Haute Ecole Charlemagne ~ ~ Liege ~ Belgium Catholic University of Leuven ~ Department Earth and Environmental Sciences ~ Leuven ~ Belgium Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege ~ Soil Science Unit ~ Gembloux ~ Belgium University College Kempen ~ Biosciences department ~ Geel ~ Belgium Flemish Land Agency ~ VLM ~ Brugge ~ Belgium Research Institute for Forest and Nature ~ INBO ~ Geraardsbergen ~ Belgium University College Ghent ~ Department of Applied Bio-engineering Sciences, ~ Gent ~ Belgium Ministry of the Walloon Region ~ ~ Namur ~ Belgium Association for the Diffusion of Sciences ~ ~ Brussels ~ Belgium Ghent University ~ Laboratory of Soil Science ~ Gent ~ Belgium

WalRB project: translation of the legend of the soil map of Belgium into World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Soil maps are among the most important reference maps in environmental and agriculture fields. Determination of land, agricultural potential, erosion thread, land management or soil pollution are some topics that need spatial soil data. Attention to cross-border environmental matters, such as soil protection, has become an international concern that requires harmonized soil information. This is why the World Reference Base for Soil Resources has been selected by European Union as official soil classification system (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2007). Belgium is one of the first nations to have achieved the whole country soil survey at large scale (1:20,000). The legend of the soil map of Belgium is based on three or four main soil specifications, texture, drainage class, profile development and stoniness nature (for stony soil), each one represented by a letter. Those three or four letters all together form the main soil series. Prefix and suffix may be added to further detail it. The WRB system based on soil morphology is formed of two levels, 32 Reference Soil Groups (RSGs), and various qualifiers (prefix, suffix or both). A common methodology between Flanders, Luxembourg and Wallonia (that use the same soil map legend) is requested to carry out the translation. Data from different databases, digital soil maps, soil profile descriptions, soil analytical data, Digital Elevation Model, other thematic maps (e.g. flooding hazard areas) are collected and organized under a common PostgreSQL database [Belgian Soil Profile Database (BSP)], with PostGIS geographical extension, hosted under a dedicated server. Data validation is proposed to be done under the auspices of National Soil Committee of Royal Academy for Sciences and Arts of Belgium. Algorithms are implemented in Perl and R languages.

WalRB project: translation of the legend of the soil map of Belgium into World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Soil maps are among the most important reference maps in environmental and agriculture fields. Determination of land, agricultural potential, erosion thread, land management or soil pollution are some topics that need spatial soil data. Attention to cross-border environmental matters, such as soil protection, has become an international concern that requires harmonized soil information. This is why the World Reference Base for Soil Resources has been selected by European Union as official soil classification system (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2007). Belgium is one of the first nations to have achieved the whole country soil survey at large scale (1:20,000). The legend of the soil map of Belgium is based on three or four main soil specifications, texture, drainage class, profile development and stoniness nature (for stony soil), each one represented by a letter. Those three or four letters all together form the main soil series. Prefix and suffix may be added to further detail it. The WRB system based on soil morphology is formed of two levels, 32 Reference Soil Groups (RSGs), and various qualifiers (prefix, suffix or both). A common methodology between Flanders, Luxembourg and Wallonia (that use the same soil map legend) is requested to carry out the translation. Data from different databases, digital soil maps, soil profile descriptions, soil analytical data, Digital Elevation Model, other thematic maps (e.g. flooding hazard areas) are collected and organized under a common PostgreSQL database [Belgian Soil Profile Database (BSP)], with PostGIS geographical extension, hosted under a dedicated server. Data validation is proposed to be done under the auspices of National Soil Committee of Royal Academy for Sciences and Arts of Belgium. Algorithms are implemented in Perl and R languages.

Over the last decade, atypical myopathy (AM) in grazing horses has emerged in several European countries. An exploratory analysis was conducted to determine horse- and pasture-level indicators or factors associated with AM in Belgium. Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (n=57) were compared to their healthy co-grazing horses (n=77) and to pastured horses not involved with AM as controls (n=386). The pastures where confirmed cases were grazing (42 pastures; 38 sites; 44 incidences of AM) were compared with those of the controls (216 pastures; 96 sites; no incidence of AM). Statistically significant (P< or =0.05) exploratory variables, identified by means of adjusted odds ratios, suggested that indicators or factors associated with individual horses (young age, inactivity, body condition poor to normal), management practices (permanent pasturing, spreading of manure) and pasture characteristics (humid, sloping pastures, accumulated dead leaves, presence of waterway) may increase the risk of AM. Specific interventions based on these factors might help to reduce the incidence of AM.

