Team:
Mike Teucher
Jan Christian Habel
Christine B. Schmitt
Marco Rieckmann
Tobias Bendzko
Sebastian Meyer
Duration: 2016-2019
Tropical forests are important habitats for endangered plant and animal species, but also provide various ecosystem services that are crucial for local populations. Most of the global forest biodiversity hotspots are located in the tropics, in developing countries where demographic pressures are exceptionally high. This has led to a rapid conversion of pristine habitats and a reduction in ecosystem services provided by these previously intact ecosystems. To create effective conservation programmes to maintain habitats for threatened species and intact ecosystem services for local people, scientists and various stakeholders from different disciplines are working together to develop holistic strategies. Our transdisciplinary North-South and South-South biodiversity network brings together scientists from (i) plant and animal ecology, (ii) agroecology and ecosystem functions, (iii) land-cover mapping and (iv) education, communication and management. More…