Campine Region Research Articles

Assessing belowground carbon storage after converting a temperate permanent grassland into a bamboo (Phyllostachys) plantation

AbstractBamboo (Phyllostachys sp.) is considered a sustainable resource that can replace fossil fuel‐based products. Its additional ability to sequester organic carbon in the soil (SOC) makes it a promising nature‐based solution for combating climate change. However, bamboo's soil C storage potential may vary considerably between species or growing conditions and needs to be better quantified, especially in temperate climates where data are lacking. In the present research, the SOC dynamics of plots converted from grassland to plantations of three bamboo species (i.e. Phyllostachys nigra, Phyllostachys aurea and Phyllostachys aureosulcata), planted 12 years ago on podzol (World Reference Base classification) in the Belgian Campine region, have been studied. Soil and root samples were taken until a depth of 40 cm using a 10 cm interval. Besides, the total belowground C stability (mgCO2‐C g−1 C h−1) was assessed by measuring during 3 months the carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux relative to the belowground C stock. Based on an equivalent soil mass, only P. aureosulcata, the species with the highest culm basal area, had a significant (p < .001) SOC increase of 5.0 kg C m−2 (relative increase of +94%) as compared with grassland. Considering the sum of C stocks in the soil, roots and leaf litter, all bamboo species showed significant (p < .001) C storage, i.e. +3.6 kg C m−2 (+64%), +5.3 kg C m−2 (+94%) and +8.6 kg C m−2 (+151%) for P. nigra, P. aurea and P. aureosulcata, respectively. In addition, bamboo's relative basal CO2 efflux (0.007, 0.006 and 0.008 mgCO2‐C g−1 C h−1, respectively) was remarkably lower than in the grassland (0.012 mgCO2‐C g−1 C h−1), though it was only significant for P. aurea. This study highlights that converting temperate permanent grassland into Phyllostachys bamboo plantation can result in net and rapid organic C storage by increasing the total belowground C stability and C input. Further research regarding the net CO2 balance of bamboo‐derived products is still required to fully assess its climate change mitigation potential.

'Den armen gedeylt'. Differentiaties tussen stad en dorp in de zestiende-eeuwse publieke armenzorg in de Antwerpse Kempen.

This article bridges the gap between studies of urban and of rural poverty by including both contexts it a comparative analysis. Using the accounts of the Holy Ghosttables it compares the 16th century poor relief between rural and urban communities in the Campine region and focusses on differences in the financing and the structure of the social expenditure, the social position of the Holy Ghostmasters and the generosity of the relief. Although surprisingly many similarities in outdoor relief existed between town and village, the extent of the relief was significantly higher in the Campine cities of Herentals and Hoogstraten than in the neighbouring villages. This cannot be explained by the different power structures or degrees of social cohesion and inequality but by the scale of the local urban economies and the surplus capacity of the urban middles classes.

Variable clinical expression of a Belgian TGFB3 founder variant suggests the presence of a genetic modifier.

Background: TGFB3 variants cause Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 5, a syndromic form of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection. The exact disease phenotype is hard to delineate because of few identified cases and highly variable clinical representation. Methodology: We provide the results of a haplotype analysis and a medical record review of clinical features of 27 individuals from 5 different families, originating from the Campine region in Flanders, carrying the NM_003239.5(TGFB3):c.787G>C p.(Asp263His) likely pathogenic variant, dbSNP:rs796051886, ClinVar:203492. The Asp263 residue is essential for integrin binding to the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif of the TGFβ3-cytokine. Results: The haplotype analysis revealed a shared haplotype of minimum 1.92Mb and maximum 4.14Mb, suggesting a common founder originating >400years ago. Variable clinical features included connective tissue manifestations, non-aneurysmal cardiovascular problems such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, bicuspid aortic valve, mitral valve disease, and septal defects. Remarkably, only in 4 out of the 27 variant-harboring individuals, significant aortic involvement was observed. In one family, a 31-year-old male presented with type A dissection. In another family, the male proband (65years) underwent a Bentall procedure because of bicuspid aortic valve insufficiency combined with sinus of Valsalva of 50mm, while an 80-year-old male relative had an aortic diameter of 43mm. In a third family, the father of the proband (75years) presented with ascending aortic aneurysm (44mm). Conclusion: The low penetrance (15%) of aortic aneurysm/dissection suggests that haploinsufficiency alone by the TGFB3 variant may not result in aneurysm development but that additional factors are required to provoke the aneurysm phenotype.

