Institution
Royal Museum for Central Africa
Archive•Tervuren, Belgium•
About: Royal Museum for Central Africa is a archive organization based out in Tervuren, Belgium. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Landslide. The organization has 337 authors who have published 1274 publications receiving 41651 citations. The organization is also known as: RMCA & Africa Museum.
Topics: Population, Landslide, Genus, Tephritidae, Volcano
Papers published on a yearly basis
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TL;DR: The extent of the trait data compiled in TRY is evaluated and emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness are analyzed to conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements.
Abstract: Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
882 citations
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Illinois State University1, York University2, California University of Pennsylvania3, Washington State University4, United States Geological Survey5, Norwegian Institute for Air Research6, University of Wisconsin-Madison7, Uppsala University8, University of Konstanz9, University at Albany, SUNY10, Leibniz Association11, University of Waikato12, University of Helsinki13, University of Minnesota14, Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests15, Colorado State University16, University of Adelaide17, Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland18, University of Innsbruck19, University of Florida20, Cornell University21, International Institute for Sustainable Development22, California Institute of Technology23, Irkutsk State University24, Estonian University of Life Sciences25, Ritsumeikan University26, Finnish Environment Institute27, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory28, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology29, University of California, Santa Barbara30, University of Hamburg31, Russian Academy of Sciences32, Royal Museum for Central Africa33, National Research Council34, Ontario Ministry of the Environment35, University of New Hampshire36, University of Washington37, University of California, Davis38, Melikşah University39, University of Vienna40, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research41, University of Eastern Finland42, Seqwater43, Miami University44, Chinese Academy of Sciences45
TL;DR: In the first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, this paper found that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009.
Abstract: In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade−1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors—from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade−1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade−1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes.
822 citations
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TL;DR: There is evidence that climate warming is diminishing productivity in Lake Tanganyika, East Africa, and the impact of regional effects of global climate change on aquatic ecosystem functions and services can be larger than that of local anthropogenic activity or overfishing.
Abstract: Although the effects of climate warming on the chemical and physical properties of lakes have been documented, biotic and ecosystem-scale responses to climate change have been only estimated or predicted by manipulations and models. Here we present evidence that climate warming is diminishing productivity in Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. This lake has historically supported a highly productive pelagic fishery that currently provides 25-40% of the animal protein supply for the populations of the surrounding countries. In parallel with regional warming patterns since the beginning of the twentieth century, a rise in surface-water temperature has increased the stability of the water column. A regional decrease in wind velocity has contributed to reduced mixing, decreasing deep-water nutrient upwelling and entrainment into surface waters. Carbon isotope records in sediment cores suggest that primary productivity may have decreased by about 20%, implying a roughly 30% decrease in fish yields. Our study provides evidence that the impact of regional effects of global climate change on aquatic ecosystem functions and services can be larger than that of local anthropogenic activity or overfishing.
642 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, an analysis of the environmental evolution of the Ethiopian highlands in the late Quaternary is presented, showing that the most important present-day geomorphic processes are sheet and rill erosion throughout the country, gullying in the highlands, and wind erosion in the Rift Valley and the peripheral lowlands.
564 citations
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Wageningen University and Research Centre1, University College London2, University of Leeds3, Carnegie Institution for Science4, University of Queensland5, Harvard University6, Royal Botanic Gardens7, University of Edinburgh8, Ghent University9, University of Oxford10, Royal Museum for Central Africa11, The Lodge12, University of New South Wales13, State University of Campinas14, Universiti Brunei Darussalam15, Center for International Forestry Research16, Tuscia University17, University of Southampton18
TL;DR: The fusion method can be applied at any scale including the policy-relevant national level, where it can provide improved biomass estimates by integrating existing regional biomass maps as input maps and additional, country-specific reference datasets.
Abstract: We combined two existing datasets of vegetation aboveground biomass (AGB) (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108, 2011, 9899; Nature Climate Change, 2, 2012, 182) into a pan-tropical AGB map at 1-km resolution using an independent reference dataset of field observations and locally calibrated high-resolution biomass maps, harmonized and upscaled to 14 477 1-km AGB estimates. Our data fusion approach uses bias removal and weighted linear averaging that incorporates and spatializes the biomass patterns indicated by the reference data. The method was applied independently in areas (strata) with homogeneous error patterns of the input (Saatchi and Baccini) maps, which were estimated from the reference data and additional covariates. Based on the fused map, we estimated AGB stock for the tropics (23.4 N–23.4 S) of 375 Pg dry mass, 9–18% lower than the Saatchi and Baccini estimates. The fused map also showed differing spatial patterns of AGB over large areas, with higher AGB density in the dense forest areas in the Congo basin, Eastern Amazon and South-East Asia, and lower values in Central America and in most dry vegetation areas of Africa than either of the input maps. The validation exercise, based on 2118 estimates from the reference dataset not used in the fusion process, showed that the fused map had a RMSE 15–21% lower than that of the input maps and, most importantly, nearly unbiased estimates (mean bias 5 Mg dry mass ha−1 vs. 21 and 28 Mg ha−1 for the input maps). The fusion method can be applied at any scale including the policy-relevant national level, where it can provide improved biomass estimates by integrating existing regional biomass maps as input maps and additional, country-specific reference datasets.
478 citations
Authors
Showing all 346 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Jean-Paul Liégeois | 49 | 135 | 8261 |
Filip Volckaert | 49 | 231 | 8388 |
Valerie Trouet | 42 | 96 | 7258 |
Hans Beeckman | 42 | 206 | 5581 |
Damien Cardinal | 41 | 105 | 3909 |
Luc André | 41 | 139 | 4908 |
Jan Moeyersons | 40 | 122 | 5756 |
Thierry Backeljau | 38 | 253 | 5133 |
Germain Bayon | 35 | 112 | 4881 |
Nathalie Fagel | 34 | 229 | 3521 |
Santiago Giralt | 32 | 147 | 2807 |
Tine Huyse | 32 | 105 | 2770 |
Damien Delvaux | 31 | 111 | 3667 |
Nicolas Savoye | 30 | 59 | 4048 |
Anne Lorrain | 30 | 78 | 3517 |