The 3D lab

Stand your ground

Posted on February 17, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

Apparently stress applies to buildings as well. They rely heavily on the characteristics of the soil on which they are located, which makes them in that matter comparable with the plants in my research.

This bunker feels the power of erosion under its foundation

If the belowground environment consists of hostile dry sand like in the coastal dunes, even the strongest bunker has a rough time standing its ground against the powers of nature.

As wind and rain keep the sand on the move, all living and dead things in the dunes should be prepared that their current location can only be temporary. The powers of erosion and sedimentation will one day or another end the peace, and that day will rather be sooner than later here.

As both plants and buildings cannot move unaided to a safer location, they need a strong foundation to warrant a long life. That is the reason why the roots of dune plants will be the most important part of the whole organism.

Maybe the architects of the buildings in these pictures could learn a lesson from the plant world…

Posted in France | Tagged Coast, Dunes, Ecology, Erosion, Europe, France, History, Nature, Ocean, Photography, Science, Sea, Travel, War, World war | 1 Comment

Being generous pays off

Posted on February 14, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

It is not difficult to make the birds happy. A little piece of bread, some cheese or an apple and they accept you as their generous god.

It never fails to entertain how the little friends hop around through the shrubs on a safe distance to check if there is a catch to this tempting offer, before they gradually lose their guard and accept your donations.

It becomes even better when squirrels accept your friend request. I have the impression that they are a bit more difficult to persuade of your good intents, but as soon as they are convinced, they give back even more love.

They are just undeniably cute with their tails curled on their back and their little paws busy with the food.

I could watch them for hours, these little friends!

Posted in Belgium | Tagged Animals, Birds, Garden, Home, Nature, Photography, Squirrel, Wildlife, Winter | 10 Comments

Out of date…

Posted on February 10, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

… but not out of my heart!

My passport ran out of date, so I had to replace my most loyal travel companion before leaving on my next trip.

I have to thank this little booklet for serving me all these years as a key that unlocks the whole world.

I asked the authorities in a burst of nostalgia if I could keep the old passport as a souvenir, and luckily they granted my wish. He only needs to get his official retirement-stamp, after which he will be revalued as my official Guardian of Memories.

Posted in General | Tagged Global, Memories, Passport, Photography, Travel, Travelling | 3 Comments

A touch of colour

Posted on February 9, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

I do not often get the opportunity to see the effects of topography on microclimate as clearly as this time (only here!). I am studying its nature and impact on the vegetation, but knowledge on the microclimate is mostly based on measurements, as it is seldom possible to see it with unaided eyes.

Now, a thin layer of snow revealed the patterns I knew that had always been there.

It was on a freezing cold winter day in Flanders’ one and only national park: the Hoge Kempen. This nature reserve on poor stony soils from the last Ice Age shelters heathlands and forests on nice sloping hills, with a much more interesting topography than I am used to from my hometown.

We were there on a true winter day, after a night with a few centimeters of snow. Temperatures never peaked high above zero degrees celsius, but there was a little watery sun piercing through the high clouds, with just enough power to initiate a thawing process on the spots it could reach.

Those conditions, with the cold sun low on the horizon, were ideal to generate beautiful patterns of partial snowmelt, with circumstances on south-facing slopes feeling like a day in early spring, while north-facing slopes and forest floors breathed the atmosphere of the depths of winter.

The hot spots light up as coloured zones in an otherwise black and white environment. No other measurement devices needed to see where the heat concentrates: just admire how the differences between south- and north facing slopes, or between path and vegetation stand out.

Posted in Belgium | Tagged Belgium, Climate, Ecology, Forest, Hiking, Hoge Kempen, Microclimate, Nature, Photography, Science, Snow, Tourism, Winter | 2 Comments

Thank you all

Posted on February 5, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

My blog reached the milestone of 20.000 clicks this week. That is an impressive number, and one that makes me really happy. I would never have thought that my PhD would have such a big outreach to you, the people that matter!

So here is a post to thank you all! A thank you for reading, a thank you for following my adventures, a thank you for showing interest in the exotic subject I talk about. I hope you all stay with me through the next years on the path through my PhD, while all questions slowly find an answer.

I celebrate this little milestone with a picture of my office building, shining in a little winter sun, because it is there that all the magic happens!

Posted in General | Tagged Architecture, Milestone, Nature, PhD, Photography, Science, University | 8 Comments

War wounds

Posted on February 3, 2015 by lembrechtsjonas

The military has scarred the landscape all over Flanders. The cities and countryside are scattered with forts, bunkers and other war gear, all once with an important function, now just symbols of a forgotten past.

These remnants of a violent past, although human-made, however provide a true blessing for nature. They create safe havens for diversity and add a welcome element of variation into the landscape.

With their strange shapes and structures, variety in materials and topography, they drastically improve the possibilities for all kinds of wild- and plantlife, not in the least in the impoverished Flemish nature.

A lot of these structures are now protected for their natural values. Anti-tank ditches, for example, serve as long ribbons of biodiversity through the landscape, while many bunkers serve as hibernation spot for bats. All of it now acts as nice walking areas, even in this chilly winter weather, the condition in which I discovered part of this beauty.

Some war remnants are less obvious, big or permanent, but maybe as interesting. Some weeks ago, we found an old army truck, abandoned in a field. It started hosting mosses and algae and might even serve as a refuge for little mammals and birds.