{"projectrec":{"ProID":78,"StandardTitle":"Structural and functional biodiversity of North Sea ecosystems: species and their habitats as indicator for the sustainable management of the BCS","OrigTitle":null,"Acronym":null,"AbstractEnglish":"The diversity of ecosystems is an aspect of \"biodiversity\" which has recently become a popular notion. It refers to the diversity of life of all forms, beginning with the genetic heritage and extends to the ecosystems on which the biosphere is built (UNESCO, Rio de Janeiro, 1992). As a whole the various biological levels are marked by an alarming reduction in their biodiversity. Structural biodiversity (in terms of numbers, biomass, the composition of species and the population structure of communities) and functional biodiversity (presented as series of interactions between the various trophic levels) are different concepts which most certainly must be related one to the other if one is to have a good understanding of how an ecosystem functions.\r\n\r\n<i>The project<\/i>\r\n\r\nThere are two facets of the project:\r\n<ul type=disc>\r\n<li>an analysis of the factors which determine the biodiversity of marine ecosystems and the changes in them;\r\n<li>the translation of what is known into parameters which can serve as a basis for the policy to be implemented (for example, the species which serve as ecological indicators). Special attention will be paid to the benthos (organisms which live close to or at the bottom of the sea) and the upper trophic levels (fish, seabirds and marine mammals) and their parasites.\r\n<\/li><\/ul type=disc>\r\n<i>Activities<\/i>\r\n\r\nIn the first phase a synthesis will be made of all the information available having to do with the spatial and temporal distribution (structural biodiversity) of the components mentioned above of the Belgian coastal shelf. The data will be used together with an analysis and interpretation of the connection between the biological indicators and the environmental variables to establish criteria for the selection of ecological indicators for sustainable development. Special attention will be paid to sandbanks, not only because of their extreme ecological significance, but also because they are greatly affected by human activities. Comparison with neighbouring areas (open sea, the Belgian East coast) will enable us to evaluate those characteristics which are peculiar to sandbanks. Maps will be made available for use by policy makers. They will not only indicate the places where different species of bird, benthos, fish and their parasites occur, but also the vulnerable areas.\r\n\r\nThe connection between biodiversity and production is of fundamental importance in ensuring that ecosys-tems are efficiently managed. In this respect there are two different approaches which will have to be considered:\r\n<ul type=disc>\r\n<li>maintaining the large \"visible\" species, which often occupy an important position in the food chain, and which, in the policy context, are easy to monitor as ecological indicators;\r\n<li>reaching an understanding of the underlying biological relationships (predation, competition) and the structuring interaction with the abiotic environment.\r\n<\/li><\/ul type=disc>\r\nThe feeding ecology of the different components will be quantified and qualified with special emphasis on the trophic place of those species which serve as ecological indicators. The significance of the primary production of the water column in the benthos structure will be studied to quantify the direct interdependency between the pelagos and the benthos. Models of morphological variation do not always coincide with auto-ecological, molecular and biogeographical models. This is of crucial significance in ecological research, since it implies that morpholo-gical diversity does not necessarily correspond to functional diversity which latter can be either greater or less than the morphological diversity would indicate. We are basing ourselves on the principle that the population genetics of fish (biodiversity at the level of population) constitutes an essential element in understanding the ecosystem of sandbanks (biodiversity at the level of the ecosystem). The choice of which species to study will be determined by what is already known in the fields of ecology and genetics and their significance both as food for birds and the commercial fishery (for example gudgeon). The importance of parasites of fish and seabirds will also be considered as biological and genetic markers.