Vegetation changes in the Grote Nete valley (Campine region, Belgium) during the Boreal: a response to the 9.3 ka event?

Vegetation changes in the Grote Nete valley (Campine region, Belgium) during the Boreal: a response to the 9.3 ka event?

Danger on the track? Tick densities near recreation infrastructures in forests

The risk of tick-borne disease in humans depends on the exposure to pathogen-infected ticks, which in turn is driven by local tick population densities, pathogen prevalence and human activity. Variation in tick densities and pathogen prevalence between green spaces differing in habitat characteristics, location and geography has been well documented. In contrast, variation within green spaces, although vital for management and prevention of disease risk, remains poorly understood. Studying this variation may lead to a better understanding of the drivers of small-scale tick distribution and reveal priority locations for tick management. We sampled ticks within green spaces at three location types representing different green space infrastructures and levels of human activity: (1) a structural element (e.g. bench); (2) the ecotone 40 m further along the adjacent trail and; (3) the interior of the associated forest stand, 20 m perpendicular to the trail, between (1) and (2). Drag sampling took place in 2018 and 2019 at 36 locations in 10 green spaces located in the Campine region of Flanders, Belgium. The density of questing nymphs (DON) was lowest at structural elements and slightly higher adjacent to trails. The highest tick densities were recorded in the forest interior. DON was higher in deciduous than in coniferous forests as well as in stands with a more developed shrub layer. This was true for all location types, as we observed a strong correlation of DON between location types within forest stands. This enables the prediction of DON within forest stands, thus enabling the prediction of DON near infrastructure based on the associated forest stand characteristics. Prevention and management efforts should be focused on infrastructure in or adjacent to deciduous, structure-rich forest stands, although large variation in DON at all location types indicates overall, factual risk while using green space infrastructure.

Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region by Eline Van Onacker, and: Village Community and Conflict in Late Medieval Drenthe by Peter Hoppenbrouwers

