About BioScore 1


Biodiversity indicators and monitoring frameworks are currently developed at global and European levels. A key tool for monitoring progress in achieving the EU target to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 is the set of EU headline biodiversity indicators as underpinned by the SEBI2010 process (Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators 2010). A requirement by the EU is to complement the indicator set and the development of biodiversity monitoring frameworks with tools that are able to assess the impacts of Community policies on biodiversity in a cost-effective way.

Aim
The BioScore project developed a tool for linking pressures from policy sectors to the (change in the) state of biodiversity as measured by the presence and abundance of individual species. The tool contains a database that holds information on the ecological preferences of individual species in relation to individual sectoral pressures and relating to selected Community policies as well as the EU headline biodiversity indicators. This tool can be applied for assessing possible impacts of changes in selected environmental conditions. The database is able to assess more detailed impacts and the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation policies based on historic data as well as forecast future impacts based on existing scenario studies. The tool and BioScore 1.0 final report are available from www.bioscore.eu.

Time frame
February 2006 - February 2009

Partners
  • ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation (Coordination)
  • PBL - Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, the Netherlands
  • INBO/BCEurope - Research Institute for Nature and Forest/Butterfly Conservation Europe, Belgium
  • WI - Wetlands International
  • Alterra - Green World Research, the Netherlands
  • NINA - Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway
  • Sapienza Università di Roma, Department of Animal and Human Biology, Italy
  • EFI - European Forest Institute
  • EKBY - Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre, Greece
Steering Committee
The BioScore steering committee included representatives from policymaking, international NGOs, data providers, science, and related European projects. It advised the project team on its direction, reviewed results and ensured sufficient linkages with other initiatives.

Funders
BioScore was a Specific Targeted Research project under the EU Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP6), Priority 8.1.B.1: Sustainable management of Europe’s natural resources. The contract number is FP6-022661. Co-funding of the project partners is as follows:
  • ECNC is co-funded by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency;
  • Alterra is co-funded by Alterra Wageningen UR and the netherlands Ministry of Agriculutre, Nature and Food Quality;
  • NINA is co-funded by the Norwegian Research Council and NINA's internal funds;
  • EFI is co-funded by the European Forest Institute's core funding, which comes partly from a grant of the Finnish government, and partly from other sources such e.g. as membership fees;
  • EKBY is co-funded by The Goulandris Natural History Museum.

Outputs
The objective of the BioScore 1 project was to develop a cost-effective tool that allows for monitoring and assessment of the impacts of key drivers and pressures from Community policies on biodiversity (species), with the ultimate aim of helping to halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2010. The operational goals of this project were to:
  • assemble the necessary knowledge base (policy, science, data) for developing the tool;
  • build a cost-effective impact assessment tool in the form of a European species database with sensitivity scores;
  • apply the tool for the purpose of assessing the impacts of EU policies on biodiversity;
  • apply the tool for analysing the effectiveness of European policy responses;
  • apply the tool for modelling European-wide scenarios for selected drivers (e.g. forestry and climate change);
  • integrate the knowledge gained from developing and testing the tool on species sensitivities into an existing common monitoring framework to assess the impact of selected pressures on biodiversity;
  • propose incentives for a wide uptake of the tool.
For more information, contact ECNC's project coordinator, Ben Delbaere.

Project deliverables

BioScore 1 was a Specific Targeted Research project funded under the EU Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP6), Priority 8.1.B.1: Sustainable management of Europe's natural resources. The contract number is FP6-022661.