Publications

The study combined the data from verge inventories of verges along regional roads and verges along waterways into an integrated database and linked a scoring system to it. The scoring system is based on a landscape-ecological and a biotic value. In this study, it was already proposed to use Citizen Science to achieve a Flanders-wide overview and insight into the Flemish verges.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in different terrestrial ecosystems have already been calculated. However, SOC stocks of grassy verges and grass-covered urban areas have never been reported. In this study the total grass-covered area of verges and urban areas in different agro-pedological regions of Flanders, Belgium was calculated and SOC stocks estimated. The total grassy area of verges along roads, waterways and railways was calculated to be ...

Representations of journalists in fiction movies and series communicate what journalism is, should, and could be both for journalists and the public. First, these fictional portrayals aid in discursively constructing journalistic roles that manifest themselves in assumptions and expectations about appropriate and legitimate ways of journalistic practice (Hanitzsch & Vos, 2017). Second, these representations affect the public perception of ...

This paper focuses on Flemish lyrical dramas of the nineteenth century with historical protagonists, both political figures and artists. It investigates how these lyrical dramas contributed to the discursive construction of a national, Belgian and a subnational, Flemish identity through the use (or manipulation) of the past, and how historical heroes were fit into nationalising strategies. Special attention is paid to the use of stereotypes and ...

Together all roadsides form an essential part of the ecological structure and the green-blue veining of the landscape. To gain insight into the quality of roadsides, a good inventory method, with data collection in a solid database, and an ecological score are important requirements.
This study dealt with the integration of all existing data on highways, regional roads and waterways into a high-performance database without data loss. The ...

The paper describes two steps in verge research in Flanders, with the aim of obtaining a Flanders-wide overview of the Flemish verges, linked to a scoring system. Citizen Science is being considered. The proof of concept of a possible app that could be developed for this purpose is also briefly presented in the paper. In addition, a business analysis is also carried out with a stakeholder survey and a communication strategy is proposed. The ...

In this report, the final results of the business analysis for the development of an app for a Citizen Science project on verge management and inventory are presented. The analysis includes a stakeholder survey, an elaboration of a proof-of-concept and advice on a matching communication strategy.

The research, commissioned by Departement Omgeving, aims to gain a detailed view of the quality of Flemish roadsides using a scoring system. In the future, the Department of the Environment wants to launch a citizen science project for this purpose and, at the same time, raise awareness about the importance of biodiverse roadsides, as part of green-blue networks.
An extensive business analysis and a proof of concept (POC) in the current ...

On 27 June 1984, the Flemish Government issued a decree on measures relating to nature conservation on verges managed by legal entities governed by public law. The decree means that public authorities are obliged to apply nature-friendly management to the roadside verges that they own or have been entrusted with their management.

The purpose of the assignment is multiple:
1. In a first phase, the necessary inventory data must be ...