Czech Bioplatform

Motto:
Biological diversity (biodiversity) takes place on many spatial levels. Preserving biodiversity does not need to mean having the highest local diversity, but rather the most variability (in species composition) between localities, i.e., diversity on a wider scale. Our objective is to maintain diversity especially of species and communities on the level of the Czech Republic and to not allow diversity to decrease (loss of species and community types). The goal is to maintain, e.g., endemic, protected and endangered species as well as rare elements of the built environment that need specific economic measures to ensure their continued existence. The condition for preserving these types of organisms and communities is the responsible handling of our landscape.

The Institute of Botany is the convener of a discussion and informational forum, i.e., the Czech Bioplatform, the goal of which is to enable discussion between all subjects in the Czech Republic who are involved in biodiversity research, or significantly influences the expert documents for political decision-making in this field or maintains or owns biodiversity elements. This activity aims to help stop or at least mitigate the current decline in biological diversity (biodiversity).
  • The Czech Bioplatform was established in 2003 following the completion of the project on the 5th EU Framework Program Bioplatform and continues under the 6th RP with the support of the EU project Biostrat. The parent organization is the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy EPBRS promoting sustainable development in terms of opening up communication by providing solid scientific evidence.
     
  • The Czech Bioplatform cooperates with more than a hundred representatives from research institutes and government and international organizations (e.g., Global Taxonomic Initiative, Society for Conservation Biology). It has participated in e.g., the preparations of the National forest program for 2007–2013 and directed the discussion on the Clearing-house Mechanism on the Convention on Biological Diversity to have ecology be one of the pillars of this national program. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment, the Czech Bioplatform is preparing recommendations for various strategic documents (e.g., Strategy for the protection of biodiversity) and has presented its opinions even at international conferences.
     
  • The Czech Bioplatform is backed by the director of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, pub. res. inst. Dr. Jan Kirschner and is coordinated by Dr. Petr Petřík, Ph.D.
 
Objectives of the Czech Bioplatform
  1. Assist the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy EPBRS in interlinking biodiversity research with environmental protection and policies and the management of sustainable development of natural landscape elements
     
  2. Participate in regular EPBRS meetings that are always organized by the presiding country of the European Union and to formulate regular recommendations for the important decision-making bodies of the EU and for the forthcoming meetings on the Convention on Biological Diversity CBD
  3. Contribute to the electronic conference on selected topics before the actual EPBRS meeting so that the widest range of people dealing with biodiversity will be addressed.
     
  4. Maintain web pages to enable the public, government and NGO stakeholders easy access to all EPBRS information and documents.
     
  5. Make accessible and mutually share to-date scattered and inaccessible data on the distribution and traits of selected groups of organisms so that these data could be analyzed in an interdisciplinary manner and used for, e.g., monitoring (see activities of Center for Biodiversity Research)
     
  6. Evaluate neglected biodiversity research areas using peer-reviews from top experts, representatives from the government, the private sector and NGOs. 
  1. Support the creation of a State platform for biodiversity in connection with EPBRS, and thus support the work of the advisory panel of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice SBSTTA that directly falls under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
     
  2. Using this approach, help stop or at least mitigate the decline in biodiversity.