Projects

On Going

EAF Network

2022-2023

Mapping an East Atlantic Flyway ecological network, through connectivity for priority coastal waterbirds is a project in collaboration with CESAM (University of Aveiro) and funded by BirdLife International that aims 1) to identify priority sites for the conservation of birds that migrate via the the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF) using a network analysis, and 2) to inform key stakeholders (member states of the UNEP-Convention on Migratory Species, the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds and local management bodies) of the results via the Critical Site Network tool.

BiNatUr

2022-2025

BiNatUr – Bringing nature back – biodiversity-friendly nature-based solutions in cities research focuses on Aquatic Nature-based Solutions (aquaNBS) and on four questions: (1) How are biodiversity and ecosystem services of aquaNBS mediated by social, ecological, and technological factors, (2) how do factors vary among cities and regions?, (3) how does biodiversity infuence regulating ecosystem services provided by aquaNBS?, and (4) how can urban planning effectively design, manage, and monitor biodiversity and ES of aquaNBS? BiNatUr adopts a mixed-method approach by combining qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Lifeplan

2020-2025

LIFEPLAN – A Planetary Inventory of Life aims to establish the current state of biodiversity across the globe, and to use new insights for generating accurate predictions of its future state under future scenarios. LIFEPLAN will characterize biological diversity through a worldwide sampling program and develop the bioinformatic and statistical approaches needed to make the most out of these data. It will generate the most ambitious, globally distributed and systematically collected data set to date on a broad range of taxonomical groups.

eLTER Advanced Community Project (eLTER PLUS)

2020 – 2025

The eLTER PLUS project is built on three main pillars: networking, joint research activities and transnational, remote and virtual access. Selected sites and platforms in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems will be used to study ecosystem integrity, impacts of climate change and endangered ecosystem services at a pan-European scale.

BiodiverCities: A roadmap to enhance the biodiversity and green infrastructure of European cities by 2030

2020-2022

This project aims at enhancing the use of green infrastructure in urban contexts, with a view to contribute solving many challenges cities currently face. A further goal is to increase scientific knowledge and improve knowledge sharing, tools, methods and innovative approaches to enhance biodiversity and the planning and implementing of green infrastructure. The project will improve civil society participation in decision-making, leading to building a joint vision of the green city of tomorrow shared among civil society, scientists and policy makers.

Past

Porbiota

2017-2020

PORBIOTA is a Portuguese e-infrastructure consortium for storing and managing biodiversity data aimed at fostering a national agenda for biodiversity research, providing services and raising awareness of biodiversity. By fostering research into biodiversity, ecology and environmental sciences, it generates high-quality knowledge with which to meet societal challenges regarding environmental protection and sustainable development.

Bioveins Connectivity of green and blue infrastructures: living veins for biodiverse and healthy cities

2017-2020

BIOVEINS aims to use functional diversity to highlight the mechanisms underpinning the link between GBI, taxonomic diversity and ecosystem services provisioning, and to provide, together with local stakeholders, the ecological and interdisciplinary knowledge to identify the critical features of GBI, to guide the establishment, management and restoration of urban green and blue infrastructure, and to mitigate the effects of major urban global challenges, like habitat fragmentation, air pollution, and urban heat island.

BIO-LX. Biodiversity monitoring in the city of Lisbon

2019-2020

BIO-LX aims to:

i) Inventory and map the vertebrate community in the city of Lisbon to model its distribution and seasonal dynamics in a mosaic of urban ecosystems: a) Monsanto Forest Park, b) parks and gardens, c) agricultural areas, d) riparian green spaces, e) salt marshes and mudflats, f) rows of street trees, and g) urban fabric.

eLTER H2020 project - Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem & Socio-Ecological Research Infrastructure

2015-2019

eLTER H2020 is co-promoted by the LTER-Europe network and the European Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) community, aiming the development of an Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem Research Infrastructure. The overall aim of the eLTER H2020 project is to advance the European network of Long-Term Ecosystem Research sites and socio-ecological research platforms to provide the highest quality services for multiple use of a distributed research infrastructure.

Almada. Monitoring studies of floristic and faunistic communities and environmental services assessment of Almada

Over the last few years, the former CBA has collaborated with the Municipality of Almada (CMA) in several projects. The last one was part of the Local Agenda 21 – Almada 21 and had the following main objectives: (1) to characterize and monitor the biological terrestrial communities of flora and fauna, (2) to assign a value to Municipality’s ecosystems, and (3) to develop procedures for the recovery of ecosystem functionality, continuity and services.

OPERA. Operational Potential of Ecosystem Research Applications

2012-2017 Ecosystems provide a range of benefits to humankind known as Ecosystem Services (ES). Yet, the rate at which we consume, and exploit resources is increasing so rapidly that ecosystems are threatened with loss of function. Although the adoption of ES concepts is increasing, there is a wide gap between ecosystem science and practice. OPERAs (FP7) aims to bridge this gap enabling stakeholders to apply these concepts. Several ‘case studies’ were selected to test in practice tools and instruments. The montado is one of the selected case studies, profiting from existing databases assembled in the LTSER montado. Our main goal within this research is to test decision-support tools and instruments to better capture and represent the concepts of ES and to validate the best practices to maintain their sustainable flow, while preserving biological diversity in the montado.

GREEN SURGE. Green Infrastructure and Urban Biodiversity for Sustainable Urban Development and the Green Economy -

2014-2017 The GREEN SURGE project is a collaborative project between 24 partners in 11 countries. It is funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). GREEN SURGE will identify, develop and test ways of linking green spaces, biodiversity, people and the green economy in order to meet the major urban challenges related to land use conflicts, climate change adaptation, demographic changes, and human health and wellbeing. It will provide a sound evidence base for urban green infrastructure planning and implementation, exploring the potential for innovation in better linking environmental, social and economic ecosystem services with local communities.

PROJECTS