Tag Archives: Invasive species

The impact of the pines

Picture this: it’s the 20th century and people are planting pine trees all over Chile. Pines of the genus Pinus, that is, which is very different from the native Araucaria araucana (the monkey puzzle tree). The latter might very well … Continue reading

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Exotic plant species thrive at high(er) elevations

Sometimes one needs patience to answer a research question. Lots of it. The Mountain Invasion Research Network (MIREN) already asked itself this important question back in 2006: how fast are non-native species travelling uphill along mountain roads? Now it’s 2023, … Continue reading

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MIREN meets in Chile

A few hundred kilometers south of Santiago de Chile, nestled in a green valley at the foot of a string of snow-clad volcanoes, lies the ‘Suisandina lodge’, a place that breaths hospitality, with all facilities a mountain ecologist needs to … Continue reading

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Are non-native plants adapting to city life?

With chapter 4 now published, the now finished PhD of Charly Géron has created quite the storyline on how non-native plants are invading our urban environments! In his first paper, we found out that alien plant species in European cities … Continue reading

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Drought and heat might help exotic plants escape out of the city

In new research lead by group member Charly Géron, we show that Belgian cities host different exotic plant species than the countryside. Those urban species come from warm and dry native climates and are better adapted to drought and heat. … Continue reading

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The photobomber

Now here is a little – and rather easy perhaps for most of those who follow me – botanical riddle: which tree has photobombed virtually all of my holiday pictures of Kotor, Montenegro? Let me know in the comments if … Continue reading

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