Forest Ecology and Management Research Group

Raf Aerts

Diploma

• MSc in Applied bioscience and engineering, Land and Forest Management (1999)
• ITECO course for Development Cooperation (2000)
• PhD in Bioscience engineering (2006)

Work history

• Researcher for Ground for GIS (GfG, K.U. Leuven R&D, now SADL) specialized in the thematical domains soil, water and flood risks (1999-2000)
• Permanent expert and project-coordinator of the VLIR OI project "Forest rehabilitation through natural regeneration in Tigray, Northern-Ethiopia" of K.U. Leuven and Mekelle University (Ethiopia) (2001-2003)
• VLIR-UDC researcher at the Division Forest, Nature and Landscape (2004-2005)
• Postdoctoral research fellow K.U.Leuven Research Fund (2006-2008)

Expertise

• Plant and bird communities of tropical (dry) forests
• Facilitation and forest restoration
• Seed dispersal and recruitment of bird-dispersed trees
• Spatial genetic structure, genetic diversity and productivity of wild coffee
• University Development Cooperation

Miscellaneous

• Member of Natuurpunt Oost-Brabant
• Member of VELT vzw

Personal website

 African Blog of Ecology

Projects

• Productivity and genetic diversity of Wild coffee (Coffea arabica) in its center of origin, southern Ethiopia, in relation to forest management and land use (2008-2011)
• Bird communities as indicators of stand structural complexity in fragmented Afrotropical rainforests (2007-2008)
• Dispersal and recruitment of African wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif.) in the highlands of Central-Tigray, Northern-Ethiopia (2003-2006)
• Towards integrated catchment management in tropical mountain areas: the problem of sediment management, Paute catchment, Ecuador (2001-2005)
• Forest Rehabilitation through Natural Regeneration in Tigray, Northern-Ethiopia (2000-2004)

Publications

Publication profile AERTS Raf

7

Publication year	n	Peer-reviewed publications
2003	1
2004	1
2006	7
2007	5
2008	8
2009	3
2010	6

