The Biological control and Spatial
Ecology Lab. (abbreviated as LUBIES, Lutte
BIologique et Ecologie Spatiale) is part of the Université Libre de
Bruxelles, and we are attached to the School of Bioengineers, which
groups research units working in diverse fields of applied biological
sciences (e.g., landscape ecology and urban planning, environmental
sciences).
Our researches deal with demographic
and spatial changes in several harmful organisms such as forest,
agricultural and urban insect pests and animal diseases. We focus on
the mechanisms which trigger outbreaks and epidemics, on the factors
favoring their spread and persistence, and on the development of
monitoring and control methods.
A particular attention is given to invasive alien organisms: exotic insects (forest and urban tree pests) and emerging diseases (bird flu, bovine tuberculosis, bluetongue), and to the patterns and processes involved in their extension (global change, farming systems, trade). These processes include interactions between these organisms and their habitat or host, and with their biotic and physical environment. The methods used to approach these systems include uni-variate or multi-variate spatial statistics, spatially-explicit and spatially-realistic population models and simulations.
Two new post-docs have joined the lab recently, Aiko Gryspert, who will work on spread models of vector-borne diseases as part of the Edenext project, and Ceridwen Fraser, who works on the reproductive strategy of Dendroctonus micans, a project funded by the FNRS.
Kausrud K., Gregoire J.-C., Skarpaas O., Erbilgin N., Gilbert, M.,
Stenseth N.C., Řkland, B. (2011) Trees Wanted – Dead or Alive! Host
selection and population dynamics in tree-killing bark beetles. PLOS ONE 6 (5):e18274. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018274
Tatem, M & C. Linard. (2011) Population mapping of poor countries. Nature (Correspondence) 474, 36, doi: 10.1038/474036d
Martin, M., D. Pfeiffer, X. Zhou, X. Xiao, D. Prosser, G. Fusheng & M. Gilbert (In press) Spatial distribution and risk factors of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in China. PLoS Pathog 7(3): e1001308. Doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001308