Better management of biodiversity systems
In identifying types and models related to the preservation and sustainability of biodiversity, the 'Governance and ecosystems management for the conservation of biodiversity' (GEM-CON-BIO) uncovered the critical characteristics and threshold factors involved. The analytical framework developed for required management methods are scale free in that they work for all institutional scales. The adaptive management approach arose from understanding the strategic value of which institutional and government practices best contribute towards sustainable development objectives. The management objectives were based on an assessment of ecological, governance, regulatory and socio-economic capacities. the project assessed 29 case studies, dividing them into the categories of EU/US local level ecosystems, non-western regions and studies focused on one or more specific uses of natural resources at an international or European level. This provided a comprehensive image of the regulatory bodies (or lack thereof) and their efforts at preservation. project efforts resulted in the development of a governance matrix, linking ecosystem management practice with policy guidelines on how governance could be improved. As such, the GEM-CON-BIO analytical framework proved to be a valuable research tool for synthesising and comparing case studies so as to understand the most important factors impacting biodiversity preservation. the project's findings were drafted into a set of policy guidelines providing explanatory and supporting material in a variety of biodiversity contexts. All reports were made available on the project website.
