2. Learning from nature

N1. How to develop a "successful" environmental governance for the protection of biodiversity?

Christine Fürst, Luis Inostroza, Daniele LaRosa, Marcin Spyra

The symposium sheds light on the nexus between ownership in nature, value and governance systems and their impacts on biodiversity. We invite presentations that address changes in ownership forms and consequences for land use. Related value systems and governance instruments (legal, economic, rights and norm-based, community actions) should be analysed. Impacts on biodiversity should stretch over time series or consider significant changes in societal values and governance.

N3. 'Half Europe': where and how can biodiversity conservation be achieved in the Anthropocene?

Emilio Padoa Schioppa, Claudia Canedoli, Ioannis Vogiatzakis

The symposium aims to start from the provocative work of E.O. Wilson, and try to analyze the state of the art of the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe. In particular, we want to understand how far we are from the targets of EU biodiversity strategy of 2030. The symposium we give priority to fragile landscapes such as small islands, mountain areas and roadless areas.

N5. Road ecology in times of rapid road construction: Recent advances and growing challenges

Jochen Jaeger, Wenche Dramstad

The current rate of construction of transport infrastructure on the planet is astonishing. Roads and railways have many negative effects on wildlife populations, e.g., road mortality, barriers to movement, reduced connectivity, loss of roadless areas, the spread of invasive species. Road mitigation measures are urgently needed. The symposium will address questions such as: What is the state of the art in road mitigation measures? How effective are they? Are wildlife passages or wildlife fences more important? What study designs, are effective at evaluating mitigation measures?

N6. Assessing and monitoring connectivity restoration and conservation at local and regional scales

Ulrich Walz, Jochen Jaeger

The connectivity of natural and semi-natural landscape elements and large-scale landscape areas is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly sprawled, fragmented, and intensified landscape. Connectivity conservation and restoration will require some consistent form of assessment and monitoring to be able to evaluate the needs for action and any progress made. This symposium welcomes contributions to local and regional projects aiming at identifying and restoring connectivity approaches to monitoring, e.g., using landscape metrics, and on the integration of connectivity in planning.

N8. Forest expansion, landscape dynamics and ecosystem services in Europe

João Carlos Azevedo, Pinar Pamukcu-Albers, Dolors Armenteras

This seminar will address forest expansion and its impacts on landscape pattern, functioning and the wellbeing of society at several scales. The seminar will provide a science-based background to debate: (i) the role of forests in the process of increasing socioecological and climate resilience in Europe, (ii) the processes of transformation in forest cover in Europe and their relations to landscape sustainability and resilience, and (iii) the participation of forest and landscape scientists and practitioners in forest landscape change and their contribution to improving ecosystem services.