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Post-wildfire peatland recovery: a case study from Belgium Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Widespread drainage and prolonged drought events lead to a higher wildfire frequency in peatlands. To date, it is not well known how wildfires affect peatland biogeochemistry and community assembly of plants and soil microbes. In 2020, a wildfire burned ca. 30 hectares of peatland in nature reserve “De Liereman” in the Campine region of Belgium. In response, we established permanent quadrats (PQs) using a twin-plot design, in which we paired ...
Mapping suitable habitat for Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzees in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve, North-Western Cameroon Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Great apes lose suitable habitats required for their reproduction and survival due to human activities across their distribution range in Africa. Little is known about habitat suitability of the Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzee [Pan troglodytes ellioti (Matschie, 1914)], particularly for populations inhabiting forest reserves in North-West Cameroon. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a common species distribution model (MaxEnt) to ...
A survey of wildlife and human activities in the Sikondi Forest, Cameroon Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Hundreds of mammal species are found in Cameroon and many, including great apes, occur in non-protected areas. The Sikondi Forest in eastern Cameroon is one such area. A survey of wildlife and human activities was conducted in this forest in December 2022. The survey aimed to determine the abundance and distribution of chimpanzees and other wildlife species, the extent of human activities, and the distribution of wildlife in relation to human ...
Multi-group analysis of grooming network position in a highly social primate Odisee vzw Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp University of Antwerp
Neopterin Levels in Bonobos Vary Seasonally and Reflect Symptomatic Respiratory Infections Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
As environmental changes exacerbate the threat coming from infectious diseases in wild mammal species, monitoring their health and gaining a better understanding of the immune functioning at the species level have become critically important. Neopterin is a biomarker of cell-mediated immune responses to intracellular infections. We investigated the variation of urinary neopterin (uNeo) levels of wild, habituated bonobos (Pan paniscus) in ...
Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Humboldt Penguins-Susceptibility Patterns and Molecular Epidemiology of Clinical and Environmental Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates from a Belgian Zoo, 2017-2022 KU Leuven Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Aspergillus fumigatus is the main causative agent of avian aspergillosis and results in significant health problems in birds, especially those living in captivity. The fungal contamination by A. fumigatus in the environment of Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti), located in a Belgian zoo, was assessed through the analysis of air, water, sand and nest samples during four non-consecutive days in 2021-2022. From these samples, potential ...
Controls of soil functions and greenhouse gas emissions in rewetted peatlands Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Extensive peatland rewetting efforts have recently been proposed to restore these key terrestrial carbon storage systems in order to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, little is known about the effects of rewetting on peat microbial functions that are linked to GHG fluxes. A better understanding of which biotic and abiotic factors control these processes in rewetted peatlands is crucial to help guide restoration decisions with ...
Biased cultural transmission of a social custom in chimpanzees Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
Cultural transmission studies in animals have predominantly focused on identifying between-group variation in tool-use techniques, while immaterial cultures remain understudied despite their potential for highlighting similarities between human and animal culture. Here, using long-term data from two chimpanzee communities, we tested whether one of chimpanzees' most enigmatic social customs-the grooming handclasp-is culturally transmitted by ...
Chimpanzees communicate to coordinate a cultural practice Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp University of Antwerp
Human culture thrives by virtue of communication, yet whether communication plays an influential role in the cultural lives of other animals remains understudied. Here, we investigated whether chimpanzees use communication to engage in a cultural practice by analysing grooming handclasp (GHC) interactions-a socio-cultural behaviour requiring interindividual coordination for successful execution. Previous accounts attributed GHC initiations to ...