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STRATEGIC SCIENCE ADVISORY PANEL
SUBJECT:
NERC: DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT 5 YEAR STRATEGY
MEETING: 21 SEPTEMBER 2006
SUMMARY
This paper sets out:
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The science priorities identified by NERC for the development of its next 5 year
strategy
The key outcomes identified by the Biodiversity panel required from environmental
sciences
The scientific challenges to deliver on these outcomes
ACTION
The panel members are invited to:

Note and discuss the paper outlining NERC’s future research priorities for the
development of its next 5 year strategy
Dr Gerry Lawson, NERC, will give an oral presentation on NERC’s future research
needs and priorities
Science & Analysis Group
September 2006
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STRATEGIC SCIENCE ADVISORY PANEL
DEVELOPMENT OF NERC’S NEXT FIVE-YEAR STRATEGY, INCLUDING
BIODIVERSITY
Background
1.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is currently developing its next
Strategy to replace the current Science for a Sustainable future 2002 – 2007. The strategy is
scheduled to be launched mid 2007, but the Science priorities are required by September 2006
for spending review (CSR2007) submissions.
NERC Council has identified 7 strategic science themes:
 forecasting and mitigation of natural hazards environment, pollution and human health
 biodiversity
 climate systems
 sustainable use of natural resources
plus two cross-cutting themes:
 earth system science
 technologies
Outputs from the Biodiversity Strategy Development Panel
2.
The Biodiversity Strategy Development Panel was chaired by Prof. Georgina Mace
(IoZ). The panel decided to take the widest possible perspective on biodiversity, and include
the variability, amount and distribution of all components of biodiversity from genes to
ecosystems as well as the interactions among them. All environments were included
(freshwater, marine, terrestrial), including poorly known but potentially significant
components of biodiversity in ecosystems such as Antarctica and the deep oceans.
3.
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4.
The panel identified two key outcomes required from Environmental Sciences:
to reduce the rate of loss of biodiversity, and
quantifying and communicating the benefits of biodiversity to the economy and
society to influence policy.
To deliver on these outcomes, the panel identified six broad scientific challenges:
New tools for discovery, assessment, and linking identity to function.
5.
The challenge is to exploit molecular technologies (including bioinformatics) and
other technologies for rapid assessment of biodiversity, in particular:
o unknown biodiversity (both inventory and description)
o functions and changes in functions
o changes in distribution and abundance
o phylogenetic information and higher taxon biodiversity
o variation in molecular form and function below the species level.
Measuring abundance and distribution.
6.
The challenge is to develop a coherent set of validated measures of biodiversity across
taxa, scales and ecosystems. The measures must be of abundance, distribution and variability
at all levels from genes to ecosystems at relevant temporal and spatial scales, be suitable for
assessing both status and trends (therefore repeatable) and be robust under a wide range of
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conditions. Thy must also be applicable to systems that are currently relatively poorly
understood (e.g. microbial populations in different ecosystems, deep sea marine systems).
Whole ecosystems: biodiversity functions and resilience.
7.
The need is to understand the relationships between biodiversity and both ecosystem
function and resilience and, in particular, the context-dependence of these relationships. It
will be important to identify both abiotic and biotic interactions, including feedbacks and
linkages within and among ecosystems to understand or identify
o the mechanisms of ecosystem function and ecosystem stability;
o how ecosystems can be managed, conserved and restored;
o the limits of microbial genomic plasticity in relation to environmental change;
and
o the existence of pivotal species sensitive to environmental change.
Biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of environmental change.
8.
This challenge is about assessing the adaptability of nature in order to predict the
impact of natural and anthropogenic change on biodiversity, especially on critical functions
and services and priority species and habitats so that effective management interventions and
strategies can be development.
Biodiversity for life support.
9.
Biodiversity change has direct impacts on human wellbeing, especially in
communities that rely on local biodiversity for food, medicine, shelter and inspiration. The
challenge is to measure and predict the impact of biodiversity change on human well being.
Deliverables might include models to predict trends in human wellbeing and/or disease in
communities that rely heavily on biodiversity. This challenge in particular will require a
multi-disciplinary approach to deliver it, including contributions from other funders such as
ESRC, MRC, and DfiD.
Valuation of Biodiversity.
10.
The challenge is to develop an objective method to directly and indirectly estimate the
value of biodiversity, including ecosystem functions and services, to human health, wealth
and wellbeing. Deliverables might include:
o a toolbox for valuing biodiversity
o knowledge of the values of ecosystem services
o a balance sheet for UK biodiversity
Dr. Pamela D. Kempton
Science and Innovation Manager
Natural Environment Research Council
30 August 2006
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