Preface
The idea to investigate the impacts of climate change on nature protection sites
supported by a remote sensing-based monitoring tool – inspired by Lovejoy and
Hannah’s book Climate Change and Biodiversity – was the starting point of the
project “Adaptive Management of Climate-Induced Changes of Habitat Diversity
in Protected Areas” (HABIT-CHANGE). This first idea was further developed and
extended during several meetings with a growing number of interested partners.
After two years of preparation, the project proposal was submitted to the European
transnational funding programme INTERREG IV B Central Europe and later on
approved for a three-year runtime. We chose this funding opportunity since climate
change does not stop at national borders and the programme supports sciencepractice-policy cooperation and implementation, which is especially needed for
this topic. Since the Central European area is expected to be especially affected by
climate change impacts, it is an appropriate investigation region. Furthermore,
by choosing European investigation areas it was possible to evaluate the concept
and regulations of the EU Habitats Directive – the most important pillar of
European wildlife and nature conservation that forms a network of protected sites
across the European Union called Natura 2000.
In March 2010, a consortium of 17 great and well-respected partners from nature
protection site administrations, scientific institutions, and nature conservation
authorities started researching. However, several of the institutions interested in
joining the partnership were unable due to financial or administrative reasons. Thus,
we additionally had a large number of highly interested associated institutions.
During the project runtime, a lot of public recognition was gained: The HABITCHANGE project was selected as:
• One of 28 good practice examples worldwide for the UNESCO-MAB Conference
“For life, for the future. Biosphere reserves and climate change” in 2011
• A project of strategic importance of the INTERREG Central Europe funding
programme combined with additional funding for capitalisation activities
v
The idea to investigate the impacts of climate change on nature protection sites
supported by a remote sensing-based monitoring tool – inspired by Lovejoy and
Hannah’s book Climate Change and Biodiversity – was the starting point of the
project “Adaptive Management of Climate-Induced Changes of Habitat Diversity
in Protected Areas” (HABIT-CHANGE). This first idea was further developed and
extended during several meetings with a growing number of interested partners.
After two years of preparation, the project proposal was submitted to the European
transnational funding programme INTERREG IV B Central Europe and later on
approved for a three-year runtime. We chose this funding opportunity since climate
change does not stop at national borders and the programme supports sciencepractice-policy cooperation and implementation, which is especially needed for
this topic. Since the Central European area is expected to be especially affected by
climate change impacts, it is an appropriate investigation region. Furthermore,
by choosing European investigation areas it was possible to evaluate the concept
and regulations of the EU Habitats Directive – the most important pillar of
European wildlife and nature conservation that forms a network of protected sites
across the European Union called Natura 2000.
In March 2010, a consortium of 17 great and well-respected partners from nature
protection site administrations, scientific institutions, and nature conservation
authorities started researching. However, several of the institutions interested in
joining the partnership were unable due to financial or administrative reasons. Thus,
we additionally had a large number of highly interested associated institutions.
During the project runtime, a lot of public recognition was gained: The HABITCHANGE project was selected as:
• One of 28 good practice examples worldwide for the UNESCO-MAB Conference
“For life, for the future. Biosphere reserves and climate change” in 2011
• A project of strategic importance of the INTERREG Central Europe funding
programme combined with additional funding for capitalisation activities
v