BIODIVERSITY AT THE ECOSYSTEM LEVEL – PATTERNS AND PROCESSES Proceedings of the 2nd DanBIF conference 26-27 April 2006, Aarhus University NERI Technical Report no. 741 2009 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AU AARHUS UNIVERSITY [Blank page] BIODIVERSITY AT THE ECOSYSTEM LEVEL – PATTERNS AND PROCESSES Proceedings of the 2nd DanBIF conference 26-27 April 2006, Aarhus University NERI Technical Report no. 741 2009 Henrik Balslev (ed.)1 Flemming Skov (ed.)2 1Faculty of Sciences, Aarhus University 2National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AU AARHUS UNIVERSITY Data sheet Series title and no.: NERI Technical Report No. 741 Title: Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level - Patterns and Processes Subtitle: Proceedings of the 2nd DanBIF conference, 26-27 April 2006, Aarhus University Authors: Henrik Balslev1 and Flemming Skov2 (eds.) Departments: 1Aarhus University, Faculty of Sciences and 2Aarhus University, National Environmental Re- search Institute Publisher: National Environmental Research Institute © Aarhus University - Denmark URL: http://www.neri.dk Year of publication: October 2009 Editing completed: September 2009 Referees: Henrik Balslev and Flemming Skov Financial support: No external financial support Please cite as: Balslev, H. & Skov, F. (eds.) 2009: Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level – Patterns and Proc- esses. Proceedings of the 2nd DanBIF conference, 26-27 April 2009. National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University. 44 pp. – NERI Technical Report no. 741. http://www.dmu.dk/Pub/FR741.pdf Reproduction permitted provided the source is explicitly acknowledged Abstract: This publication contains the presentations and discussions from the second DanBIF confer- ence, entitled Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level – Patterns and Processes. The questions asked at this conference were: What is biodiversity at the ecosystem level? How is it related to biodiversity at other levels of organization? How may GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Fa- cility) deal with ecosystem level data and informatics? The conference had two important goals. The first was to present an overview of contemporary research related to ecosystem level biodi- versity and the second was to help GBIF formulate a strategy for dealing with biodiversity above the species and molecular levels and make data available for the end-users. Keywords: Biodiversity, bioinformatics, diversity patterns, drivers of change, ecosystem diversity, ecosys- tem services, e-Science, GBIF, monitoring. Layout: NERI Graphics Group, Silkeborg Cover photo: Liguria, Italy. Photo: Flemming Skov ISBN: 978-87-7073-126-3 ISSN (electronic): 1600-0048 Number of pages: 44 Internet version: The report is available in electronic format (pdf) at NERI's website http://www.dmu.dk/Pub/FR741.pdf Contents Introduction 5 Henrik Balslev, Faculty of Science, Aarhus University, Denmark Flemming Skov, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark Acknowledgements 8 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and ecological data: a global perspective 9 Meredith Lane, Global Biodiversity Information Facility secretariat, Denmark Biodiversity: a European perspective 10 Gordon McInnes, European Environment Agency, Denmark Biodiversity: a Danish perspective 11 Ulla Pinborg, Danish Forest and Nature Agency, Denmark Definition and relevance of biodiversity at the ecosystem level What is ecosystem diversity - and how does it relate to other levels of biodiversity? 12 Speaker: Robert J. Whittaker, School of Geography, Oxford, Great Brittain Discussants: Jens-Christian Svenning, Aarhus University, Denmark Carsten Rahbek, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Biodiversity for small and for large organisms 16 Speaker: Tom Fenchel, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Discussants: Valery Forbes, Roskilde University, Denmark Andreas Schram, Aarhus University, Denmark Chemical change and biodiversity through time 19 Speaker: Don Canfield, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark Discussants: Kjeld Ingvorsen, Aarhus University, Denmark Peter Westermann, BioCentrum-Technical University of Denmark Classification and quantification of ecosystem level biodiversity A framework for the surveillance and monitoring of biodiversity in Europe 22 Speaker: Bob Bunce, Complutense University, Spain Discussant: Johannes Kollmann, Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University, Denmark Gitte Petersen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Natural drivers of ecosystem diversity patterns 25 Speaker: Jukka Salo, University of Turku, Finland Discussants: Koos Boomsma, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Erik Jeppesen, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark