Protecting biodiversity

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The scientific questions raised by the Ecology, Biodiversity and Continental Ecosystem Functioning (ECOBIO) department primarily look at the role of living organisms and environments and their interactions in:

Key figures

Scientific highlights

The Andes: the watchtower of global warming

IRD researchers and their partners have shown that the long-term disappearance of the Andean glaciers could threaten the wetlands situated downstream, which are the ecological sentinels of climate change.

Guano “boosted” corals

IRD scientists have revealed the little-known impact of bird droppings on the marine environment and corals.

Molecular biology for better plant health

IRD researchers and their partners have conducted a study on the molecular decoding of interactions between wheat and bacteria, which opens the way to better plant health.

Anthropized ecosystems and ecosystem services

The teams of the Paris Institute for Ecology and Environmental Sciences have published a framework for evaluating the ecosystem services of ecosystems modified by humans.

Key fact

  • 3rd AllEnvi Science Meetings

    IRD researchers were heavily involved in the 3rd AllEnvi Science Meetings, focusing on “Research on the sustainable development goals”

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And in the future?

The seminal interdisciplinary partnership programme (PSIP) “Preservation and promotion of biodiversity” will implement actions aiming to reinforce IRD’s position and visibility, particularly during the 14th Conference of Parties (COP) regarding the Convention on Biodiversity, which will be held from 11 to 22 November 2018 in Egypt.

Launched in 2018, the IJL BIO-INCA will develop collaborative research uniting the University of Los Andes in Bogota (Columbia), the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, four IRD joint research units (EGCE, DIADE, AMAP and IPME) and Cirad (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development). This project is part of multidisciplinary research to address the issues of preserving and promoting biodiversity and sustainable agriculture in the tropical Andes.