Reviewed by: Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region by Eline Van Onacker, and: Village Community and Conflict in Late Medieval Drenthe by Peter Hoppenbrouwers Patrick Ball Van Onacker, Eline, Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region (The Medieval Countryside, 17), Turnhout, Brepols, 2017; hardback; pp. xli, 320; 7 b/w illustrations, 3 maps, 57 graphs, 68 b/w tables; R.R.P. €100.00; ISBN 9782503554594. Hoppenbrouwers, Peter, Village Community and Conflict in Late Medieval Drenthe (The Medieval Countryside, 20), Turnhout, Brepols, 2018; hardback; pp. xvii, 384; 14 b/w illustrations, 4 maps, 9 b/w tables; R.R.P. €100.00; ISBN 9782503575391. These monographs concern two of the Low Countries' three notable sandy inland districts: Eline Van Onacker examines Belgium's Campine region; Peter Hoppenbrouwers considers Drenthe, in the Netherlands. These regions shared characteristic features and differed from other rural areas, so the volumes complement each other. This research is welcome. As Hoppenbrouwers, a graduate of the 1970s, remarks, with the decline of neo-Marxist history 'peasant societies and village communities are out of favour as objects of historical research' (p. 1). Van Onacker, of a more recent generation, adopts a revisionist perspective, arguing that researchers have privileged rural regions that suit their interests and prejudices, favouring those where medieval communities transformed swiftly into modern, industrialized ones, neglecting those that behaved otherwise. Both works make regular comparison with the situation in Flanders, France, Germany, or England. Whereas Hoppenbrouwers cites copious instances from everyday life, Van Onacker's volume abounds in graphs, tables, and diagrams. Both authors allude to the limitations of their sources. The records of rural communities can be erratically preserved, while, notwithstanding comparable natural environments, these regions' social structures varied. Consequently, the differential creation and survival of source material has permitted different things [End Page 290] to be investigated. While Hoppenbrouwers makes good use of the judgements of the Etstoel (Drenthe's highest judicial and political body), the conflicts he examines occurred in villages whose local records have not survived. For the different aspects of her study, Van Onacker draws on information from different Campine villages, since none has the full set of records to suit her purposes—something that renders extrapolation risky, considering she notes significant variability between villages in some respects. Similar variation between regions means Drenthe and the Campine are not directly analogous: the absence of a regional council such as Drenthe's Etstoel brought about the Campine social structure that Van Onacker describes. Nevertheless, the two regions evidently have strong resemblances, including the persistence of a substantial common wasteland, which by the later Middle Ages had vanished elsewhere in the Netherlands. The works are thus productively read together. Hoppenbrouwers's is the first English-language study of Drenthe. Two introductory chapters precede three devoted to specific categories of community conflict. Chapter 2 describes the legal system within which disputes played out; Chapter 1 is a compendious, eighty-four-page survey of everything else of an introductory nature: the study of medieval villages; Drenthe's history and historiography; the source materials consulted; the region's landscape, demography, and territorial divisions; its rural society and peasants; the landholdings of lordships, ecclesiastical or secular; and, finally, a comparison with property relations in 1630. For readers previously unacquainted with Drenthe this is a great deal to assimilate. The chapter is accordingly heavy-going, although, for the same reason, potentially an invaluable resource. Succeeding chapters are comparably detailed but become progressively easier as the contents of earlier ones are internalized. With the last three the work comes into its own. Chapter 3 concerns disputes regarding village boundaries, the use of a village's commons, or the maintenance of bridges, ditches, and the like, either between neighbouring villages or between the village community and one of its members. Hoppenbrouwers concludes that these were sparked less by population growth than by burgeoning state formation, which demanded greater systematization, for purposes such as taxation. Chapter 4 concerns feuding. Although murder and other felonies went to trial automatically, other offences, including accidental killing, were 'cases of vengeance': the victim's kinsfolk might demand the right of blood feud; they might apprehend culprits...

Leaching behavior of Cd, Zn and nutrients (K, P, S) from a contaminated soil as affected by amendment with biochar.

In Campine region in Flanders (Belgium) there are contaminated sites with Cd and Zn due to atmospheric deposition from industry. Flanders is also known for its large surpluses of nitrogen and phosphorous coming from intense livestock production. To solve both issues, the potential of biochar to sorb metals and nutrients was investigated. Experiments were conducted to examine whether biochar could reduce the leaching of nutrients (K, P and S) and metals (Cd and Zn) into the soil solution. Most biochars caused an increase in pH of approximately 1 unit which is often the main driver of the metal immobilization. Nutrient concentrations in the leachate of soil amended with oak-based biochar were lower compared to the blank soil. For the other amendments, however, the results were higher due to the nutrients leached from the applied products. The result of this experiment emphasize the potential of biochar to immobilize nutrients and metals in soil water systems, thus keeping the nutrients longer available for the plant and reducing the metal toxicity. However, the amount of metals immobilized was lower than expected. Further research is required to determine whether biochar from livestock products could act as a slow release fertilizer.

Eline Van Onacker, Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region

Eline Van Onacker, Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region

Impact of organic amendments (biochar, compost and peat) on Cd and Zn mobility and solubility in contaminated soil of the Campine region after three years