BACKGROUND:The emergent nature of atypical myopathy or atypical myoglobinuria (AM) necessitates precise description of its clinical and epidemiologic features.PURPOSE:To define key features of AM to help practitioners recognize the disease and to advise owners to take preventive measures.ANIMALS:Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (CC horses; n = 57) from autumn 2000 to spring 2005 were included in the study. Co-grazing horses (Co-G horses; n = 77) that remained free of any abnormal clinical signs constituted a control group.METHODS:History, environmental characteristics, clinical signs, and laboratory results associated with AM were determined by a retrospective case series study.RESULTS:Young horses in poor or normal body condition were found to be at risk for AM. Pastures were characterized by poor natural drainage and vegetation of low nutritional value. Features of AM were seasonal occurrence, apparent link with weather conditions (ie, lack of solar radiation with no heavy frost and an excess of precipitation or relative humidity), sudden onset of clinical signs, and rapid death. Evaluation of serum creatine kinase activity indicated severe muscle destruction in CC horses and subclinical disease in a few Co-G horses.CONCLUSIONS:The association of AM with specific environmental conditions and individual animals suggests that young horses should not be pastured on bare premises subject to humidity when the weather has been very wet and cold for several days. Management of AM outbreaks should include control of Co-G horses who are apparently healthy.

Testing whether rare species are limited by narrow habitat conditions from correlations between species occurrence and measured environmental factors is usually hampered by the lack of statistical power associated to the low number of observations. Aneura maxima is an exceedingly rare liverwort in Europe whose recent discovery precluded the inclusion within the Red Data Book of European bryophytes. A series of new observations resulting from intensive bryophyte grid-mapping at the border between France and Belgium allowed the statistical investigation of the factors accounting for its distribution at the landscape scale. The species was systematically observed in deep ravines on damp, loamy soils under light tree cover within broadleaf woodlands. These conditions differ from those of other European localities, suggesting that A. maxima is not limited by a narrow ecological range. Attempting to predict the occurrence of A. maxima at the landscape scale from data on land use and soil conditions resulted in a model where the species was actually observed in only a half of the squares where its probability of occurrence was the highest. The species thus does not seem to have colonized all its potential habitats, which may be explained by the poor dispersal ability of this dioecious, rarely fertile species. Given the relative frequency of A. maxima in the Semois river basin, but taking into account its seemingly low dispersal ability and its preference for swampy habitats that are threatened by draining and spruce plantations, a status as 'conservation dependent' to 'near threatened' within the category 'lower risk' is proposed.

Geographical information system (GIS) data on landscape features and land use were collected to predict bryophyte diversity and conservation value in order to determine the factors that favour bryophytes at a large geographical scale and propose the relevant conservation measures. Total species diversity and diversity in species of high conservation value were highly correlated, and the landscape features promoting them were the proportion of military lands, steep slopes, and broadleaf woodland. Military lands seemed to be especially important for the conservation of endangered species highly specialized to open habitats maintained by the appropriate level of disturbance. Woodland cover was also as a key factor for bryophyte diversity but landscape heterogeneity, such as steep slopes with a range of contrasting ecological conditions, was required to reach the highest species numbers. The GIS-based approach presented here may help focusing the attention on sites exhibiting the appropriate landscape features in terms of conservation, which is especially relevant in the context of the European network `Natura 2000' for designating, conserving, and managing the sites of high biological value.