Open Access versions of published articles available at Lirias

Articles in internationally reviewed scientific journals

• Achten WMJ, Maes WH, Aerts R, Verchot L, Trabucco A, Mathijs E, Singh VP, Muys B 2010. Jatropha: from global hype to local opportunity. Journal of Arid Environments 74, 164-165. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.08.010
• Achten WMJ, Nielsen LR, Aerts R, Lengkeek AG, Kjaer ED, Trabucco A, Hansen JK, Maes WH, Graudal L, Akinnifesi FK, Muys B 2010. Towards domestication of Jatropha curcas. Biofuels 1(1), 91-107. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Finneran N, Haile M, Poesen J 2010. The accumulation of Stone Age lithic artifacts in rock fragment mulches in northern Ethiopia. Geoarchaeology 25, 137-148. DOI: 10.1002/gea.20299
• Aerts R, Volkaert H, Roongruangsree N, Roongruangsree U, Swennen R, Muys B 2010. Site requirements of the endangered rosewood Dalbergia oliveri in a tropical deciduous forest in northern Thailand. Forest Ecology and Management 259, 117-123. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.051
• Özkan K, Gulsoy S, Aerts R, Muys B 2010. Site properties for Crimean juniper (Juniperus excelsa) in semi-natural forests of south western Anatolia, Turkey. Journal of Environmental Biology 31, 97-100. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R 2009. Open-access publishing can survive recession. Nature 458, 967-967. DOI: 10.1038/458967a
• Aerts R, Nyssen J, Haile M 2009. On the difference between "exclosures" and "enclosures" in ecology and the environment. Journal of Arid Environments 73, 762-763. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.01.006
• Negussie A, Aerts R, Gebrehiwot K, Prinsen E, Muys B 2009. Euphorbia abyssinica latex promotes rooting of Boswellia cuttings. New Forests 37, 35-42. DOI: 10.1007/s11056-008-9106-7
• Achten WMJ, Verchot L, Franken YJ, Mathijs E, Singh VP, Aerts R, Muys B 2008. Jatropha bio-diesel production and use. Biomass and Bioenergy 32(12), 1063-1084. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2008.03.003
• Aerts R 2008. Digital identifiers work for articles, so why not for authors?. Nature 453, 979-979. DOI: 10.1038/453979b
• Aerts R 2008. Digital identifiers could keep up with authors' moves. Nature 454, 575-575. DOI: 10.1038/454575c
• Aerts R, Lerouge F, November E, Lens L, Hermy M, Muys B 2008. Land rehabilitation and the conservation of birds in a degraded Afromontane landscape in northern Ethiopia. Biodiversity and Conservation 17, 53-69. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-007-9230-2
• Aerts R, November E, Maes W, Van der Borght I, Negussie A, Aynekulu E, Hermy M, Muys B 2008. In situ persistence of African wild olive and forest restoration in degraded semiarid savanna. Journal of Arid Environments 72, 1131-1136. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.11.009
• Negussie A, Aerts R, Gebrehiwot K, Muys B 2008. Seedling mortality causes recruitment limitation of Boswellia papyrifera in northern Ethiopia. Journal of Arid Environments 72, 378-383. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.06.009
• Achten WMJ, Mathijs E, Verchot L, Singh VP, Aerts R, Muys B 2007. Jatropha biodiesel fueling sustainability?. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining 1(4), 283-291. DOI: 10.1002/bbb.39
• Aerts R 2007. Church forests in Ethiopia. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5(2), 66-66. DOI: 10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[66a:CFIE]2.0.CO;2
• Aerts R, Negussie A, Maes W, November E, Hermy M, Muys B 2007. Restoration of dry Afromontane forest using pioneer shrubs as nurse-plants for Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata. Restoration Ecology 15, 129-138. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2006.00197.x
• Fontaine M, Aerts R, Özkan K, Mert, A, Gülsoy, S, Süel, H, Waelkens, M, Muys B 2007. Elevation and exposition rather than soil types determine communities and site suitability in Mediterranean mountain forests of southern Anatolia, Turkey. Forest Ecology and Management 247, 18-25. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2007.04.021
• van Wyk G, Pepler D, Gebrehiwot K, Aerts R, Muys B 2007. The potential and risks of using exotics for the rehabilitation of Ethiopian dryland forest. Journal of the Drylands 1, 148-157. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Maes W, November E, Behailu M, Poesen J, Deckers J, Hermy M, Muys B 2006. Surface runoff and seed trapping efficiency of shrubs in a regenerating semiarid woodland in northern Ethiopia. Catena 65, 61-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2005.09.004
• Aerts R, Maes W, November E, Negussie A, Hermy M, Muys B 2006. Restoring dry Afromontane forest using bird and nurse plant effects: direct sowing of Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata seeds. Forest Ecology and Management 230, 23-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2006.04.001
• Aerts R, Negussie A, Maes W, November E, Hermy M, Muys B 2006. Survival of planted African wild olive seedlings in northern Ethiopian exclosures depending on planting season and shrub cover. Journal of the Drylands 1, 64-71. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, November E, Van der Borght I, Behailu M, Hermy M, Muys B 2006. Effects of pioneer shrubs on the recruitment of the fleshy-fruited tree Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata in Afromontane savanna. Applied Vegetation Science 9, 117-126. DOI: 10.1658/1402-2001(2006)9[117:EOPSOT]2.0.CO;2
• Aerts R, Van Overtveld K, Haile M, Hermy M, Deckers J, Muys B 2006. Species composition and diversity of small Afromontane forest fragments in northern Ethiopia. Plant Ecology 187, 127-142. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-006-9137-0
• Aerts R, Wagendorp T, November E, Behailu M, Deckers J, Muys B 2004. Ecosystem thermal buffer capacity as an indicator of the restoration status of protected areas in the northern Ethiopian highlands. Restoration Ecology 12, 586-596. DOI: 10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00324.x
• Muys B, Wagendorp T, Aerts R, Garcia Quijano J 2003. Ecological sustainability assessment of carbon conservation, sequestration and substitution projects using the exergy concept. Travaux 26, 67-85.