To determine the long-term impact of organic amendments on metal (Cd and Zn) immobilization, soil from the Campine region was amended with holm oak-derived biochar, compost, and peat, and monitored over a 3-year period. Pot experiments were conducted by mixing the amendments independently at 2% and 4% (g/g) with the soil. The mobility and solubility of metals in the treatments were assessed by means of rhizon soil moisture samplers, sequential BCR extractions, and diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT).Over the three-year period, the 2% biochar addition resulted in an average decrease in pore water concentration of 40% for Cd and 48% for Zn whereas the 4% addition led to an average decrease of 66% for Cd and 77% for Zn. The immobilization effect in the biochar treatments was attributed to the consistently higher pH and lower concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the soil. The latter may have been caused by sorption of DOC onto the surface of biochar thereby increasing its negatively charged functional groups that are able to sorb cations. On the other hand, compost and peat had the unwanted effect of significantly increasing the concentrations of Cd and Zn in the soil pore water. This was partly due to the formation of soluble organo-metallic complexes as significantly higher DOC concentrations were found in the compost and peat treatments.Results from the DGT measurements, after a 24 h deployment time, revealed a low resupply (R ≤ 0.4) of Cd and Zn from the solid phase to the soil solution in both amended and unamended soil. This suggests a case of slow metal desorption kinetics in the soil that was relatively unchanged by the presence of organic amendments.

The crustal structure beneath The Netherlands derived from ambient seismic noise

This work presents the first comprehensive 3-D model of the crust beneath The Netherlands. To obtain this model, we designed the NARS-Netherlands project, a dense deployment of broadband stations in the area. Rayleigh and Love wave group velocity dispersion was measured from ambient noise cross-correlations. Azimuthally anisotropic group velocity maps were then constructed and the isotropic part was used to determine a shear wave speed model that includes the effects of radial anisotropy. Employing the Neighbourhood Algorithm for the depth inversion, we obtained probabilistic estimates of the radially anisotropic model parameters. We found that the variations in the thickness of the top layer largely match the transition from sediments of Permian age to those of Carboniferous age. Regions of high faulting density such as the West Netherlands Basin and Roer Valley Graben are recognized in our model by their negative radial anisotropy (VSH−VSV < 0). The model has a mid-crustal discontinuity at a depth of around 13km and the average Moho depth is 33km, with most of its depth variations within 2km. Specifically, a localized Moho uplift to a depth of 29km is found within Roer Valley Graben, in the Campine region in Belgium. Furthermore, our Rayleigh and Love wave group velocity data at periods of around 20s show evidence for azimuthal anisotropy with a NW-SE fast direction. This anisotropy is likely related to NW-SE rock fabric in the lower crust thought to originate from the Caledonian deformation.

Chemical stabilization of Cd-contaminated soil using biochar

Metal smelter activities have contaminated approximately 700 km2 of the Campine region in Belgium and The Netherlands. This work aimed to assess the effectiveness of biochar added to this soil using compost, peat or lime as a reference. Amendments were mixed with the contaminated soil at a 2 or 4% ratio (w:w) and equilibrated for up to 44 weeks. Treatment with biochar released significantly lower concentrations of Cd in the soil solution than compost or peat. In comparison to the blanks, soil solution concentrations of Cd were reduced 67% on average for the 4% biochar treatment and increased 30% and 231% for the 4% compost and 4% peat treatments, respectively. The lime treatment was equally effective as the biochar in reducing Cd concentrations. Similar trends were observed when conducting consecutive CaCl2 extractions. However, pH-stat leaching tests showed biochar and the other organic amendments to be more effective than lime in retaining Cd from the solution. The combined effect of pH and metal complexation capacity of added biochar resulted in an effective reduction in soluble Cd concentrations that lasted longer than when lime, compost or peat are used.

Limitations for phytoextraction management on metal-polluted soils with poplar short rotation coppice—evidence from a 6-year field trial

ABSTRACTPoplar clones were studied for their phytoextraction capacity in the second growth cycle (6-year growth) on a site in the Belgian Campine region, which is contaminated with Cd and Zn via historic atmospheric deposition of nearby zinc smelter activities. The field trial revealed regrowth problems for some clones that could not be predicted in the first growth cycle. Four allometric relations were assessed for their capacity to predict biomass yield in the second growth cycle. A power function based on the shoot diameter best estimates the biomass production of poplar with R2 values between 0.94 and 0.98. The woody biomass yield ranged from 2.1 to 4.8 ton woody Dry Mass (DM) ha−1 y−1. The primary goal was to reduce soil concentrations of metals caused by phytoextraction. Nevertheless, increased metal concentrations were determined in the topsoil. This increase can partially be explained by the input of metals from deeper soil layers in the top soil through litterfall. The phytoextraction option with poplar short rotation coppice in this setup did not lead to the intended soil remediation in a reasonable time span. Therefore, harvest of the leaf biomass is put forward as a crucial part of the strategy for soil remediation through Cd/Zn phytoextraction.

