Ecosystems

This think piece presents recommendations of the Science Task Force (STF) of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and comprised of leading subject experts as specific actions to be undertaken by public and private stakeholders to sustain and restore the diverse and functioning ecosystems essential for human wellbeing and the preservation of biodiversity.

Recent global initiatives in ecosystem restoration offer an unprecedented opportunity to improve biodiversity conservation and human health and well-being. Ecosystems form a core component of biodiversity. They provide humans with multiple benefits – a stable climate and breathable air; water, food and materials; and protection from disaster and disease.

This think piece presents recommendations of the Science Task Force (STF) of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and comprised of leading subject experts as specific actions to be undertaken by public and private stakeholders to sustain and restore the diverse and functioning ecosystems essential for human wellbeing and the preservation of biodiversity.

Along with defining the measures needed to achieve ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), solid governance components are imperative to make it effective. Such governance must be flexible, participatory, multarget_idimensional and include ecosystem-based approaches (maintain ecosystem structure and function to guarantee human well-being).

After the 30-year long civil war was over, the Government of Sri Lanka commenced an accelerated programme to develop the Northern Province. If not carefully planned, such a programme will result in the loss of biodiversity and the consequent loss of services that ecosystems provide humans.

Ecosystems are critically important components of Earth’s biological diversity and as the natural capital that sustains human life and well-being. Yet all of the world’s ecosystems show hallmarks of human influence, and many are under acute risks of collapse, with consequences for habitats of species, genetic diversity, ecosystem services, sustainable development and human well-being.

Investing in nature and Nature-based Solutions is an important pathway to address the current ecological crisis. The loss of biodiversity, with around one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction, is putting at risk our economies, livelihoods, food security, health, and quality of life worldwide. Diverse and innovative measures are needed to reverse this decline and to restore healthy ecosystems.

Der Alpenreport schaut genauer hin. Wie steht es in diesem vielfältigen Natur- und Kulturraum um den Landschafts- und Naturschutz? Welche Bedeutung und Auswirkungen hat der Tourismus? Wie ist das Verkehrsaufkommen auf den Transitachsen? Auf diese und viele weitere Fragen antwortet diese erste gesamtalpine Übersicht mit konkreten Daten und Interpretationen. 

More than 400 colour pictures illustrate typical natural ecosystems and cultural landscapes. The focus is on the ecological conditions and characteristics that have a particularly strong influence (e.g. fire as an ecological factor, human use of natural resources, physiological adaptations). The aim of the book is to develop a causal understanding of the individual habitats.