University of Coimbra leads structuring project for the conservation of pollinators in Portugal
The Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) is coordinating a structuring project for the conservation and sustainability of pollinators throughout the national territory.
The project entitled Pollinization, coordinated by Sílvia Castro and João Loureiro, teachers and researchers at the Functional Ecology Center (CFE) of the Department of Life Sciences (DCV) aims to combat the decline of pollinating insects, such as bees, butterflies, flies, among others.
To achieve this objective, in close coordination with the Collaborative Network for the Assessment, Conservation and Valorization of Pollinators and Pollination – polli.NET, the project will identify and implement concrete conservation actions, while mobilizing and raising awareness in society about the vital importance of these agents in biodiversity and food production.
“Pollinators perform a vital service in ecosystems, they are crucial for nature, agriculture and human well-being. However, they currently face several global pressures, from changes in land use, which promote the simplification and homogenization of the landscape, to biological invasions and climate change”, explains Sílvia Castro, warning that these pressures represent a significant threat to the conservation of functional biodiversity ecosystems and sustainable agricultural production.
Within the scope of this project, a guiding and pragmatic Action Plan for the Conservation and Promotion of Pollinators and Pollination Services in Portugal will be drawn up, which will provide a strategic basis for interested parties, establishing clear guidelines to promote sustainable practices. «This plan appears as an urgent and collaborative response to face the challenges that threaten pollinators», believes the DCV researcher.
«Polinization represents a serious commitment to the conservation of our biodiversity. By joining efforts with several entities, we intend to evaluate the state of the art on pollinators for the national territory, create a long-term monitoring program, build the action plan itself, and develop dissemination and dissemination and citizen science initiatives. about the importance of pollinators», explains João Loureiro.
This new project, which will last two years, is financed by the Environmental Fund of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and involves an implementation partnership with the polli.NET Network, including prominent members of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests) ( ICNF), the Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, the Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture And Food (LEAF) of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia of the University of Lisbon, the Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Porto, the BIOPOLIS Association, the Azorean Biodiversity Group of the University of the Azores, the Portuguese Society of Entomology and the Butterfly Conservation Center of Portugal – Tagis.
For more information visit the project page.
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