Books or book chapters, internationally recognised scientific publisher

• Achten WMJ, Aninnifesi FK, Maes WH, Trabucco A, Aerts R, Mathijs E, Reubens B, Singh VP, Verchot L, Muys B 2010. Jatropha integrated agroforestry systems – biodiesel pathways towards sustainable rural development. In: Ponterio C & Ferra C (eds.) Jatropha curcas as a premier biofuel: cost, growing and management. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, NY, USA (ISBN: 978-1-60876-003-9) (in press). get abstract / full text
• Aerts R 2008. Erythrina abyssinica Lam ex DC. in: Louppe, D., Oteng- Amoako, A.A. and Brink, M. (eds), Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 7(1). Timbers 1. PROTA Foundation/Backhuys Publishers/CTA Wageningen, The Netherlands., 249-252. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R 2008. Afrocarpus falcatus (Thunb.) C.N. Page. in: Louppe, D., Oteng- Amoako, A.A. and Brink, M. (eds), Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 7(1). Timbers 1. PROTA Foundation/Backhuys Publishers/CTA Wageningen, The Netherlands., 36-39. get abstract / full text

Reviewed papers at international conferences and symposia, published in full in proceedings

• Aerts R, Vanderborght I, November E, Mintesinot Behailu, Hermy M, Muys B 2006. The importance of early successional shrubs for recruitment of African wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) in central Tigray, Ethiopia. In: S.A. Chazanfar & H.J. Beentje (Eds), Taxonomy and ecology of African plants, their conservation and sustainable use. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 167-176.

