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100 critical questions about biodiversity

Update: 10/05/2010

100 critical questions about biodiversity

Which priorities for the environmental research in Italy

In 2006 a working group of the United Kingdom has developd a list (The identification of 100 ecological questions of high policy relevance in the UK, Sutherland et al., J. Appl. Ecol 43:617-627) of the main questions that public administrators of United Kingdom should ask the researchers  in order to optimize the effectiveness of nature conservation, evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed research. During a conference held recently (Sustainable Conservation: Bridging the Gap Between Disciplines 15-17/3/2010 Trondheim, Norway), Prof Sutherland has launched a proposal to develop lists of research priorities for the various European countries. In this sense it is considered that, in the development of the national strategy on biodiversity, it also requires in Italy to develop a strategy to identify the priorities that the Society ask to the world of environmental research to deepen. For this purpose will be follow a pattern similar to that adopted in the United Kingdom, using a path "democratic" and participatory process which can collect information from all sectors of society, taking into account the needs represented by local authorities, by stakeholders, by the managers of natural resources.

Starting from the UK experiences, below some questions divided for some macro-categories of reference, for the formulation of questions:

 

1.Services rendered by ecosystems to society
2.Agricolture and Forestry: the role of human activities in the protection of biodiversity
3.Fishing, aquaculture and conservation of marine biodiversity
4. Sportive activities and leisure (including hunting and fishing) and conservation of biodiversity
5.Urban terrestrial development 
6. Alien species conservation of terrestrial and marine biodiversity
7. Pollution and threats to terrestrial and marine biodiversity
8.  Climate change 
 9. Energy and the carbon cycle
10 . Strategies for terrestrial and marine biodiversity conservation
11.  Management and recover of the terrestrial and marine habitat 
12.  Landscapes and environmental connectivity
13.  Water resources
 
The application of the approach proposed by the research group in the UK implies that Ispra,and the Ministry of Environment to formulate a list of "essential"questions by means of an appropriate combination of the proposals received, on the basis of a cost-benefit analysis
 
The chrono-program initiative, which should be completed by the end of 2010, is the following:
 
  • Explaing the questionnaire to the National Conference on Biodiversity (Roma 20-22/5/2010)
  • Prepare a web page to be included on the website ISPRA explaining the proposal, download the questionnaire, etc
  • June-September: collection of responses and making a first elaboration data
  • Conference on biodiversity sites Siena: presentation final list. Desirable to organize a workshop specific critical presentation of the results.
  • contacts:  Stefano Focardi, Via Ca’ Fornacetta 9, 40064 Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO) Tel. 051 6512223 Telefax 051 796628, e-mail: stefano.focardi@isprambiente.it


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