Biodiversity impact assessment using species sensitivity scores

BioScore

Geographical coverage

Geographical scale of the assessment Sub-regional
Country or countries covered European Union
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name

Conceptual framework, methodology and scope

Assessment objectives

The BioScore project developed a tool for linking pressures from policy sectors to the (change in the) state of biodiversity as measured by the presence and abundance of individual species. The tool contains a database that holds information on the ecological preferences of individual species in relation to individual sectoral pressures and relating to selected Community policies as well as the EU headline biodiversity indicators. This tool can be applied for assessing possible impacts of changes in selected environmental conditions. The database is able to assess more detailed impacts and the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation policies based on historic data as well as forecast future impacts based on existing scenario studies.

Mandate for the assessment

EU FP6 research project

Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment

Unknown

URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted

System(s) assessed

Species groups assessed

amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds, butterflies, vascular plants

Ecosystem services/functions assessed

Provisioning

Regulating

Supporting Services/Functions

  • Habitat maintenance

Cultural Services

Scope of assessment includes

Drivers of change in systems and services

Yes

Impacts of change in services on human well-being

No

Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed

Yes

Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment

Yes

Timing of the assessment

Year assessment started

2008

Year assessment finished

2008

If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish

Periodicity of assessment

One off

Assessment outputs

Report(s)

Project report
2009-bioscore.pdf

Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)

Journal publications

Is biofuel policy harming biodiversity in Europe?
Eggers_etal2009_biofuel.pdf

Training materials

Other documents/outputs

Tools and processes

Tools and approaches used in the assessment

  • Modelling
  • Geospatial analysis
  • Indicators
  • Scenarios

Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component

Key stakeholder groups engaged

The number of people directly involved in the assessment process

Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge

  • Scientific information only

Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment

Assessment reports peer reviewed

Yes

Data

Accessibility of data used in assessment

Policy impact

Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions

Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment

No

Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews

Capacity building

Capacity building needs identified during the assessment

Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity

Workshops, Developing/promoting and providing access to support tools, Communication and awareness raising

How have gaps in capacity been communicated to the different stakeholders

Knowledge generation

Gaps in knowledge identified from the assessment

How gaps in knowledge have been communicated to the different stakeholders

Additional relevant information