Other publications

• Achten WMJ, Aerts R, Maes WH, Mathijs E, Reubens B, Trabucco A, Singh VP, Vandenbempt P, Verchot L, Muys B 2009. Environmental performance of tropical bio-diesel trees. in: Book of Abstracts of International Symposium Developing countries facing global warming: a post-kyoto assessment, Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences United Nations, Brussels, 12-13 June, 2009, 25-25. get abstract / full text
• Muys B, Trabucco A, Aertsen W, Aerts R, Maes W 2009. Predictive mapping for dryland forest ecosystem restoration. Minisymposium on tropical dry forests: regeneration, succession, recovery and conservation. Wageningen University, 2 April 2009.. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, November E, Hermy M, Deckers J, Haile M, Muys B 2008. Assisting natural forest regeneration in Northern Ethiopia: one measure is not enough. Sustainable Forest Management in Africa, African Solutions to African Problems in Natural Forest Management, 3-7 November 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa.10.1038/npre.2008.2437.1
• Aerts R, Pankhurst R, Van Overtveld K, November E, Hermy M, Muys B 2008. Historical deforestation patterns and the conservation value of church forests in the northern Ethiopian highlands. International Conference Mountain Forests in a Changing World. Advances in Research on Sustainable Management and the Role of Academic Education. UNI BOKU Vienna, April 2-4, 2008. Book of abstracts, 14-14. Available from Nature Precedings.10.1038/npre.2008.1786.1
• Aerts R, Prinsen E, Muys B 2008. Potential pathways of indole acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis in Euphorbia abyssinica. Nature Precedings (Online).10.1038/npre.2008.2212.1
• Aerts R, Negussie A, Muys B 2007. Management of exclosures (In Tigrinya). In: Nyssen J, Descheemaeker K, Haregeweyn N, Haile M, Deckers J, Poesen J (Eds) Lessons learnt from 10 years research on soil erosion and soil and water conservation in Tigray. Tigray Livelihood Papers 6, 57-62. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Negussie A, Muys B 2007. Management of exclosures. In: Nyssen J, Descheemaeker K, Haregeweyn N, Haile M, Deckers J, Poesen J (Eds) Lessons learnt from 10 years research on soil erosion and soil and water conservation in Tigray. Tigray Livelihood Papers 7, 49-53. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Reubens B, Descheemaeker K, Muys B 2007. Vegetation and sediment control: the potential of natural regeneration and assisted forest restoration. First International Sediment Forum, Cuenca University, Ecuador.
• Bongers F, Wassie A, Aerts R, Mengistu T, Sterck F 2007. The fate of dry Afromontane forests in northern Ethiopia. Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation Symposium, Book of Abstracts.
• Fontaine M, Aerts R, Özkan K, Waelkens M, Muys B 2007. Hoogteligging en expositie hebben een grotere invloed dan bodemeigenschappen op standplaatsgeschiktheid en het voorkomen van plantengemeenschappen in de Mediterrane bergwouden van Zuidwest-Turkije. Starters in het Bosonderzoek - donderdag 22 maart 2007. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Maes W, Lerouge F, November E, Hermy M, Muys B 2005. Positive effects of gullies for bird-mediated seed dispersal and spontaneous reforestation in a degraded semi-arid landscape. In: Chen, L. and H. Gulinck (eds.) Erosion, Afforestation and People. Workshop Bilateral Project BIL0209, Leuven 24-26 May 2005, Book of abstracts, 2-2. Online Journal of Scientific Posters EP10610. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, Muys B, Hermy M 2005. Natuurlijke verjonging van Afrikaanse wilde olijf in Noord-Ethiopië: de cruciale rol van vogels. Studiedag Starters in het bosonderzoek, Brussel, 22 maart 2005, referatenmap.
• Aerts R, November E, Maes W, Van der Borght I, Behailu M, Hermy M, Muys B 2004. Critical phases in the natural regeneration of African wild olive in Northern Ethiopia. In: Muys B, Gebrehiwot K, Bruneel S (eds.) Symposium on the rehabilitation of dryland forests in Ethiopia: ecology and management. Mekelle, Ethiopia, 21-24 September 2004. Book of abstracts, 29.
• Aerts R, November E, Van der Borght I,. Maes W, Tafere M, Muys B 2004. Survival limitation of African Wild Olive seedlings by browsing livestock in the highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia. In: Muys B, Gebrehiwot K, Bruneel S (eds.) Symposium on the rehabilitation of dryland forests in Ethiopia: ecology and management. Mekelle, Ethiopia, 21-24 September 2004. Book of abstracts, 19.
• Van Overtveld K, Aerts R, Behailu M, Muys B, Deckers J 2004. Possibilities for future forest expansion in the Geba river watershed, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. In: Muys B, Gebrehiwot K, Bruneel S (eds.) Symposium on the rehabilitation of dryland forests in Ethiopia: ecology and management. Mekelle, Ethiopia, 21-24 September 2004. Book of abstracts, 51.
• Aerts R, Amanuel Z, Fassil K, November E, Mintesinot B, Muys B 2003. From fragments to forests: Forest rehabilitation through natural regeneration in Tigray. Poster prepared for Mekelle University/K.U. Leuven/VLIR-EI. get abstract / full text
• Aerts R, November E, Behailu M, Deckers J, Hermy M, Muys B 2003. Forest rehabilitation: one approach to water conservation in Central Tigray. Ethiopian Journal of Water Science and Technology 6(1), 34-37. get abstract / full text
• Reubens B, Heyn M, Aerts R, Behailu M, Hermy M, Muys B 2003. Technical paper forest rehabilitation project TN-2003/10. Ecological seed bank analysis in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Mekelle University, 28.
• Aerts R, Haile M, Muys B, Deckers J, Hermy M, Moeyersons J 2001. Forest rehabilitation and water conservation in the Tigray highlands, northern Ethiopia. European Tropical Forest Research Network Newsletter 33, 29-31. get abstract / full text