Biodiversidad

CREAF researchers Olga Boet, Angham Daiyoub, Oriol Lapiedra and Daniel Sol recall the great legacy of the biologist and entomologist Edward Osborne Wilson, a source of inspiration for our field of study.

Two studies led by Jofre Carnicer, CREAF researcher and professor at the University of Barcelona-IRBIO, show that natural areas that maintain microclimates are more resilient to climate change and biodiversity loss. Both studies conclude that microclimates (areas of natural space with different temperature, shade or humidity) become climatic refuges when there are extreme conditions, and that they should be studied in detail to assess the real impacts of global warming on nature.

At CREAF we are moved by ecology, but also by art. PThat's why we took part in a day organised by the artists Agustín Ortiz Herrera and Carola Moujan, residents of our Can Balasc station, in collaboration with the creative factory La Escocesa. The day allowed us to reflect on the meaning and significance of the forest and its elements in the social, historical, symbolic and biological spheres.

The biodiversity and climate crisis are inextricably intertwined and cannot be addressed or resolved independent of one another. Although the global storytelling has tended to focus on climate change, science points out that nature is a critical ally in the fight against climate change and nature loss.

On 7 November, the European Parliament was the venue for an unprecedented seminar entitled "The need for forest management. The case of Mediterranean forests", organised by Catalan MEP Jordi Solé, vice-president of the Greens/EFA parliamentary group. The seminar opened with a welcome address by Jordi Solé, who presented the critical context of forests in Catalonia. The event was attended by leading figures in the field from various research centres and institutions, including CREAF.

Biodiversity loss is undeniable, but at what rate? Why? How does it affect us? And what can we do? The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has been answering these questions since its creation in 2012.

At CREAF we have joined the Global Coalition United for Biodiversity promoted by the European Commission, and we expand the growing list of international organizations and institutions that call for the protection of biodiversity worldwide.