Projects per year
Personal profile
Research expertise
My research focuses on applied population genetics, in particular the implementation of genetic criteria into the EU Habitats Directive, and using genetic principles to define and evaluate the conservation status of species and habitats. This helps to close the gap between policy, science and practitioners.
I'm actively involved in the IUCN SSC Conservation Genetics Specialist group, The IUCN Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe, the Central European Wolf consortium, the GEO-BON Genetic Composition Working group and EU COST Action 18134 G-BiKE. These act as bridge heads with national and international biodiversity policy (post-2020 biodiversity strategy development, policy briefs, development of genetic essential biodiversity variables) and practitioners / nature managers.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor
External positions
Associate Professor, KULeuven
30-Sept-2018 → …
Thematic List 2020
- Protected nature
- Invasive species
- Wildlife management
Taxonomic List
- amphibians (Amphibia)
Policy
- Habitats Directive
- local conservation status
- Natura 2000
Technological
- experimental design
- genetic technologies
- statistics and modelling
Free keywords
- Habitats Directive
- Favourable Conservation Status
- Environmental DNA
- Population Genetics
- Conservation Genomics
VODS 2023
- Molecular evolution
- Community ecology
- Ecology not elsewhere classified
- Animal biology not elsewhere classified
- Plant biology not elsewhere classified
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- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Genetic monitoring of partridge (Perdix perdix) in Wallonia (EVINBO)
Mergeay, J. (Project leader), De Regge, N. (Cooperator), Deflem, I. (Cooperator), Mouton, C. (Cooperator), Neyrinck, S. (Cooperator) & Van Breusegem, A. (Cooperator)
1/08/24 → 31/07/26
Project: Evinbo
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Genetic Indicators for Nature Monitoring
Mergeay, J. (Project leader)
1/04/24 → 31/12/27
Project: Evinbo
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Genetic diversity and structure of moor frog Rana arvalis in N-Belgium
Mergeay, J. (Project leader), Brys, R. (Cooperator), Mouton, C. (Cooperator), Neyrinck, S. (Cooperator), Speybroeck, J. (Cooperator), Van Breusegem, A. (Cooperator), Verschaeve, L. (Cooperator) & van Doorn, L. (Cooperator)
1/03/21 → 1/09/25
Project: Evinbo
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Research for recovery and management of amphibian and reptile populations
Speybroeck, J. (Project leader), Auwerx, J. (Cooperator), Brys, R. (Cooperator), Cox, K. (Cooperator), Mergeay, J. (Cooperator), Neyrinck, S. (Cooperator), Picavet, B. (Cooperator), Raepsaet, A. (Cooperator), Smeekens, V. (Cooperator) & van Doorn, L. (Cooperator)
1/01/21 → 31/12/25
Project: own initiative (position paper)
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Developing a method for the genetic monitoring of grey partridge and population assignment
Mergeay, J. (Project leader), Deflem, I. (Cooperator), Mouton, C. (Cooperator), Neyrinck, S. (Cooperator), Van Breusegem, A. (Cooperator) & Verschaeve, L. (Cooperator)
16/10/20 → 31/12/25
Project: Evinbo
Research output
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Advies over de herziening van de risicozones en schutkringen voor wolvenschade
Gouwy, J. (Main author), Rutten, A. & Mergeay, J., 20-Feb-2025, Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek. (Adviezen van het Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek; no. INBO.A.4972)Research output: Book/Report › Advices of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest
Open AccessFile243 Downloads (Pure) -
Advies over de in 2024 ontdekte populatie geelbuikvuurpad (Bombina variegata) in Voeren
van Doorn, L. (Main author), Mergeay, J., Deflem, I., Halfmaerten, D., Van Breusegem, A. & Speybroeck, J., 21-Feb-2025, Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek. (Adviezen van het Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek; no. INBO.A.4878)Research output: Book/Report › Advices of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest
Open AccessFile168 Downloads (Pure) -
Continuing recovery of wolves in Europe
Di Bernardi, C., Chapron, G., Kaczensky, P., Alvares, F., Andren, H., Balys, V., Blanco, J. C., Chiriac, S., Cirovic, D., Drouet-Hoguet, N., Huber, D., Iliopoulos, Y., Kojola, I., Krofel, M., Kutal, M., Linnell, J. D. C., Majic Skrbinsek, A., Mannil, P., Marucco, F. & Melovski, D. & 17 others, , 25-Feb-2025, In: PLOS SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFORMATION. 4, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss
Shaw, R. E., Farquharson, K. A., Bruford, M. W., Coates, D. J., Elliott, C. P., Mergeay, J., Ottewell, K. M., Segelbacher, G., Hoban, S., Hvilsom, C., Pérez-Espona, S., Ruņģis, D., Aravanopoulos, F., Bertola, L. D., Cotrim, H., Cox, K., Cubric-Curik, V., Ekblom, R., Godoy, J. A. & Konopinski, M. K. & 37 others, , 29-Jan-2025, In: Nature. 638, 8051, p. 704-710 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access -
Perspectives on wolves after their recolonization in Flanders, Belgium
Vervaecke, H., Van Dessel, T., Galbusera, P. & Mergeay, J., 19-Mar-2025, In: ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE. 12, 3Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
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Data from: Dealing with assumptions and sampling bias in the estimation of effective population size: A case study in an amphibian population
Cox, K. (Creator), Neyrinck, S. (Creator) & Mergeay, J. (Project Member), Sept-2024
Dataset
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Data from: Effect of the landscape matrix on gene flow in a coastal amphibian metapopulation
Cox, K. (Creator), Maes, J. (Contributor), Van Calster, H. (Contributor) & Mergeay, J. (Contributor), 2017
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.34fv6
Dataset
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The effective size of the German wolf population from molecular and life history data
Mergeay, J. (Creator) & Rolshausen, G. (Creator), 20-Sept-2024
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d51c5b0c3, https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.d51c5b0c3
Dataset
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Data from: Gene flow and effective population sizes of the butterfly Maculinea alcon in a highly fragmented, anthropogenic landscape
Vanden Broeck, A. (Owner), Maes, D. (Contributor), Kelager, A. (Contributor), Wynhoff, I. (Contributor), Wallis de Vries, M. F. (Contributor), Nash, D. R. (Contributor), Oostermeijer, G. (Contributor), Van Dyck, H. (Contributor) & Mergeay, J. (Contributor), 2017
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.sd640, http://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.sd640
Dataset
File -
Data from: Temperature-related natural selection in a wind-pollinated tree across regional and continental scales
Cox, K. (Creator), Vanden Broeck, A. (Contributor), Van Calster, H. (Contributor) & Mergeay, J. (Contributor), 2011
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9067
Dataset
Activities
- 1 Organisation and participation in conference, workshop, training, seminar, meeting
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Cost Actie 18134 G-BiKE MC meeting 2022 Praag
Mergeay, J. (Participant)
11-Apr-2022 → 13-Apr-2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organisation and participation in conference, workshop, training, seminar, meeting