People

Frederik De Laender

I am interested in the various connections between environmental change, several aspects of biodiversity, and ecosystem function. I am leading the lab since 2013 as a Professor at the university of Namur.

Laura Willam

Nowadays, ecosystems are subject to an increasing variety of environmental stresses, which can result in biodiversity loss. However, biodiversity plays a key role in maintaining these functions, known as the ‘biodiversity insurance effect’. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the impact of diverse environmental stresses on this effect. This is why my project will examine the combined effects of environmental stresses and biodiversity on algal communities using an experimental and modelling approach. 

Bidesh Bera

I am investigating how environmental change influences species coexistence in ecological communities, mainly focusing on two environmental driver as: temperature and pollutants. By integrating species responses to these drivers into disordered systems theory, the project aims to clarify and predict how environmental change shapes community structure and dynamics

Arunima Sikder

Understanding how species respond and adapt to changing environments is becoming increasingly important in the face of rapid global change. My PhD thesis is centered around acclimation theory and its role in the impact and recovery of populations to and from environmental stress, using globally relevant phytoplankton communities. This thesis will address the prevalent knowledge gap on growth and trait dynamics in acclimated populations and communities to environmental fluctuations. The ubiquitous distribution of the focal species ensures that our results will be transferrable to other organismal systems across geographical boundaries.

Maria Druet

In my PhD project, we investigate how soil saprotrophic fungi respond to heatwaves. I focus on fungal growth, functional traits, and interactions with bacteria in laboratory experiments. The aim is to improve our understanding of fungal ecology under climate change.

Germain Agazzi

I am a PhD student studying community assembly, that is, how species are gained or lost in an ecosystem over time. My research focuses on the different assembly pathways and the transient states that communities can pass through before reaching a final configuration. In this project, I mainly use computer models, alongside experimental work on algal communities.

Shangsheng Sun

I investigate how multiple environmental stressors affect multi-trophic biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF). My work examines biodiversity responses across trophic levels and their consequences for ecosystem processes. Currently, I am developing skills in ecological modeling to analyze these complex relationships.

Estelle Lechat

Alexis Orban

Sophie Eischen

Ruth Nies