Arno Thomaes

Research Institute for Nature and Forest

Gaverstraat 4

9500 Geraardsbergen

+32 (0)54 43 61 72

Arno.Thomaes@inbo.be

I work at the Nature and Forest Research Institute (INBO) of the Flemish Government, where I study ecological restoration of forests. One project concerns management adaptation to facilitate the recolonisation of typical herb layer species in post-agricultural forest (afforestations on former agricultural land). Post-agricultural forests differ from other forests in soil properties, and especially the high phosphorus concentration results in a dominance of competitors. The aim is to study the effect of tree species and light regime of the (managed) tree and shrub layer on the herb layer and especially the colonisation of ancient forest plant species. My PhD at ForNaLab will be the finalisation of this study. Furthermore my work at INBO involves Natura 2000 forest habitats and species.