In the framework of an initiative to advance biodiversity research in Germany, we will establish three exemplary large-scale and long-term research sites (funded by the German Research Foundation). They are termed Biodiversity Exploratories, in contrast to mainly descriptive observatories. The exploratories will establish and sustain the scientific infrastructure and develop the intellectual framework needed to address critical questions about changes in biodiversity and to evaluate the impacts of those changes for ecosystem processes. Thus, in the exploratories biodiversity and ecosystem research will be merged at a large scale and with a long-term perspective. In this first phase the exploratories will address the relationship between land-use intensity, biodiversity change, and ecosystem functioning for selected taxa. After establishment, these exploratories will also integrate further contributing projects proposed by the German research community. Thus, the biodiversity exploratories will serve as a stimulating research platform for the whole German biodiversity research community. ... [Information of the supplier]
Biodiversity Science is facing enormous challenges as the pressures upon the earth’s biotic systems are rapidly intensifying and we are unlikely to reach the CBD 2020 Aichi Targets. But how far or close are we to reach the targets? The GEO BON Open Science Conference on “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Monitoring for the 2020 Targets and beyond” will assess this question. The conference is open to the wide scientific public and is sponsored and co-organized by iDiv, UFZ, SASCAL (others to come). The conference will foster scientifically sound biodiversity monitoring by in-situ and remote sensing methodologies, monitoring of ecosystem services, modeling of biodiversity at all scales and in all dimensions and especially encourage interdisciplinary research. It will show ways forward in biodiversity observation and the development of Essential Biodiversity Variables. ... [Information of the supplier]
The conference is organised by the "Biodiversity and Ecosystem Scenarios Network (ScenNet)", funded by the Belmont Forum, and supported by the FRB and bioDISCOVERY, a core project of Future Earth. The conference covers scenarios and modelling applications in marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems, across all relevant disciplines of natural and social sciences. The conference is open to scientists and experts working in the field, policy makers and practioners, and focuses on: Exploring recent advances in modelling human impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services; Addressing the use of scenarios and models for decision support; Mobilising observations of biodiversity and ecosystem services for model development and testing; Capacity building for developing scenarios and models and for their use in decision making; and, Horizon scanning and addressing gaps in knowledge. ... [Information of the supplier]
CourseWare gives students an interesting simulator, with preset scenarios and a homework assignment as a jumping-off place, and lets them explore to build intuitive understanding, in order to "make the math an experience". Ready-to-use simulators include fractals, Lovelock's DaisyWorld, forest succession and fragmenting, foodweb dynamics, humanitarian aid, population growth models, isocline analysis, and more. These can be easily customized, or used as-is. ... [Information of the supplier]
The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is a collaborative effort involving more than 1800 scientists and students investigating ecological processes over long temporal and broad spatial scales. The Network promotes synthesis and comparative research across sites and ecosystems and among other related national and international research programs. The 26 LTER Sites represent diverse ecosystems and research emphases. ... [Information of the supplier, modified]
The EuMon project attempts to provide a European framework that standardizes, focuses and coordinates existing monitoring programs by comparing and integrating existing methods and monitoring schemes of species and habitats of community interests. The most successful methods in terms of cost effectiveness, regional robustness will be selected and tested for their European wide applicability. EuMon will pay special attention that existing monitoring programs can incorporate these methods and will give recommendations how new and successful monitoring programs can be established.Special consideration for implementing monitoring programs will be paid by studying the social effects of monitoring regimes, because the relationship between amateurs and professionals are meant to be most important for implementing a successful monitoring regime.The establishing of the NATURA 2000 network is one of the main actions on a European level to halt biodiversity loss. Therefore it is a prerequisite to evaluate its ability to maintain biodiversity. Additionally EuMon will develop methods to name the responsibility of EU Member states for the species and habitats of Community interests living under their protection.A comprehensive database on monitoring schemes and recommended methods will be established and made accessible via an Internet portal. ... [Information of the supplier]
As an initiative of environment agencies from Switzerland, Austria and Germany a new platform was launched: The Environment Observation Conference. More than 20 authorities of 6 nations stand behind it. The 1st resolutions have been published here. The working groups work mainly by electronic means. Since June 2007, the Conference is organised by the Environment Observation and Balance Council (EOBC). The 3rd conference will be in 2008, Berne. To the 4th conference in 2010 - to be held in the ch-de-fr Upper Rhine region - for the first time also participants others than public bodies will be invited. ... [Information of the supplier]
The German network for long term ecological research is intended to be a platform for communication, documentation and collaboration of scientists in long-term, system-oriented and interdisciplinary environmental research in Germany. LTER-D is a member in the international umbrella organisation of LTER (ILTER, www.ilternet.edu). It is an open network, which defines itself exclusively by the commitment of the members to their shared goals. Long-term approaches are particularly important in investigations of environmental changes, because such changes usually occur only gradually and with larger temporal fluctuations overlying the trend. Under such circumstances, only an adequately long observation period can be a sound basis to secure results and to support prognoses. The German LTER is still in the starting phase. The first workshop for mutual information and orientation was held in Duderstadt, central Germany, 24-26 March 2004. At this meeting, scientists from the institutions in Germany, which perform long-term ecological research in all relevant ecosystem types from the high mountains to the Wadden Sea, presented their concepts and results. The diversity, quality and potential of German LTER showed up clearly, and in future it will be further augmented by integrating LTER-D into the global ILTER-process. ... [Information of the supplier]
The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) is a national network intended to facilitate ecological and environmental research on biocomplexity. For scientists, the KNB is an efficient way to discover, access, interpret, integrate and analyze complex ecological data from a highly-distributed set of field stations, laboratories, research sites, and individual researchers. ... [Information of the supplier]