© Tekguc
Biodiversity Knowledge and Monitoring
IUCN Med
© Tekguc
By supporting 3 focus landscapes in the Mediterranean – the island landscapes of Lemnos, Greece, and Menorca, Spain; the mountain landscape at Shouf, Lebanon and High Atlas, Morocco; and the lowland agro-silvo-pastoral landscapes of Dehesas, Spain, and Montados, Portugal – this project aims to strengthen the knowledge of links between cultural practices(such as traditional farming, livestock breeding, traditional grazing and other agro-silvo practices) and the maintenance of biodiversity.
While the approach for each region takes into account specific baseline knowledge and needs, all pilot sites will be working under the same common framework and encouraging positive exchanges and cross-learning.
Achieving this requires for the following three results to be met:
1. Evidencing the connections between cultural practices that shape the landscape and associated biodiversity is both critical and a major challenge. In order to achieve this the project will work with pilot site partners to reinforce evidence by providing expert involvement of under studied taxa, and supporting national consensus and core groups that can define robust methodological processes on monitoring biodiversity.
2. To capitalize on the knowledge and analysis of trends regarding links between cultural practices and biodiversity across landscapes, a deeper research will be conducted to add data and evidence to the information collected in pilot sites. A documented investigation across Mediterranean countries will showcase landscapes and countries beyond pilot site areas.
3. To reach an agreed and comparable methodology for assessing links between cultural practices and biodiversity for long term monitoring, enhancing partners’ capacities to conduct biodiversity monitoring including long term monitoring, knowledge sharing, storing scientific data and developing practical methodologies. The project therefore will focus on creating a common methodology, in providing cross learning (in monitoring biodiversity and linkages with cultural practices).