\r\n\r\nThis research is of direct interest to policy makers at the Belgian Federal level for the following reasons:\r\n\r\nThe implementation of the Ramsar agreement of 1971 covering water rich areas and in the framework of which the implementing decrees establishing a protected zone in the Flemish banks (coastal sandbanks) are overdue.\r\n\r\nThe preparation of the next Conference on the North Sea (2000), at which the Belgian Government will draw on the expertise of its own researchers as regards the information available on eutrophication, the deterioration of the habitat, pollution, the extraction of sand and overfishing (including opinions on the proper management of genetic characteristics).\r\n\r\nThe supply of basic information for the optimum management of the natural resources of the Flemish banks, if appropriate, by setting up a marine reserve.\r\n\r\nEstablishing criteria for ecological monitoring of the sustainable development of the North Sea (with priority on the sandbanks).\r\n\r\nThe application of the UNESCO convention on biodiversity signed in Rio de Janeiro (1992). So far none of it has been implemented on Belgian territory. The inventory of the fauna of the Belgian continental shelf is incomplete.\r\n\r\nThe intention of the Federal and Flemish governments of setting up a data bank as a management instrument and including an information system based on geographical coordinates.","AbstractOtherLang":"De soortenrijkdom van ecosystemen is een deelaspect van het recent-populaire begrip \"biodiversiteit\". Het begrip behelst de verscheidenheid van het leven in al zijn vormen, gaande van het genetisch patrimonium tot de ecosystemen waaruit de biosfeer is opgebouwd (UNESCO, Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Al deze niveaus van biologische organisatie hebben gemeen dat hun biodiversiteit op een schrikwekkende manier afneemt. Structurele biodiversiteit (uitgedrukt in aantallen, biomassa, soortensamenstelling en populatiestructuur van een gemeenschap) en functionele biodiversiteit (uitgedrukt als interacties tussen verschillende trofische niveaus) zijn verschillende begrippen die weliswaar aan elkaar dienen gekoppeld te worden om een volledig inzicht in de werking van een ecosysteem te kunnen benaderen.\r\n\r\n<i>Het Project<\/i>\r\n\r\nHet project kan opgesplitst worden in twee onderdelen:\r\n<ul type=disc>\r\n<li>het onderzoek naar de factoren die de biodiversiteit van mariene ecosystemen en de veranderingen hierin bepalen;\r\n<li>het uitwerken van deze kennis in voor het beleid bruikbare parameters zoals ecologische indicatorsoorten, met de name het benthos (organismen die leven in en rond de bodem) en de hogere trofische niveaus (vissen, vogels en zeezoogdieren) samen met hun respectievelijke parasieten zullen bijzondere aandacht krijgen.\r\n<\/li><\/ul type=disc>\r\n<li>De Acties<\/li>\r\n\r\nIn een eerste fase zal alle beschikbare informatie over ruimtelijke en temporele verspreiding (structurele biodiversiteit) van de vorige ecosysteemcomponenten van het Belgisch Continentaal Plat gesynthetiseerd worden. Op basis van deze gegevens en in combinatie met de analyse en de interpretatie van het verband tussen de biologische indicatoren en de omgevingsvariabelen zullen criteria vastgelegd worden voor de selectie van ecologische indicatoren voor duurzame ontwikkeling. De Zandbanken zullen bijzondere aandacht krijgen in deze studie gezien zij niet alleen ecologisch zeer waardevol zijn maar zij ook onder duidelijke antropogene invloed staan. Vergelijkingen met omliggende gebieden (open zee, Belgische Oostkust) zullen toelaten om de specifieke karakteristieken van de Zandbanken te evalueren. Ten behoeve van de beleidsvorming zullen kaarten beschikbaar gemaakt worden waarop niet alleen de verspreiding van de diverse vogelsoorten, benthos, visgemeenschappen en hun parasieten staat, maar waarop ook kwetsbare gebieden worden aangegeven.\r\n\r\nHet verband tussen biodiversiteit en produktie is van fundamenteel belang om een effici\u00ebnt beheer van ecosystemen voor te kunnen stellen. Hierbij zijn twee verschillende benaderingen noodzakelijk:\r\n<ul type=disc>\r\n<li>het behoud van \"zichtbare\" grote soorten die dikwijls hoog in de voedselketen staan en die voor het beleid als ecologische indicator gemakkelijk te monitoren zijn;\r\n<li>het begrijpen van de onderliggende biologische relaties (predatie, competitie) en de structurerende interacties met de abiotische omgeving.\r\n<\/li><\/ul type=disc>\r\nDe voedselecologie van de verschillende componenten zal gekwantificeerd en gekwalificeerd worden met nadruk op de trofische plaats van de ecologische indicatorsoorten. Het belang van de primaire produktie van de waterkolom in de structurering van het benthos zal onderzocht worden ten einde de directe afhankelijkheid te kwantificeren tussen het pelagiaal en het benthaal. Morfologische variatiepatronen lopen niet steeds gelijk met de autecologische, moleculaire en biogeografische patronen. Voor ecologisch onderzoek is dit van cruciaal belang, aangezien dit impliceert dat morfologische diversiteit niet noodzakelijk overeenkomt met functionele diversiteit: deze laatste kan zowel groter als kleiner zijn dan de morfologische diversiteit aangeeft. We gaan ervan uit dat de populatiegenetica van vissoorten (biodiversiteit op het niveau van de populatie) een essenti\u00eble component is van de kennis van het ecosysteem van de Zandbanken (biodiversiteit op het niveau van het ecosysteem). De keuze van de te onderzoeken soorten wordt bepaald door ecologisch\/genetische voorkennis en hun belang als voedsel voor vogels en commerci\u00eble vissen (bijvoorbeeld grondels). Verder zal het belang van parasieten van vissen en zeevogels als biologische en genetische merkers onderzocht worden.\r\n\r\nDit onderzoek is op volgende punten van rechtstreeks belang voor het beleid van de overheid:\r\n\r\nDe implementatie van de Ramsar-conventie van 1971 i.v.m. de waterrijke gebieden waarbij de uitvoeringsbesluiten tot het oprichten van een beschermde zone in de Vlaamse Banken (kustbanken) op zich laat wachten.\r\nDe voorbereiding van de volgende Noordzeeconferentie (2000) waarvoor de Belgische Overheid kan rekenen op de expertise van haar eigen onderzoekers. Deze omvat informatie over eutrofi\u00ebring, habitatdegradatie, vervuiling, zandwinning en overbevissing (inclusief advies over goed genetisch beheer).\r\nHet leveren van basisinformatie voor het optimaal beheer van de natuurlijke hulpbronnen van de Vlaamse Banken, eventueel mits oprichting van een marien reservaat.\r\nHet vastleggen van criteria voor ecologische monitoring voor duurzame ontwikkeling van de Noordzee (met nadruk op de Zandbanken).\r\nDe praktische uitvoering van de Biodiversiteitsconventie, in 1992 door de UNESCO in Rio de Janeiro opgesteld. Tot op heden ontbreekt iedere implementatie op het Belgisch grondgebied. De faunistische inventaris van het Belgisch Continentaal Plat is onvolledig.\r\nDe intenties van de Belgische en Vlaamse regering tot het opstellen van een gegevensbank als beheersinstrument, inclusief informatiesysteem gebaseerd op geografische co\u00f6rdinaten.","DateLastModified":{"date":"2024-05-06 10:25:46.257000","timezone_type":1,"timezone":"+00:00"},"ParentProID":1083,"BeginYear":1997,"EndYear":2001,"BMonth":1,"EMonth":12,"BeginMonth":"January","EndMonth":"December","OrigTitleLangCode":null,"OrigTitleLangID":null,"OrigTitleLangNL":null,"OrigTitleLang":null,"OtherAbstractLangCode":"nl","OtherAbstractLangID":41,"OtherAbstractLang":"Dutch","OtherAbstractLangNL":"Nederlands","Progress":"Completed","ProgressNL":"Afgelopen","PublicFlag":1,"CheckedFlag":0,"ND":"2003-11-26","UD":"2009-01-07","DMPFlag":0,"Budget":50362000,"BudgetCurrency":"BEF"},"parent":{"ProID":1083,"Acronym":"SPSD-I","StandardTitle":"Research action SPSD-I: Sustainable management of the North Sea"},"persons":null,"projects":null,"events":null,"datasets":[{"DasID":153,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Cattrijsse, A.; Verween, A. ; Marine Biology Research Group - Ugent, Belgium (2004). Characterisation of the habitat of the Flemish banks, the maritime country banks and of the hinder banks on the basis of the hyper benthos communities. http:\/\/www.vliz.be\/nl\/imis?module=dataset&dasid=153","StandardTitle":"Characterisation of the habitat of the Flemish banks, the maritime country banks and of the hinder banks on the basis of the hyper benthos communities","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":146,"Acronym":null,"Citation":null,"StandardTitle":"Epi- and hyperbenthic communities of Belgian sandy beaches","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":1428,"Acronym":"IMERS","Citation":null,"StandardTitle":"Integrated Marine Environmental Samples and Readings","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":53,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Vanaverbeke, J. et al., Meiobenthos of subtidal sandbanks on the Belgian Continental Shelf. 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