Shifting climate, reshaping urban landscapes: Designing for drought in the Campine landscape

As global warming persists, regions with moderate climatic conditions will be confronted with exacerbating seasonal variations, including aggravating dry periods. This upcoming drought challenge receives, however, little attention from policymakers. Likewise, Flemish planners and designers focus on floods, not droughts. This research concentrates on design strategies that deal with a lack of water in highly urbanized territories such as Flanders. The article analyses the results of a design workshop on (future) drought issues in the Campine region: ‘Shifting Climate, Reshaping Urban Landscapes’. Four distinct strategies are delineated: ‘remodelling the valleys’, ‘retrofitting urbanization’, ‘aqueducts 2.0’, and ‘autonomous, local water networks’. The article discusses the premise of each strategy and its approach to the local landscape and urban tissue. Moreover, it highlights key issues to drought design in highly urbanized territories.

Heterogeneous Impact of Soil Contamination on Farmland Prices in the Belgian Campine Region: Evidence from Unconditional Quantile Regressions

We estimate a hedonic-pricing model using geo-coded farmland-transaction data from the Campine region, situated in the north-east of Belgium. Unlike previous hedonic studies, we use the method of unconditional quantile regression (Firpo et al., in Econometrica 77(3):953–973, 2009). An important advantage of this new method over the traditional conditional quantile regression (Koenker and Bassett, in Econometrica 46(1):33–50, 1978) is that it allows for the estimation of potentially heterogeneous effects of cadmium pollution along the entire (unconditional) distribution of farmland prices. Using a threshold specification of the hedonic-pricing model, we find evidence of a U-shaped valuation pattern, where cadmium pollution of the soil has a negative and significant impact on prices only in the middle range of the distribution, insofar as cadmium concentrations are above the regulatory standard of 2 parts per million for agricultural land. Results obtained from a probit model to classify land plots into different price segments further suggest that the heterogeneous impact of soil pollution on price can be directly related to the variety of amenities that farmland provides.

Techno-economic assessment of fast pyrolysis for the valorization of short rotation coppice cultivated for phytoextraction

Abstract The main barrier in the commercialization of phytoextraction as a sustainable alternative for remediating metal contaminated soils is its long time period, which can be countered by biomass valorization. From an environmental point of view, fast pyrolysis of the biomass is promising because its lower process temperature prevents metal volatilization. The remaining question is whether fast pyrolysis is also preferred from an economic point of view. Therefore, a techno-economic assessment of fast pyrolysis has been performed for a case study in the Campine region in Belgium. For this region, willow trees cultivated in short rotation have the right characteristics to serve as a phytoextracting crop. A techno-economic assessment requires by definition a multidisciplinary approach. The problem statement urges for a focus on the economic profitability from the viewpoint of an investor, including economic risk analysis. Fast pyrolysis seems more profitable than gasification. The profit is dependent on the scale of operation, the policy support (subsidies) and the oil yield. The economic risk can be reduced by increasing the scale of operation by means of complementing feedstocks, and by valorization of the char byproduct by subsequent processing to activated carbon.

Impact of metal pollution on fungal diversity and community structures.

The impact of metal pollution on plant communities has been studied extensively in the past, but little is known about the effects of metal pollution on fungal communities that occur in metal-polluted soils. Metal-tolerant ecotypes of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus luteus are frequently found in pioneer pine forests in the Campine region in Belgium on metal-polluted soils. We hypothesized that metal pollution would play an important role in shaping below-ground fungal communities that occur in these soils and that Suillus luteus would be a dominant player. To test these hypotheses, the fungal communities in a young pine plantation in soil polluted with zinc, and cadmium were studied using 454 amplicon pyrosequencing. Results show that zinc, cadmium and soil organic matter content were strongly correlated with the fungal community composition, but no effects on fungal diversity were observed. As hypothesized, S. luteus was found to be a dominant member of the studied fungal communities. However, other dominant fungal species, such as Sistotrema sp., Wilcoxina mikolae and Cadophora finlandica were found as well. Their presence in metal-polluted sites is discussed.

