Anouk has conducted research on mangroves since 1996. During her M.Sc. thesis she studied the applicability of aerial photographs in studying mangrove vegetation dynamics, conducting field research in Sri Lanka. Later on she participated in the EU-financed 'GROFLO' project (Antropogenically induced changes in groundwater outflow and quality, and the functioning of Eastern African nearshore ecosystems), during which she conducted field research in Kenya. During this project she constructed groundwater flow maps for the Kenyan coast using the MODFLOW model and the 'Visual Modflow' interface.
During her Ph.D. (completed in 2004) Anouk has focused on exploring the environmental information archived in mangrove wood. Despite earlier reports on the absence of annual growth rings in Rhizophora mucronata, she discovered the presence of annual indistinct growth rings in this mangrove tree species (Annals of Botany 94: 59-66). The presence of the rings allow the determination of the age and growth-rates of these mangrove trees. With this discovery in mind, she further investigated the potential of the mangrove wood for dendrochronology by using a multidisciplinary approach, studying the wood anatomy (New Phytologist, 167: 425-435) stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition (Plant, Cell and Environment 27, 1525–1536) and inorganic composition (using ICP-MS) of the wood. Her Ph.D. study has been conducted in collaboration with the Africa Museum, Tervuren, Belgium, the department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at the Free University of Brussels and for the oxygen isotope study, with Prof. Schleser and Dr. Helle from the ICG-V of the Research Centre in Jülich, Germany.
Currently, Anouk has a post-doctoral position at the Royal Museum for Central Africa and works in close collaboration with the Laboratory for General Botany and Nature Management. She pursues her research on mangrove wood through the guidance of Ph.D. students, however also extending her interests to the field of tropical dendrochronology.
Rhizophora mucronata, Kenya
| For an updated publication list, please see: http://www.kenyanmangroves.com/ | |
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Verheyden, A., F. De Ridder, N. Schmitz, H. Beeckman and N. Koedam, 2005 . High-resolution time series of vessel density in Kenyan mangrove trees reveal link with climate. New Phytologist 167: 425-435. |
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Verheyden A., M. Roggeman, S. Bouillon, M. Elskens, H. Beeckman and N. Koedam, 2005. Comparison between d13C of a-cellulose and bulk wood in the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata: implications for dendrochemistry. Chemical Geology. 219: 275-282. |
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Verheyden, A., G. Helle, G. H. Schleser, F. Dehairs, H. Beeckman & N. Koedam, 2004. Annual cyclicity in high-resolution stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the wood of the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata. Plant, Cell and Environment 27, 1525–1536. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2004.01258.x |
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De Ridder, F., R. Pintelon, J. Schoukens and A. Verheyden, 2005. Reduction of the Gibbs phenomenon applied on Non-harmonic Time Base Distortions. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement 54: 1118-1125. |
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Verheyden, Anouk , James Gitundu Kairo, Hans Beeckman, and Nico Koedam, 2004. Growth rings, growth ring formation and age determination in the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata. Annals of Botany 94: 59-66 |
| Verheyden, Anouk , 2004. Rhizophora mucronata wood as a proxy for changes in environmental conditions, a study of the wood anatomy, stable isotope chemistry and inorganic composition of a Kenyan mangrove species. Ph.D. thesis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), 228 pp. (Abstract) | |
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Verheyden, Anouk, Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, Katrien Thomaes, William De Genst, Sanath Hettiarachchi and Nico Koedam, 2002. High-resolution vegetation data for mangrove research as obtained from aerial photography. Environment, Development and Sustainability 4: 113-133. |
