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Plenary: Nuria Selva: Białowieża calling: A look into conservation through the eyes of a forest
Time:
Thursday, 20/June/2024:
9:00am - 10:00am
Session Chair: Marco Musiani
Location:Room B - Belmeloro Complex
Via Beniamino Andreatta, 8, 40126 Bologna
Session Abstract
Białowieża Forest, located at the Polish-Belarusian borderland, is the best-preserved lowland forest in Europe. Designated as a Natura 2000 site and a transboundary World Heritage Property, it holds unique and significant habitats for biodiversity conservation, including those of threatened species, and supports ongoing ecological and biological processes shaping evolution of communities and ecosystems. Białowieża Forest has been fundamental for science and a benchmark for conservation, raising crucial conservation debates during the last years. This plenary talk will highlight the role of Białowieża Forest as a lighthouse in conservation science and will convey crucial messages from the Białowieża Forest perspective to the global conservation community. It will explore the importance of definitions of ecological terms, and address major threats, such as forestry and fragmentation by roads and border barriers. Likely the longest environmental campaign in Europe, the presentation will go delve into the history and successes in protecting Białowieża Forest. These achievements have been driven by robust scientific evidence and close collaboration among scientists, NGOs and civil society, and legal protection from international conventions and nature conservation law.
