Biodiversity works objectives and themes
Definition Biodiversity
NWO uses the definition of biodiversity, as defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio, 1992):
"Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems."
Problem definition
The Earth and Life Sciences Division (Dutch acronym: ALW) of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Dutch acronym: NWO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality have combined their forces in biodiversity research. The Biodiversity policy programme (Biodiversity works: 2008-2011) was launched in 2008 and signed by various government ministries (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality; Development Cooperation; and Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment), as well as being supported by certain other ministries (Economic Affairs; Education, Culture and Science, Transport, Public Works and Water Management, and Defence). This programme includes a section on acquiring new knowledge in the field of biodiversity. NWO-ALW has successfully completed various biodiversity programmes since the 1990s, while biodiversity is also an important theme in the Earth and Life Sciences Division’s 2007-2010 strategy. This common interest in biodiversity is reflected in the establishment of the research programme Biodiversity works: towards a dynamic and resilient nature in an ever-diminishing space.
Biodiversity is underpinned by nature management. Nature management focuses on preserving and restoring biodiversity, with the primary objectives being to preserve largely ‘undisturbed nature’, to maintain and restore ‘traditional’, semi-natural landscapes and to create ‘new nature’. These concepts are readily applicable in nature reserves, where land is not being used for financial or economic purposes. The scientific research needed for properly substantiated preservation and restoration in nature reserves has so far, however, focused too little on dynamism in nature and on interactions between ecosystems and elements of such systems. Meanwhile, climate change and new links within and between continents mean that account also increasingly has to be taken of invasions by new species. There are other gaps in our knowledge of the entire spectrum of rural areas. If we are to deal with the scarcity of space in such areas and ensure usable and sustainable management of our landscape we need to switch from upscaling of nature reserves to the level of the overall, regional landscape.
Objectives
The aim of the programme is to generate new knowledge on policy themes: in other words, to achieve a greater focus on the dynamism of nature, on devising andimplementing ecosystem services and on dealing with the limited physical space available for nature in the Netherlands.
Themes
The Biodiversity work programme covers three research themes:
1. Dynamic nature
2. Ecosystem functions and services
3. Land scarcity
Duration
2010-2015
Funding
This research programme is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the department for earth and life sciences from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO-ALW).
Budget
3,65 M€