ALTER-Net: A Long-Term
Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Awareness Research Network
ALTER-Net is a "Network
of Excellence" funded by the EU's 6th Framework Programme.
Joint programme of
research
The core research programme
will cover six research activities:
- Socio-economic drivers
of biodiversity change. Purpose: To identify the relevant socio-economic
drivers of biodiversity change, to analyse their social, political and economic
dynamics, and to identify policy options to mitigate the negative impacts
of these drivers.
- Biodiversity assessment
and change. Purpose: To develop standard methodologies to monitor and analyse
trends in biodiversity in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, taking
into account the different levels (genetic, species etc.) and components
of biodiversity (taxonomic and functional) and the services they provide.
- Impacts of the main
natural and anthropogenic drivers and pressures on biodiversity. Purpose:
To establish a scientific framework to understand and quantify the integrated
impact of natural and anthropogenic drivers and pressures on biodiversity
and its relationship to the structure and function of ecosystems
- Biodiversity conservation
options. Purpose: To provide, through inter-disciplinary teams, science
based assessments, decision support systems and management tools for the
practical implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the
European Biodiversity Strategy and associated policies and actions.
- Public attitudes to
biodiversity and its conservation. Purpose: to establish understanding of
public attitudes and beliefs concerning biodiversity and its conservation.
Related to this is the role of communication mechanisms and processes to
engage the public in dialogue with scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders.
- Forecasting change
in biodiversity. Purpose: To develop tools to forecast change in biodiversity.
Such tools will be designed to integrate impacts of the main natural and
socio-economic drivers and policy objectives and further exploit the ability
of models as a unifying tool in interdisciplinary research networks.
More information:
