Report from the RUBICODE e-conference on "Ecosystem Services and Drivers of Biodiversity Change" which took place in April 2008 is now available to download.

  The fourth edition of the RUBICODE Newsletter was published in August 2008 and focuses on two major workshops on ecosystem service assessment and biodiversity conservation - subscribe now!

  Nine reviews related to ecosystem service assessment on concepts, drivers, indicators, functional traits, values and habitat management strategies are available to download on the "Outputs" page.

  Link to the restricted part of the website.

The wellbeing of humans is integrally linked to the wellbeing of the other species with which we share the planet. There is now wide acceptance that if the current rate of loss of biological resources is continued, the result will be catastrophic for humankind within a few generations. This is a potential threat of immense proportions. The translation of this threat to biodiversity into tangible and quantifiable factors for use by policy-makers in decision-making processes is challenging, but vital for conservation. RUBICODE will contribute to solving this by examining what biodiversity does for us.

Biodiversity provides many services from which humans benefit, such as the provision of food, fibre and fuel, regulation of air and water quality, flood protection, pollination, control of pests, recreation and ecotourism. RUBICODE will define and evaluate those components of biodiversity which provide specific services to society. This will increase our understanding of the value of biodiversity services and, consequently, of the cost of losing them. This will give decision-makers a more rational base and will help the understanding of the need for adequate conservation policies, which are essential to halting biodiversity loss.

Funded under the European Commission  Sixth Framework Programme  Contract Number: 036890