NaturaConnect -Designing a resilient and coherent Trans-European Network for Nature and People

ID Call: HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01 Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Sapienza's role in the project: Other beneficiary

Scientific supervisor for Sapienza: Michela Pacifici

Department: Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin

Project start date: July 1, 2022

Project end date: June 30, 2026

Project Abstract:

Together with key stakeholders, NaturaConnect will jointly develop knowledge, tools and capacity-building programmes to support Member States in implementing an ecologically representative, resilient and well-connected Trans-European Network (TEN-N) that builds on the existing network of Green and Blue Areas and Infrastructure. NaturaConnect will address several knowledge gaps, such as the limited availability of knowledge on biodiversity distribution, drivers of change and conservation solutions. To address these issues, NaturaConnect brings together a consortium of top European scientists, policy experts and NGOs to produce and mobilise relevant data and knowledge. That includes refining and applying state-of-the-art models on biodiversity, ecosystem services and environmental change across Europe under current and future climate and land-use conditions.

The Sapienza team is involved in several NaturaConnect activities. Together with other partners, we will be responsible for the initial data collection on biodiversity (distribution, biological traits, etc.). This will be followed by a gap analysis to identify areas of Europe that are underrepresented in terms of biodiversity data at the European level. We will also develop scenarios for developing the TEN-N and climate scenarios for the future and assess functional connectivity to design the network of protected areas. Finally, we will identify distribution targets for priority species and habitats in Europe in order to identify important conservation areas to add to the existing network of protected areas. This will help achieve the goals of the European 2030 strategy.