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page last edited on
23-07-2010
EPBRS
Declarations - Bialowieza, Poland, 5-9 July 2003
The mission of the European Platform for Biodiversity
Research Strategy (EPBRS) is to ensure that research contributes to
halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
Recommendations of the Working Group
on
Biodiversity
research strategy in the Acceding and Candidate Countries
European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy
Bioplatform meeting in Poland in support of EPBRS
Bialowieza, 5-9 July 2003
The participants
of this meeting agreed that the following key issues have high
priority in biodiversity research in the Acceding and Candidate
Countries:
-
hypothesis-driven
research on
biodiversity in natural ecosystems, including its dynamics and
functional aspects,
-
hypothesis-driven research
on biodiversity in
anthropogenic ecosystems, including ecological experiments and
socio-economic studies,
-
research
on the biodiversity of local
domestic breeds, crops, medical and aromatic plants
and methods of its conservation, especially in situ,
-
study of biodiversity
patterns and processes that extend or operate across national
borders,
-
maintenance and
development of morphological and molecular taxonomy,
-
research on the
influence on biodiversity of land use changes resulting from the
introduction of EU legislation and from
changing socio-economic drivers,
-
long-term studies on
changes of biodiversity,
-
adaptation or design
of biodiversity assessment and monitoring tools for conditions in
the enlarged EU,
-
research on
non-native, invasive or potentially invasive species and their
impact on native communities,
-
development of
methods for the conversion of abandoned land into habitats of
conservation value,
-
multidisciplinary research on integrating biodiversity conservation
with cultural diversity and
community development.
To develop high quality and policy relevant research
on these priority areas, the participants of this meeting recognize the
crucial importance of:
-
multi-national and multidisciplinary research
collaboration,
-
stakeholder
participation in biodiversity conservation and management,
-
education and awareness
of the general public,
-
development,
strengthening and modernization of the research infrastructure in the
ACC.
The participants of
this meeting
note that Acceding
and Candidate Countries are characterized by particularly rich and
unique biodiversity resulting from and connected with:
-
well preserved
natural forests, grasslands,
wetlands, unregulated rivers, sea shores and other natural and
semi-natural ecosystems,
-
historical land
use that created and maintained ecosystems and habitats
in rural areas,
-
cultural
diversity linked with the use of biological resources,
and recognize that
recent and current political and economic changes have affected and will
continue to influence biodiversity through, for example:
-
abandonment of
arable land, pastures, and other historical land use or their
replacement by intensive industrial farming,
-
exploitation
and insufficient protection of the remaining pristine habitats,
-
fragmentation,
loss and impoverishment of habitats due to development of transport
networks and urban areas,
-
heavy use of
natural areas for tourism and recreation, including especially the
urbanization of waterfronts,
-
intensified
invasion by non native species,
but also through
-
implementation
of EU environmental legislation,
-
development of
a common biodiversity research strategy.
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