Two New Tools Provide Data about European Biodiversity
 

The European Environment Agency, together with the European Commission, launched in June two new tools for supporting biodiversity policies in Europe. These are the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline report and the Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE). The Biodiversity Baseline  is a report providing some basic facts and figures of species, habitats, ecosystems and ecosystem services in Europe in 2010, upon which new targets can be discussed and measurements of progress can be made.

BISE is the single entry point for biodiversity information at European level. Bringing together facts and figures on biodiversity and ecosystem services, it links to related policies, environmental data centres, assessments and research findings from various sources. The tool is being developed to strengthen the knowledge base and support decision-making on biodiversity. Thanks to the user-friendly way of organising enormous amount of information, it is easy to find quickly information about Integrated Environmental Management Plans in Urban Areas; Climate Change or Green Inrastructure.

BISE is organised in five entry points: Policy, Topics, Data, Research, and Countries & networks. One main element of the BISE Data section is the Biodiversity data centre on species, habitats and protected sites in Europe. The European Biodiversity CHM network is integrated within BISE, in support of the CBD.

Both tools will be further developed to improve the science/policy interface and respective discussions at the forthcoming 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (October 2010, Nagoya, Japan).

Source: European Environment Agency