Tag Archive for: biodiversity

2. Austrian Forum on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

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On December 18, the 2nd Austrian Forum on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services took place at VetMed Uni Vienna with the motto Land Use and Biodiversity.
In addition to lectures on the measurement and assessment of biodiversity and the launch of the Biodiversity Atlas for Austria (https://biodiversityatlas.at/), the Austrian Biodiversity Council went public with five key demands to protect biodiversity. Measures to stop the biodiversity crisis, compliance with obligations, the change into an ecologically responsible society, the strengthening of education and science, as well as the topic of the forum, the change to biodiversity-promoting land use were presented and discussed in workshops by experts.
Anyone who feels connected to the goals of the Network for Biodiversity can sign a Memorandum of Understanding (https://www.biodiversityaustria.at/netzwerk/mou/).

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Elisabeth Haring spoke at the “Fridays For Future Vienna” strike on “Biodiversity and Climate Crisis”

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Biodiversity is a term that is far from being firmly anchored in people’s minds. Global climate change can no longer be ignored as a fact, problem and danger, “Fridays for Future” is an expression of this situation. By contrast, the “Sixth Mass Extinction” is fully under way, yet many people are still unaware of the term biodiversity. This, and the fact that a trend reversal of global warming cannot take place without simultaneously stopping habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity, was addressed in Elisabeth Haring´s talk at the “Fridays For Future” strike on 15.11. on the Stock im Eisenplatz in Vienna.

https://fridaysforfuture.at/gruppen/wien

 

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Kaisermantel, Kräuterwand(c) M. Sonnleitner

New Biodiversity Council installed

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The dependence of man on his living environment is reflected far too little in political action. In order to give a stronger voice to biodiversity, a Biodiversity Council has recently been set up by experts. A first press release can be read here.
Hopefully, the Biodiversity Council will grow in the future, so that biodiversity can become one of several equal societal goals, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Your ABOL coordination team

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ABOL BioBlitz in the National Park Hohe Tauern

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“Summit of Biodiversity at the foot of Mt. Grossglockner” was the motto of the 13th Day of Biodiversity of the Hohe Tauern National Park, in which ABOL again participated with a BioBlitz. From 26th to 28th July, more than 60 experts examined the Gössnitztal, an elongated high valley at an altitude of about 2,000 m, and the valley floor around Heiligenblut. In addition to plants and fungi numerous groups of animals were processed, a mobile app often facilitated the data acquisition. At dusk, light traps were installed to attract nocturnal insects – especially moths – at different altitudes. In addition, bats were observed and their calls recorded by a batcorder.
We are pleased that the genetic detection of species diversity using DNA barcodes has met with great interest. Thus, numerous samples can contribute to the establishment of a Genetic Guide of Austrian biodiversity.

A big compliment and a great thank you to all organizers. No logistical challenges – several accommodations had to be organized, researchers had to take buses to the starting point for hikes, etc. – was too big.
We would like to thank the entire National Park team and the experts for their cooperation in the ABOL-BioBlitz!

TdA Gruppenfoto
TdA Gruppenfoto
Kaisermantel, Kräuterwand
Kaisermantel, Kräuterwand
Sempervivum montanum Agg., Gössnitztal
Sempervivum montanum Agg., Gössnitztal
Volucella pellucens, Gössnitztal
Volucella pellucens, Gössnitztal
Pinus cembra, Gössnitztal
Pinus cembra, Gössnitztal
Subalpiner Wald - Gössnitztal
Subalpiner Wald - Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Bombus pratorum on Epilobium angustifolium - Gössnitztal
Bombus pratorum on Epilobium angustifolium - Gössnitztal
Dactylorhiza majalis - Gössnitztal
Dactylorhiza majalis - Gössnitztal
Hesperiidae, Gössnitztal
Hesperiidae, Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Gössnitztal
Fen, Gössnitztal (c) M. Sonnleitner
Fen, Gössnitztal (c) M. Sonnleitner
Kachelmoor
Kachelmoor
ABOL Team
ABOL Team
Botaniker
Botaniker
Heiligenblut with Mt. Großglockner (c) M. Sonnleitner
Heiligenblut with Mt. Großglockner (c) M. Sonnleitner
TdA - group photo
TdA - group photo
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Global and regional biodiversity loss

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Biodiversity loss currently receives much attention in media. One trigger for this is the recently published WWF Living Planet Report 2018, which shows a persistent massive population decline in vertebrates. The Living Planet Index (LPI) has been compiled every two years since 1998, and makes statements about the evolution of thousands of vertebrate species. The dramatic result shows a decline in natural populations with a decrease of individual numbers of 60% on average since 1970.

For the first time the LPI was compiled for Austria, in a cooperation of WWF and BOKU. The study examined the period between 1986 and 2015. The result is worrying: the mentioned 70% decline in vertebrates even exceeds the global value.

