Research
Belgian researchers - Biosphere
Van Bogaert, Rik
PhD student
From autumn 2003 onwards, expeditions
to Europe’s northernmost latitudes have been undertaken
to discover geomorphologic and ecological processes in the
polar region. During winter 2003-2004, intensive research has
been carried out in northernmost Finland on the search for
evidences of snow avalanches. This erosion process has a great
influence on topography, soil, vegetation, and hydrological
parameters. Understanding its origin, frequency and dynamics
is of major importance regarding safety aspects. The study
has been elaborated in cooperation with the Finnish Meteorological
Institute (FMI) and Davos Swiss Snow Avalanche Research Center
(SLF).
Since 2006, my research interest has been extended towards bio-geographic processes,
i.e. the shifts of the taiga-tundra boundary zone. An ideal model area to study
the controlling processes can be found in the High North of Sweden, where highly
varying physical settings regulate environmental processes. The position and
associated shifts of this vegetation boundary have fascinated geographers since
the early times due to its strong climatic signal.
Research area:
- pclimate change, periglacial processes, fytogeography, geomorphologyp
List of publications
Van Bogaert, R. ; J. Autio, O. Heikkinen, M. De Dapper. 2007. Snow avalanches in Finland. Fennia (in press)
Van Bogaert, R. ; J. Autio, O. Heikkinen, M. De Dapper. 2005. Sneeuwlawineonderzoek in Fins Lapland. De Aardrijkskunde, vol. 29; 3-4.
Abstracts:
Van Bogaert, R. 2007. Recent treeline dynamics in Northern Sweden. Annual PPS Arctic meeting presentation. March 22-23, Tromsø, Norway.
Van Bogaert, R. , T.V. Callaghan, M. De Dapper, C. Jonasson. 2007. Recent treeline dynamics in Northern Sweden- a multi-disciplinary landscape assessment. PhD-symposium Ghent. April 24, Ghent, Belgium.
Complementary resources
- IPY: Present day processes, Past changes, and Spatiotemporal variability of biotic, abiotic and socio-environmental conditions and resource components along and across the Arctic delimitation zone. (PPS Arctic)
- IPY: Environmental baselines, processes, changes and Impacts on people in sub-arctic Sweden and the Nordic Arctic Regions (ENVISNAR)
- IPY: Retrospective and Prospective Vegetation Change in the Polar Regions: Back to the Future
Contact
Geography Department, Ghent University.
Krijgslaan 281, S8, B- 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Funded by Flanders Research Foundation (FWO)
Rik.VanBogaert@UGent.be