BIOHAB: A framework for the coordination of biodiversity and habitats

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 02.0038

Key words (English)

Environmental Protection; Forecasting; Meteorology; Resources of the Sea; Fisheries

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EVK2-CT-2002-20018

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.4a.2 Global change, climate and biodiversity

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Agrarökologie und Landbau FAL

Abstract (English)

The BioHab Concerted Action is designed to provide a forum to develop a framework whereby biodiversity assessment can be improved by closer coordination with existing habitat information. The latter are known to be available in existing databases but need to be systematically ascribed to the relevant levels of the EUNIS classification. It is therefore necessary to examine the available information to derive common standards and to provide guidelines for future field recording. The implementation of current projects in the field of biodiversity assessment has provided valuable insights into the practical needs when working with the EUNIS classification both in the field and in the policy arena. The overall objective of BioHab is to produce user friendly descriptions of habitats at an appropriate level for consistent application throughout Europe and to show how these can be linked to measures of biodiversity.

The overall objective of this Concerted Action is to produce a methodology for the co-ordination of consistent habitat information across Europe, which can then be linked to biodiversity measures. The main workplan is therefore to bring people together and to organise and structure the description of habitats, which are already available in many different forms. One of the main outputs will be user friendly description of habitats at an appropriate level for consistent application throughout Europe and then, to show how these can be linked to measures of biodiversity. The habitats will be taken from various levels of the EUNIS habitat classification produced for the European Environmental Agency (EEA), using previous experience of their application in the field and an expansion of the rules in the existing key.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 02.0038