Project: European conservation for the 21st century

European biodiversity is threatened by simultaneous and drastic alterations in climate and how we use our land. Animal and plant species, which are driven out of their historic ranges due to changing conditions, may survive if they can find suitable habitats elsewhere. But the European ecosystems we are accustomed to - the systems of species and environments that are characteristically “European” - will be pulled apart as individual species go their separate ways. Society relies on biodiversity for vital services such as crop pollination, carbon storage, and groundwater management. But biodiversity change often results in a loss of vital ecosystem services. In order to protect biodiversity, and hence our own well-being, we must predict when and where the shifts in the distributions of animal and plant species will disrupt European ecosystems and use these predictions as a basis to evaluate methods for avoiding or mitigating this disruption. One such method currently adopted by European Commission is the concept of Green Infrastructure (GI), a strategically planned network of high quality green spaces and other environmental features such as hedgerows, fish passes or biodiversity-friendly fields.

Acronym EC21C
Duration 01/10/2012 - 30/09/2015
Website visit project website
Network BiodivERsA2
Call BiodivERsA Call 2011-2012 on Biodiversity dynamics

Project partner

Number Name Role Country
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Germany
Linköping University Sweden
Lund University Sweden
National Center for Scientific Research and University of Montpellier France
National Museum of National Sciences Spain
University of Evora Coordinator Portugal