09:00 – 09:30 Welcome coffee & registration
09:30 – 09:40 Opening remarks
09:40 – 10:00 Keynote – Annelies Jacobs (Natuurpunt)
Biodiversity and Nature Restoration Research Associate
10:00 – 10:12 Lea Mouton (ULiège)
Does air pollution still impact epiphytic bryophytes in the post-acidic rain era? Insights from spatial variation of community composition in southern Belgium
10:12 – 10:24 Hannes Wilms (INBO)
Seed orchards as the source for future Belgian forests
10:24 – 10:36 Jules Sougnier (ULiège)
Reconstruction of the alpine flora demographic history for a better evaluation of its dispersal capacity in the context of global changes
10:36 – 10:46 Morning break (10 min)
10:46 – 10:58 Alix Milis (ULiège)
Towards the automatized identification of moss species from their spore morphology
10:58 – 11:18 Keynote – Prof. Dr. Bart Van de Vijver (Meise Botanic Garden)
11:18 – 11:30 Adèle Hotermans (ULiège)
Impacts of climate change on bryophyte distribution: a comprehensive assessment at fine spatial resolution across Europe
11:30 – 11:42 Hugo Counoy (Earth and Life Institute – UCLouvain)
Evaluating lichen diversity along an anthropogenic pressure gradient for environmental quality assessment in Wallonia
11:42 – 11:54 Clara Petrosino (ULiège)
Integration of population genetics and ecological niche modelling into the conservation of the iconic laurel forest of the Canary Islands
11:54 – 12:06 Marijke Geuskens (KU Leuven)
Contribution of neophytes to species and functional diversity
12:06 – 12:51 🍽️ Lunch & Group photo (45 min)
12:51 – 13:11 Keynote – Vincent Merckx (Scientific Director, Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
13:11 – 13:23 Kelly Theunissen (ULiège)
High-resolution modelling of the microclimatic effect in alpine environments: impact on bryophyte community composition
13:23 – 13:35 Yves Bawin (Meise Botanic Garden)
eDNA metabarcoding for plant diversity monitoring in a changing world
13:35 – 13:47 Coen Sarane (Utrecht University)
Cliffs and climbers: The ecological impacts of rock climbing on Belgium’s limestone cliffs
13:47 – 13:59 Sarah Verbeke (Ghent University)
Rethinking drought physiology in wheat: stem water potential as a stable indicator in a changing Flemish climate
13:59 – 14:11 Claire Cantiran (Université de Lille)
Reproductive success in an insect-pollinated plant of patrimonial value: the dune pansy (Viola tricolor subsp. curtisii)
14:11 – 14:23 Fien Vandermeulen (Ghent University)
Long-term experimental warming and light addition shape understorey taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity trajectories
14:23 – 14:33 Afternoon break (10 min)
14:33 – 14:45 Luiza Teixeirac (Meise Botanic Garden / Meertens Instituut)
Global change effects on the eco-physiology of a keystone species (Viscum album)
14:45 – 14:57 Arthur Macedo (University of Coimbra)
Three new species of Rhipidoglossum Schltr. (Angraecinae: Orchidaceae) from Central Africa
14:57 – 15:09 Lore Hostens (KU Leuven / Meise Botanic Garden)
On the edge of extinction: Delayed plant genetic response to forest edge dynamics
15:09 – 15:21 Chiel Salaets (Ghent University)
Tracing the fate of water following foliar uptake in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) using positron imaging
15:21 – 15:33 Hannes Wilms (INBO)
MigFoRest: assisted migration to increase forest resilience in Belgium and North-West Europe
15:33 – 15:45 Lissa Breugelmans (Meise Botanic Garden)
The pdindicatoR package: Spatial Phylogenetic Diversity Indicators from GBIF Datacubes
15:45 – 15:57 Lucas Chojnacki (Ghent University)
Potential of high-resolution remote sensing for microclimate and biodiversity modelling – A case study in the Oude Kale Vallei
15:57 – 16:07 E. Van Rompaey Award Ceremony (10 min)
16:07 – 18:00 Reception & networking
Including the award for the best student presentation.