Evidence synthesis for environmental management The Foundation for Research on Biodiversity has the pleasure of hosting the 2nd International Collaboration for Environmental Evidence conference in France in 2018. The methods of CEE evidence synthesis (systematic reviews, systematic mapping, etc.) and the results of these syntheses will be presented in different domains such as Health and […]
5 Reasons Citizen Science Can Help To Save Biodiversity
The advent of the Internet and social technologies have greatly enhanced participation by the public in scientific research. For example, Zooniverse currently offers 51 projects asking for public assistance. However, so-called “citizen science” remains an under-utilized resource. Citizen scientists can help to map, record and ultimately preserve biodiversity. We at Biodiversity Professionals strongly encourage our […]
State Vegetation Type Map for NSW Australia
To better manage our native vegetation, the New South Wales government is delivering a comprehensive and complete state-wide baseline for the extent and distribution of the different groupings or types of vegetation – the State Vegetation Type Map (SVT Map). The SVT is based on site surveys, a standard classification system and high resolution spatial […]
First International Conference of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence
We are incredibly excited about the First International Conference of The Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE). Our theme for this inaugural event is “Better Evidence. Better Decisions. Better Environment.” CEE is an open collaboration with a global mission to provide the best available evidence to inform decision making in the environmental sector. We are witnessing […]
Can advances in DNA technologies provide solutions for biodiversity assessment, conservation and environmental protection?
The scientific literature identifies many opportunities for the application of DNA technologies to biodiversity assessment, conservation and environmental protection, enthusiastically advocating use of the technology. The transformation in DNA processing technologies driven by the human genome project, and the creation of DNA barcodes are identified as key enablers. However, despite the apparent optimism, the application […]
5 Reasons To Love Introduced Species
Introduced species get a bad rap from conservationists Over the last half-century, conservationists worldwide have taken every opportunity to deride introduced species certain in the knowledge that their views would escape serious scrutiny. We’ve all been singing from the same song sheet—the louder and more passionate the denouncement the more praise it has attracted. Many […]
Conservationists must engage local communities
Let’s face it, top-down approaches haven’t worked. While the big NGOs have some merits, the model of going into a conservation area and it fencing off has not made much difference to the overall trend of biodiversity loss and wildlife population declines. One answer is to engage communities more frequently and more effectively. According to […]
Carbon storage vs. biodiversity conservation
Recent research has profound implications for conservation organizations who base their model on carbon storage and sequestration. Up to now, conservationists (and their donors) have assumed that conserving the maximum biodiversity also stores the most carbon. It’s supposedly a win-win. But two new studies turn this assumption its head. In a July 2015 paper in […]
Protecting forest is not enough to prevent deforestation
An article in PhysOrg reports on a study by Biodiversity Professionals member Román Carrasco. The study shows that simply setting aside an area of forest is not an effective conservation strategy. According to the report, a more effective approach would be to monitor and prevent road construction within protected areas. Also, the study showed that […]
Restoration for conservation: toward a new paradigm
The typical conservation approach is to find a piece of land and then get enough money to buy that land. Unfortunately, this “buy and fence” approach has largely failed to offset the losses incurred over the past few decades due to urbanization, forestry, agriculture and other land uses. Conservationists are beginning to look at innovative […]