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Kamermans P, Hemminga MA, Tack JF, Mateo MA, Marba N, Mtolera M, Stapel J, Verheyden A, Van Daele T., 2002. Groundwater effects on diversity and abundance of lagoonal seagrasses in Kenya and on Zanzibar Island (East Africa). Marine Ecology-Progress Series 231: 75-83. (Abstract) |
| Dahdouh-Guebas F, Verheyden A, De Genst W, Hettiarachchi S, Koedam N, 2000. Four decade vegetation dynamics in Sri Lankan mangroves as detected from sequential aerial photography: A case study in Galle. Bulletin of Marine Science 67 (2): 741-759. | |
| Verheyden, A., G. Helle, G.H. Schleser, F. Dehairs, H. Beeckman and N. Koedam, 2005. High resolution stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata : what do they tell us ? General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), 24-29 April, Vienna, Austria. (Abstract: EGU05-A-04149, http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EGU05/04149/EGU05-J-04149.pdf) |
Verheyden, A., G. Helle, G.H. Schleser and H. Beeckman, 2005. High-resolution carbon and oxygen isotope profiles of tropical and temperate liana species. TRACE meeting, 21-23 April, Fribourg, Switzerland. (Proceedings, in press) |
Verheyden, A. , N. Schmitz, F. De Ridder, H. Beeckman and N. Koedam, 2005. Potential of high-resolution wood anatomy and stable isotope measurements for tropical dendrochronology: a case study on a Kenyan Mangrove tree species. International symposium Tropical forests in a changing global context. Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Brussels, 8-9 November 2004. Proceedings: pp. 333-345 |
Verheyden, A. , F. De Ridder, N. Schmitz, H. Beeckman and N. Koedam, 2004. High-resolution vessel density measuremenets and spectral analysis reveal link with climate in the mangrove Rhizophora mucronata. IAWA, International Symposium on Wood Sciences, 24-29 October, Montpellier, France. |
Verheyden, A. , N. Schmitz, F. De Ridder, H. Beeckman, F. Dehairs, L. André and N. Koedam, 2004. Wood anatomy, stable carbon isotope ratios and chemical composition as proxies for environmental conditions in tropical trees. 3 rd International meeting of the Quaternary Research Association (QRA), 14-17 September, Brussels, Belgium. |
Verheyden, A., H. Beeckman, F. De Ridder, F. Dehairs, S. Bouillon, L. André, J. Navez and N. Koedam, 2003.Potential of wood anatomy, stable carbon isotopic ratios and chemical composition of wood for evaluation of ecosystem health in a tropical mangrove forest. 8th Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands, 14-17 September, Gent, Belgium. |
Verheyden, A., H. Beeckman, F. De Ridder, F. Dehairs, S. Bouillon, L. André, J. Navez and N. Koedam, 2003. Potential of wood anatomy, stable carbon isotope ratios and chemical composition for tropical dendrochronology: a case study on the mangrove tree Rhizophora mucronata. EuroDendro 2003, 10-14 September, Obergurgl, Tyrol, Austria. (Abstract book p98) |
Helle, G., K.S. Treydte and A. Verheyden, 2003. Tropical Swietenia macrophylla wood reveals a systematic recurring carbon isotope pattern. TRACE, Vol. 2. Proceedings of the Dendrosymposium, April 29 th – 01 st May 2003, Utrecht, The Netherlands. |
Verheyden, A . and J.F. Tack, 2000. Practical aspects and first results of the groundwater modelisation for Southern Sri Lanka and the Godavari Delta, India. Oral presentation at the INCO DC project: "Assessment of mangrove degradation and resilience in the Indian sub-continent-the case of the Godavary estuary and the southwest coast of Sri Lanka". (contract ERB IC18-CT98-0295). 8-10 March 2000, Matara, Sri Lanka. |
Verheyden, A ., T. Van Dale and J.F. Tack, 1999. Large scale groundwater modelisation along the East-African coast: results. Oral presentation at the final EU-INCO workshop: “Anthropogenically induced changes in groundwater outflow and quality, and the functioning of the Eastern African nearshore ecosystems” (GROFLO) (contract: ERB IC18-CT96-0065)., 12-15 April 1999, Inhaca, Mozambique. |
Verheyden, A . and J.F. Tack, 1998. Developing a groundwater model for Eastern Africa: methodology. Oral presentation at the EU-INCO workshop: “Anthropogenically induced changes in groundwater outflow and quality, and the functioning of the Eastern African nearshore ecosystems” (GROFLO) (contract: ERB IC18-CT96-0065)., March 30 th - April 1 st, 1998, Yerseke, The Netherlands. |