Student projects
Master thesises
VUB MSc students 2017-2018
Mario Driesen – How unique is the aquatic biodiversity of tropical inselbergs?
Adwine Van Slembrouck
Leendert Plaetinck
There are still thesis subjects available
VUB MSc students 2016-2017
Catherine Turner You can’t ignore your neighbors, context dependent habitat selection in bromeliad infaunal communities
Mirna Fernandez Pradel Drivers of diversity patterns in bromeliad aquatic communities along an elevational gradient in the Tropical Andes
VUB MSc students 2015-2016
Barbara Hendus Exploring effects of nutrient addition by bat colonies on aquatic biodiversity in tropical cave systems, a case study with cenotes in Yucatan. (Beneficiary of the Tropimundo Best student award)
Yannick Coeckelberghs Dissecting the drivers of diversity patterns across spatial scales: a case study with rock pool metacommunities in Western Australia
Celina Ben Saadi Prey selectivity and aquatic community structure in Nepenthes pitcher plants in Peninsular Malaysia.
photo credit: C Ben Saadi
Sofie Vermaercke Island biogeography of invertebrates of Greek islands in the Eastern Mediterranean
Gisela Duran Rodriguez Climatic control of biodiversity in bromeliad infauna.
photo credit: G Duran Rodriguez
VUB MSc students 2014-2015
Nathalie Massa
Thesis: Exploring links between management strategies and fitness in captive killer whales (Orcinus orca).
Michiel Van Herp studies patterns of endemism in a set of African plant families in the Chimanimani mountains in Zimbabwe. The goal is to investigate how the unique geology, spatial barriers and micro habitat structure can influence diversification in a diverse set of plant species This project is in collaboration with Dr. Steven Janssens and the Botanic garden of Meise.
Thesis: postponed to 2016
Daniel Montecinos
Thesis: Links between forest degradation and metacommunity structure of bromeliad infauna in a Bolivian humid mountain forest. (Beneficiary of the Tropimundo Best thesis award)
Mathil Vandromme
Thesis: Disentangling drivers of alpha and beta diversity in bromeliad metacommunities along a tropical elevational gradient. (Beneficiary of the Tropimundo Best student award)
VUB BSc students 2015-2016
Mario Driesen
Adwine Vanslembrouck
VUB BSc students 2014-2015
Jill Eeckhout
Thesis: Associaties tussen verstedelijking en dispersie-morfologie in waterwantsen (Dutch)
Loïc Gillerot
Thesis: Disentangling the drivers of alpha, beta and gamma diversity in pond metacommunities
Llewelyn Buidin
Thesis: Assessing the drivers of habitat selection in Sigara lateralis water boatmen (Corixidae) via a reductionist experimental approach.
VUB BSc students 2013-2014
Yannick Coeckelberghs
Thesis: Local and regional drivers of diversity patterns in Swedish rock pools
Jonathan Favaits
Thesis: Assessing potential impacts of nutrient addition by vertebrates on diversity patterns in rock pool communities in the Australian outback
Nene Lefaible
Thesis: Investigating the potential adaptive origin of buoyancy in zooplankton resting eggs
KULeuven MSc students (co supervisor with Luc Brendonck as main promoter):
2013-2014
Elien Bauweleers
MSc thesis: The effects of drought-stress and habitat type on the morphology and fitness of the European common frog.
Wouter Hawinkel
MSc thesis: Het belang van reproductieve energie allocatie en ontuikingsstrategieën voor overleving in onvoorspelbare tijdelijke poelen (Dutch).
2014-2015
Enya Wynants
MSc thesis: Bet hedging in branchiopod crustaceans and the impact of resting egg morphology on dormancy
Eli Thoré
MSc thesis: The genetic and epigenetic contribution to phenotypic variation in a vertebrate an an invertebrate model
