MARBENA Creating a long-term infrastructure for MARine Biodiversity research in the European economic area and the Newly Associated states

The Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea

3.3 In search of pressure-state-response biodiversity indicators: extending science to policy

Introduction by Christos ARVANITIDIS, Valentina TODOROVA & Luydmila KAMBURSKA

What scientific tools for managing biodiversity can be offered to decision makers?

Bulks of relevant data on marine biodiversity are collected by monitoring and research programs. However, in many cases these data are not synthesized into forms that are understandable to management. Indicators process complex data into integrated surrogates that are more applicable in environmental policy and decision making. A great variety of indices of species diversity exist that are useful as ecological state indicators but these are usually not sensitive in distinguishing the impact on diversity of different environmental pressures. Another limit is that diversity indices are indicative only along gradients of environmental stress in time or space. Only recently taxonomic distinctness indices were developed, which have a statistical framework to assess the departure from the expected range of “normal“ variation. Kremena Stefanova, Institute of Oceanology - BAS, Bulgaria

Posted by Kremena Stefanova on 2004-09-23 16:14:25.473

Lookup Kremena Stefanova in IMIS.

General coordination: Carlo Heip ,Herman Hummel and Pim van Avesaath Web site and conference hosted by VLIZ