Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative (BGB)

An Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Hotspots of biodiversity can be found both in freshwater and terrestrial (blue-green) environments, and especially at their interface. Freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems are often interdependent and rely on resources and substance flows across land-water boundaries. Many organisms depend on both environments, move across the boundaries or spend different life stages in different habitats. Yet blue-green ecosystems are seldom studied in an integrated manner, despite the fact that they are dramatically impacted by the current decrease of biodiversity associated with habitat fragmentation and loss, invasive species, climate change and other drivers. Research and action to reverse and mitigate the loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions and services are thus crucially needed. In order to tackle this scientifically and societally urgent topic, the ETH Board has funded a research initiative on Blue-Green Biodiversity (BGB). Its goal is to strengthen interdisciplinary biodiversity research within WSL and Eawag, but also within the whole ETH domain and beyond, to understand and respond to challenges associated to species loss and biodiversity change as quickly as possible.

Data Manager:

morgane_brosse-eawag_ch