On Wednesday, 23rd of November, Insensa-GIS, a new open-source software tool was presented in a workshop at the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany) by Dennis Biber, the developer of the software, and Lisa Freudenberger. The software has been recently released as a beta-version and can be downloaded from http://www.insensa.org.

Insensa-GIS has been initially designed for spatial index development and sensitivity analysis but provides many other functions for statistical analysis of geographical data in different formats. Furthermore, it allows displaying maps, graphs and statistical outputs.

In the workshop, different staff members from Eberswalde University were invited to take the first steps to working with Insensa-GIS. While some of the participants had already worked intensively with GIS data, others were less experienced. Despite their different knowledge states, all of them were able to work with the software independently within a very short time.

The clearly arranged graphical interface and the intuitive handling of the software make it a very easy to work with geographical data in Insensa-GIS. The software is designed as open-source software and allows a user-friendly integration of plugins. This makes it very easy to extend the functionality of the software and to adapt it for individual needs and purposes. The homepage also offers a forum for developers and users to exchange ideas and make suggestions for further functions that could be useful and integrated in Insensa-GIS.

Doctoral candidates and professors of the cooperative graduate programme Adaptive Nature Conservation under climate change presented their results within the context of two symposia at the 41st annual meeting of the Ecological Society in Oldenburg.

The Ecological Society is launching a conference for researchers and its members from Germany, Austria and Switzerland every year. Every year the newest results from ecological science are presented at symposia with a specific thematic focus. This year’s conference was held from the 5th to 9th September in Oldenburg. Chaired by Pierre Ibisch, Vera Luthardt (Professors at the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde (HNEE-FH) and Florian Jeltsch (Professor at the Potsdam University) two symposia were launched where members of the graduate programme presented their results from the past two years. Additionally researchers from the junior research group “Regional Adaptation to Climate Change – Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity” and other institutions took part in the symposia.

On June 22nd the Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management launched a workshop on global modelling with the Globio3 Modelling Framework. Doctoral candidates were participating in the workshop as well as other master students and international colleagues.

The 8th of June 2011 marked the launch of a new collaborative initiative between the Faculty of Forest and Environment at Eberswalde University for
Sustainable Development, Germany and Writtle College, a partnership institute with Essex University, UK.

A ceremony, hosted by Eberswalde University, inaugurating the official opening of a new academic centre – the Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management was attended by staff and students from the host institute, representatives from local press and media, as well as two key-note speakers from affiliated conservation organisations, Ilke Tilders (European Co-ordinator, Foundations of Success) and Sascha Mueller-Kraenner (Executive Director, Nature Conservancy Europe).

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding. President Prof. Vahrson (Eberswalde) together with the founding directors, Dr. Hobson (left) and Prof. Ibisch (right).

Sieck, M., Ibisch, P. L., Moloney, K. A., Jeltsch, F. (2011) Current models broadly neglect specific needs of biodiversity conservation in protected areas under climate change. BMC Ecology, 11:12

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/11/12

Recently a paper on climate-change-induced stresses on biological diversity was published in Conservation Biology by members of the graduate research programme Adaptive Nature Conservation under Global Change:

Geyer, J., Kiefer, I., Kreft, S., Chavez, V., Salafsky, N., Jeltsch, F. and Ibisch, P. L. (2011), Classification of Climate-Change-Induced Stresses on Biological Diversity. Conservation Biology, 25: no. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01676.x

It is already available online in early view format: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01676.x/abstract.

Conservation actions need to account for and be adapted to address changes that will occur under global climate change. The identification of stresses on biological diversity (as defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity) is key in the process of adaptive conservation management. We applied a systemic approach and a hierarchical framework to develop a comprehensive classification of stresses to biological diversity that are caused directly by global climate change. We grouped the identified stresses according to 3 levels of biological diversity: stresses that affect individuals and populations, stresses that affect biological communities, and stresses that affect ecosystem structure and function. Our classification may be used to identify key climate-change-related stresses to biological diversity and may assist in the development of appropriate conservation strategies.

The doctoral students and professors of the cooperative graduate programme “Adaptive Nature Conservation under Climate Change” came together at the International Academy for Nature Conservation at the Isle of Vilm next to Rügen from the 7th to 10th December. They presented the individual doctoral projects and discussed general conceptual and organizational issues.

Solutions must be radical, says new study presented in cooperation with the cooperative graduate programme at the global biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan

The conservation of functioning ecosystems is a prerequisite for long-term human well-being and the continued existence of civilization on Earth. Unfortunately, the dependence of humans on nature has become rather obscure to most people. A new book published by the Secretariat of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity, which is launched at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties currently held in Nagoya, Japan, presents an analysis of the complex interrelationships of biodiversity and human development.

The new cooperative graduate programme “Adaptive Nature Conservation under Climate Change” was launched on Friday the 8th of May during a kick-off event.
Within this framework nine new doctorate students will be developing strategies for the conservation of biological diversity under the conditions of environmental change. The research projects will be carried out at Potsdam University and University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde and under participation of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact Research. The aim of the programme is not only to project future changes of biodiversity but also to develop new concepts for practical application in nature conservation through collaboration of the different participating institutions.

The different doctorate theses cover experimental and modelling projects as well as the analysis of compensation payment for ecosystem services and genetic species conservation strategies for amphibians. The graduate programme, which is associated to the Potsdam Graduate School of Potsdam University, offers a platform for research and knowledge exchange and provides the framework for a structured doctorate education.