Por Diana Matos (MARE-UC).

The continuous urban development associated with the growth of the world population has become one of the most important challenges of the present time. Today, cities accommodate more than 54% of the world's population, a proportion that is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. Trends in urbanization show that cities are becoming more complex and heterogeneous social-ecological systems with growing demand for natural resources mainly for infrastructure, housing, food, water, and energy.

Lack of fertile land to feed the exponentially growing population, insufficient water availability and quality, changes in the flow of nutrients through the bio-geo-cycles (especially N and P) and climate and land use changes are impacting ecosystems and their capacity to deliver goods and services for humans. It is striking that all these issues interact around one common resource - SOIL and its biodiversity.

Under the general framework of Global Change Ecology, the goal of this course is to provide the participants with the most recent and practical knowledge on the use of Functional Diversity. This includes the selection of functional traits and calculation of Functional Diversity Indexes. Examples of the application of this knowledge will be given regarding Ecological Indicators and Ecosystem Services.

Date: January 15th, 2018 to January 19th, 2018
Deadline for Applications: December 15th, 2017

A diversidade biológica, em todas as suas formas e níveis de organização, garante importantes serviços ecológicos dos quais, em última instância, depende o bem-estar humano. A Ecologia elucida as intricadas relações entre seres vivos, o meio abiótico que os rodeia, e as funções que desempenham nos ecossistemas, contribuindo assim para informar acerca das consequências que alterações nos equilíbrios da natureza podem ter para a humanidade.

Patrícia Rachinas Lopes
MARE-ISPA