Although forest stands represent 47% of the total land area in Europe, alterations to the forest habitat through logging and plantation of exotic trees has led to significant changes in forest biocenoses. Due to their peculiar biology and life history, epiphytic bryophytes, which include a number of species of high conservation value, are especially concerned. Ordinal logit regression was used to test whether trends in diversity and abundance of obligate epiphytic bryophytes are explained by forest cover and spruce plantation and determine specific optima and degree of reliance to these factors at the landscape scale. Spruce plantations had a negative impact on both species diversity and abundance. Although large forest patches were important for a set of species exclusively or more frequently occurring under the forest cover, the abundance of a number of species previously identified as woodland bryophytes decreased or was uncorrelated with increasing forest cover. Furthermore, the species pool adapted to edge‐related abiotic conditions was important. The global epiphytic diversity did consequently not decrease with decreasing forest cover at the landscape scale. If large forest patches are important for the conservation of a set of species exclusively or more frequently occurring under the forest cover, the conservation of epiphytic bryophytes thus also involves the conservation of pioneer trees in open landscapes. A series of management measures, which may help maximize the species diversity and probability of occurrence of key‐species of high conservation interest, are proposed.

Setting up Spatial Decision Support Systems in environmental fields: examples from “Outil Géo-Environnemental d'Aide à la Décision (OGEAD)” with a special emphasis for soil data. OGEAD is a project that aims to disseminate geographical information related to the environment to civil servants and interested people. This publication describes/explains three examples highlighting environmental data, in particular those related to soil. These examples show an evolution from stand alone applications to WebGIS applications allowing intranet and internet distribution. The publication emphasises the importance of linking data distribution with adapted tools for an efficient use; these tools include various components such as presentation, interpretation and diagnostics.

Information on bryophyte diversity and rarity were combined withinformation on soil conditions and land use for Walloon Brabant (centralBelgium, 1091 km2) in order to investigate whichlandscape features sustain the most rare and diverse species assemblages.Presence–absence of 325 bryophyte species was recorded in 87 grid-squaresof 4 × 4 km. Species diversity was significantly correlatedwith forest cover (r = 0.71, P <0.001), sandy soils (r = 0.61, P <0.001), loamy soils, (r = −0.68,P < 0.001), and agricultural fields(r = −0.49, P < 0.001). Themost diverse grid-squares possessed up to 182 species and were characterized byat least 10% forest cover and the presence of unique micro-habitats.Grid-squares with forest cover reaching at least 10% but lacking uniquemicro-habitats contained between 90 and 130 species. Below 10% forest cover,diversity ranged between 55 and 110 species per grid-square. However, even theleast diverse cultivated areas included a significant amount of the regionallyrare species. A number of the latter are characteristic in other areas forspecific primary habitats lacking in Walloon Brabant but display an unexpectedability to disperse throughout hostile areas and colonize secondary habitats.The tendency of such species to occur in man-made habitats decreased our abilityto predict species richness and rarity from landscape features and soilconditions.

The distribution of bryophytes in central Belgium was investigated using species grid-mapping superimposed on a series of maps which included information on soil conditions and land use. Our objectives were to assess the influence of environmental variation on the bryoflora at a regional scale, to examine how bryophytes respond to environmental variation, and to assess the extent to which species ecological and life-history traits determine the accuracy of the predictability of species occurrence in order to provide comprehensive lists of species based on environmental conditions. The first two axes of a correspondence analysis (CA) of the floristic data explained 14.6% of the total chi(2). CA1 was significantly correlated with loamy-sandy soils on a sand layer (r = -0.74, p < 0.001), forest cover (r = -0.80, p < 0.001), loamy soils (r = 0.79, p < 0.001), and agricultural fields cover (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). CA2 had a low but significant correlation coefficient with pebbly soils cover (r = 0.38, p < 0.001). The probability of occurrence of 59% of the investigated species could be significantly predicted by logistic regression from the sets of environmental variables. About 55% of the species exhibited an increasing probability of occurrence with increasing forest cover and loamy-sandy soils cover, 1% with agricultural fields and loamy soils cover, and 3% with pebbly soils cover. The predictability of species occurrence varied as a function of four life-history traits (minimum spore size, life expectancy, type of gametophyte and papillose leaf cell walls) and three ecological traits (indicator values of light, temperature and soil acidity). The most predictable species, including a number of leafy liverworts, were characteristic for acidic, fresh and shaded conditions and displayed a strong preference for forest habitats. Taxa with limited predictability included epiphytes and mosses characteristic of pebbly soils due to the ability of these species to efficiently disperse and adapt to various ecological conditions. Species for which the distribution range could not successfully be predicted were either ubiquitons, characteristic for ephemeral habitats, or highly successful in a very common habitat.