able to track their shifting thermal niche along latitudinal or altitudinal gradients. However, because the connectivity between populations is not only determined by life-history traits but also by environmental context, even very mobile species might experience serious challenges when attempting to track the current climate change velocity.
For my research, I will be closely collaborating with the Research Institute Nature and Forest (INBO). The goal is to provide a quantitative understanding of the potential dispersal limitations that arthropods might experience, by investigating how the current landscape composition and differences in life-history traits facilitate or constrain movement and therefore influence potential spatial changes in biodiversity patterns. To accomplish this, I am developing a virtual species approach, in which the spread potential of digital but realistic species in terms of life history trait combinations will be modelled within increasingly realistic environments. Central to this task is the compilation of demographic and dispersal data of European insects. This database will be open to everyone for using and contributing data. The modelling techniques will be supplemented with tracking studies in both the field and lab, in order to assess how arthropods change their movement behaviour in response to the environment. The eventual goal of my research is to apply both methods to test the robustness of the current Natura2000 network in Flanders for conserving arthropod connectivity.