In invertebrates, an equally dramatic decline was reported by Hallmann et. al 2017. According tot he study the insect biomass faced a decline of more than 75% in the last 27 years in Germany.

Lecturers of the nternational Symposium on Insect Conservation at the Natural History Museum Stuttgart suggested a nine-point-action against insect decline, where they suggest solutions to political stakeholders.

A key point is the demand for a research and education offensive to close the huge gaps in our knowledge on biodiversity. Only then can the dramatic loss of insect biomass be underpinned with information on species. Biodiversity initiatives such as ABOL can significantly contribute to this task.

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BIO-PLANBAR, a new ABOL project

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We are pleased to announce that under the lead of the University of Graz (Dr. Stephan Koblmüller) in cooperation with the Universalmuseum Joanneum (Mag. Wolfgang Paill) and the Ökoteam as economic partner (Dr. Werner Holzinger) another ABOL project has started. In the BRIDGE-1 project BIO-PLANBAR (FFG, BMVIT) the use of DNA barcoding for more efficient species identification in the context of conservation conformity of planning processes of major construction projects will be investigated.

In order to estimate the impact of construction projects on local fauna and flora, a very good knowledge of the organisms is required. As a rule, certain indicator groups are used for this purpose. DNA barcoding might simplify and accelerate the step of species identification and complement classical morphological methods, especially in juveniles, larval stages and eggs. However, the prerequisite for this is as comprehensive high quality reference database. This will be generated and/or completed within the project for relevant groups of animals (for example, bugs, cicadas, spiders, ground beetles).

More information can be found here.

Congratulations to the successful project applicants!

The ABOL coordination team

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ABOL goes facebook

For all of you who are familiar with social media, we recently initiated a facebook page for ABOL!

https://www.facebook.com/AustrianBarcodeOfLife/

We cordially invite you to contribute and comment frequently. We aim at announcing news about ABOL, along with other postings of general relevance for biodiversity.

Enjoy our page!

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ABOL meeting Linz 2016

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Dear ABOL community,

this year again our ABOL meeting took place at the Schlossmuseum Linz – we would like to thank the people from the Upper Austrian State Museums for hosting! We are very happy, that so many of you joined the meeting. A special thank to all the speakers for the interesting talks concerning this year’s main topic “Applied aspects of DNA barcoding”. The talks provided a comprehensive overview of the power of DNA barcoding and stimulated lively discussions.
We hope, that the meeting was interesting and successful for all participants and provided sufficient space for conversations and networking.
Please find some impressions in our picture gallery (photo credits by F. Gusenleitner, H. Sattmann, M. Sonnleitner)

Best wishes,
your ABOL team

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Increase of international comparability by DNA-Barcoding

As representatives of a DNA-Barcoding-Initiative in Austria we are often asked for the value of barcoding Austrian individuals in species where DNA-Barcodes from other countries are available. The best answer is given by two papers on moths, recently published by the team around Peter Huemer at the Tiroler Landesmuseum. Some species of leafroller-moths were always regarded to have a holarctic distribution. The enhanced international comparability due to DNA-barcoding allowed experts to reveal them to be species-complexes. With Ancylis christiandiana Huemer & Wiesmair, 2016 one species could be described as new to science, based on individuals from Austria. The same is true for a species of fairy longhorn moths which was found to be a complex of 3 species. Of these, Nemophora scopolii Kozlov, Mutanen, Lee & Huemer, 2016, was likewise described from Austria.

ancylis_christiandiana02_tlm_eckelt_kleinReferences:

Gilligan, T., Huemer, P., & Wiesmair, B. (2016). Different continents, same species? Resolving the taxonomy of some Holarctic Ancylis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Zootaxa, 4178(3), 347–370.

Kozlov, M. V., Mutanen, M., Lee, K. M., & Huemer, P. (2016). Cryptic diversity in the long-horn moth Nemophora degeerella (Lepidoptera: Adelidae) revealed by morphology, DNA barcodes and genome-wide ddRAD-seq data. Systematic Entomology

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Pushing the borders in our biodiversity assessment – the first associated projects on plants

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Dear supporters of ABOL!

Complementing our current projects on fungi and animals we are happy to announce the start of two associated projects on DNA-barcoding in plants.

A project at the University of Salzburg, headed by Andreas Tribsch, generates DNA barcodes in spring gentians, a morphologically challenging group. DNA barcodes will allow to identify juvenile plants and hybrids in mixed populations (read more…).
A second project aims to characterise plants via DNA barcoding, focussing on groups prone to undetected, cryptic invasions. The Uni-Docs-project will be carried out by Clemens Pachschwöll at the University of Vienna (read more …).

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