Applications: Ecosystem diversity and ecosystem function Main drivers of ecosystem change in Europe 27 Speaker: Marc J. Metzger, Wageningen University, The Netherlands Discussants: Vibeke Hørlyck, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus Universi- ty, Denmark Isabel Calabuig, Danish GBIF node DanBIF, Denmark Modelling and mapping compositional pattern in ecosystem-level biodiversity and its application to conservation assessment 30 Speaker: Simon Ferrier, NSW Dept. of Environment and Conservation, Australia Discussants: Volker Loeschke, Aarhus University, Denmark Rasmus Ejrnæs, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Denmark Ecosystem services as affected by diversity 32 Speaker: Jan Bengtsson, University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden Discussants: Jon Fjeldså, Danish Natural History Museum, Denmark Beatriz Torres, GBIF secretariat, Denmark Tools and techniques for biodiversity e-Science 35 Speaker: Andrew C. Jones, School of Computer Science, Cardiff University, UK Discussants: Juan Carlos Bello, Coordinator Ark 2010 Project, Denmark Mihail-Constantin Carausu, DanBIF secretariat, Denmark Conclusions 38 Speaker: Martin Sharman, European Commission, Bruxelles, Belgium Henrik Enghoff, Danish Natural History Museum, Denmark References 40 National Environmental Research Institute NERI technical reports Introduction When the Global Biodiversity Information Facility search related to ecosystem level biodiversity and (GBIF1) was planned in the late 1990’es and started the second was to help GBIF formulate a strategy in 2001 it was decided to focus on so-called primary for dealing with biodiversity above the species and biodiversity data, i.e., the 1.5–3 billion specimens in molecular levels and make data available for the the World's natural history museums. This inevita- end-users. bly gave a strong focus on the organismic level of biodiversity, a focus which would make the project To set the scene for the presentations and discus- more feasible given the available resources, and also sions we asked the Global Biodiversity Information a focus which would distinguish GBIF from other Facility (GBIF) to present its view of biodiversity related activities that were concerned with biodiver- informatics from a global perspective, and in par- sity research and informatics. When the group be- ticular its understanding of how ecosystem-level hind the Danish participant node of GBIF (DanBIF) data can be integrated with organismic-level data in applied for funding to the Danish Natural Science web-based information systems such as that of Research Council, it pledged also to explore the GBIF. We also asked the European Environment relationship between biodiversity informatics at the Agency (EEA) to provide background information organismic level and other levels of biodiversity, about how an agency — charged with coordinating such as the molecular level and the ecosystem level. international biodiversity management — handles the integration of different levels of biodiversity. Consequently, DanBIF2 has arranged a series of Finally we asked the Danish Forest and Nature conferences. On 11-12 March 2004 the first of these Agency to provide a perspective of how different conferences, dealing with Molecular Biodiversity was levels of biodiversity can be integrated in concrete held at the University of Copenhagen. The main management plans. questions of that conference were: What is molecu- lar biodiversity? What is the connection between On the background provided by these brokers and molecular biodiversity and other levels of biodiver- users of biodiversity information the scientific pro- sity? How do we manage molecular biodiversity? gramme set out to explore fundamental aspects of What might be gained by combining the different biodiversity at the ecosystem level and how it re- fields of biodiversity sciences? The main conclu- lates to biodiversity at other levels of biological or- sions of the conference were that the science of mo- ganization. This was done in three sessions, each lecular and organismic biodiversity is one science. with a few expert presentations followed by discus- Despite differences in methods used, the research sions. We asked two discussants to analyse each questions are quite similar. Moreover, the two ap- expert presentation and moderate the discussion so proaches are complementary and one approach that it would contribute to the goals of the confer- does not make sense without the other ence: to define biodiversity at the ecosystem level and provide operational suggestions for how eco- This publication contains the presentations and system level biodiversity data can be handled in discussion from a second DanBIF conference, enti- conjunction with data relating to other levels of tled Biodiversity at the Ecosystem Level – Patterns