22 May 2011 | General, FPS
International Day of Biological Diversity
22 May is the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), which is intended to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This year, the theme of IDB is Forest Biodiversity, and it will make up part of the International Year of Forests. COST has a designated Domain dealing with forestry which has facilitated, and continues to facilitate, many networks dealing with the issue of biodiversity.
By utilising the forest theme for this day, the UN hopes that it will provide the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and those dealing with forests, the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and increase practical action.
The Forests, their Products and Services (FPS) Domain supports activities aiming at meeting the economic, environmental and social needs of present and future generations in a sustainable way. COST Action FP0603 Forest Models for Research and Decision Support in Sustainable Forest Management is an example of an FPS Action which not only deals with sustainability but looks to biodiversity as a core element of this. Indeed, it lists biodiversity indicators as one of the core pieces of information needed for sustainable forest management. Ending in June 2011, the main objective of the Action is to promote the developing of methodologies to improve forest models to support the sustainable management.
COST does not just cover areas of planning for and measuring biodiversity, COST Action FP0801 is actively looking into threats to biodiversity within the woodland and forest ecosystems in Europe. With the rapidly growing international trade in plants and ongoing impacts of climate change, activities of plant pathogens in the genus Phytophthora (destructive parasitic fungi causing brown rot in plants) are increasing, threatening the biodiversity and sustainability of European forest ecosystems. This Action is uniting scientists and disease control experts working on Phytophthora in forest ecosystems to increase our understanding of the biology and ecology of Phytophthora species. This knowledge will be used in the development of effective control and management protocols for the problems caused.