Late Quaternary (15 ka to present) development of a sandy landscape in the Mol area, Campine region, north‐east Belgium

ABSTRACTThe geomorphological analysis of two sections cut into a sandy landscape in north‐east Belgium enabled the establishment of a chronology for a sequence of events during the last 15 ka that illustrate the polycyclical nature of the evolution of such landscapes. Field descriptions, analytical sediment and soil characterization, and pollen analysis are combined with the optically stimulated luminescence dating method to unravel the recent geomorphological history of the investigated site. The principal results include apparently discontinuous sand deposition between ∼15 and 12 ka, landscape stabilization and Podzol formation between ∼12 and 1 ka, the development of a drift sand landscape between ∼650 and 200 a, and renewed stabilization over the last two centuries. The results are discussed in the light of climate, land‐use and vegetation changes and compared with findings at similar sites in the European Sand Belt.

Effect of water quality on blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Flanders (Belgium)

To assess the ecological water quality in Flanders (northern part of Belgium), macroinvertebrates have been collected by the Flemish Environment Agency. During the present study, the blackflies collected between 1997 and 2009 were identified to species level. In total, more than 44,000 specimens were identified, belonging to 12 different species. Sensitive species were restricted to small brooks, while species tolerating lower oxygen concentrations and higher nutrient concentrations were also present in larger watercourses. Several species were either restricted to watercourses in the Campine region (northeast Flanders) or the loamy region (southern Flanders), while the other regions only contained eurytopic species. The prevalence of blackflies increased from less than 5% to almost 30% in the nineties, but did not further increase during the next decade. Habitat suitability models (logistic regressions, artificial neural networks, support vector machines and classification trees) could accurately predict the presence or absence of blackflies. An ensemble forecast, based on predicted oxygen and nutrient concentrations due to planned water quality improvement strategies, predicted that blackflies prevalence will rise to 42% in 2015 and 64% in 2027. Since blackflies only possess a moderate sensitivity, they could occur in all types of running waters with a good water quality. As a good ecological status is required by the European Union Water Framework Directive for all surface waters, it is thus apparent that more efforts will be needed to improve the water quality in Flanders.

Safe use of metal-contaminated agricultural land by cultivation of energy maize (Zea mays)

Production of food crops on trace element-contaminated agricultural lands in the Campine region (Belgium) can be problematic as legal threshold values for safe use of these crops can be exceeded. Conventional sanitation of vast areas is too expensive and alternatives need to be investigated. Zea mays on a trace element-contaminated soil in the region showed an average yield of 53 ± 10 Mg fresh or 20 ± 3 Mg dry biomass ha−1. Whole plant Cd concentrations complied with legal threshold values for animal feed. Moreover, threshold values for use in anaerobic digestion were met. Biogas production potential did not differ between maize grown on contaminated and non-contaminated soils. Results suggested favorable perspectives for farmers to generate non-food crops profitably, although effective soil cleaning would be very slow. This demonstrates that a valuable and sustainable alternative use can be generated for moderately contaminated soils on which conventional agriculture is impaired.

Campsites as Utopias?

This paper contrasts the objectives that underlie the development of government-funded holiday camps for family vacations in Belgium with the socio-spatial practices of their initial users. Drawing on oral history, archival material, photographs and site plans, we argue that holidaymakers did not just experience the holiday camp as an environment where they could reconnect with their family and pursue authentic experiences in close contact with nature – as their initiators had intended – but that they also embraced these sites as places where they could recreate a romanticised version of “traditional” community life and experiment with facets of a middle-class, modern suburban ideal. To substantiate our narrative, we focus on two holiday camps in the Campine Region: Zilvermeer and Hengelhoef.