Projects

International

eLTER PLUS - European long-term ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological systems research infrastructure PLUS
European long-term ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological systems research infrastructure PLUS
Program: Horizon 2020
Project leader: RNDr. Halada Ľuboš, CSc.
Annotation: Progress in understanding, managing and securing current and future ecosystem functions and services is challenged by fragmented and dispersed ecosystem research, operated using narrow disciplinary perspectives that prevent a holistic understanding of complex eco- and socio-ecological systems. The emerging European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological systems Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) was evaluated by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) as having high potential for closing this gap in the European RI landscape. The primary objective of eLTER PLUS is to open and expand the research capacities and impact of eLTER by engaging current and new users and developing the operations of cross- and transdisciplinary research, exemplified in eLTER Site and Platform design and the RI’s Standard Observation framework. eLTER PLUS will execute a performance test of the emerging RI and assess and strengthen its operations in real time. It will further advance community building and provisioning of services as pursued by the H2020-funded eLTER INFRAIA Starting Community project and related projects. Its focus is on making intensive use of 35 selected sites and platforms in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems, combined with observational data from an additional 50 sites, for studying ecosystem and socio-ecological responses to globally-relevant environmental challenges in terms of ecosystem integrity and ecosystem services. Its Whole-Systems approach will derive meaningful scientific and policy-relevant information via co-designed, transdisciplinary research in collaboration with diverse stakeholders at local, regional and EU-scales. Concerted actions also focus on collaboration with peer RIs to maximize synergies, increase efficiencies and catalyze holistic understanding of ecosystem function, and on development of virtual laboratories where in-situ site data are linked with other data sources, e.g. Copernicus.
Project webpage: https://www.lter-europe.net/projects/PLUS
Duration: 1.2.2020 - 31.1.2025
ETC BD - Európske tématické centrum pre biologickú diverzitu - 2019-2021
European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity - 2019-2021
Program: Bilateral - other
Project leader: RNDr. Halada Ľuboš, CSc.
Annotation: ETC BD is a project of the European Environmental Agency. EEA‐ETC/BD work over the period 2019‐2021 will be largely framed on global level by the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Strategic Plan for 2011‐2020 and at EU level by the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. These policy elements are fully integrated in the EEA Multi‐annual Work Programme 2014‐2018 extended to 2020, which determine the ETC BD work plan. The ETC BD activities will be done in 5 work packages. WP1 (Monitoring, data, management and information systems) addresses the organisation of dataflows and the management of core datasets which will either directly feed the policy process or/and underpin the production of indicators and assessments. WP2 (Indicators) mainly addresses work to be done by ETC/BD as part of the SEBI collaborative process (Streamlined European Biodiversity Indicators). WP3 (Assessments) over the next period will be largely framed by targets 1 and 2 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. The evaluation of progress towards target 1 and its supporting actions will make use of information reported by Member States under the Nature Directives. A major piece of EEA‐ETC/BD work will be the preparation of the State of Nature report, to be published by end 2020. WP4 (Networking and policy support) covers networking with national authorities and experts under policy processes, whether at EU, pan‐European or global levels. WP5 is focused to the ETC BD management, capacity‐building and cross‐ETC cooperation.
Project webpage: https://bd.eionet.europa.eu/
Duration: 1.1.2019 - 31.12.2021

National

Analýzy a hodnotenia environmentálnej histórie vybraných typov krajiny Slovenska od mladšieho praveku po súčasnosť
Analysis and evaluations of the environmental history of selected types of Slovak landscape from the early prehistory to the present
Program: VEGA
Project leader: Mgr. Piscová Veronika, PhD.
Annotation: By using natural resources, ecosystem services and activities, man directly or indirectly affects the naturalenvironment and the quality of its components, within a time and space framework. The extent and intensity ofhuman influence on the landscape has been changing over the centuries, depending on current period. Toidentify the degree of human influence on the landscape, it is essential to get know the original landscape, whichhas not been significantly affected by man. As such, a landscape no longer exists in the Central Europe; it needsto be scientifically reconstructed in some way. The aim of the project is to reconstruct the landscape, in modelareas representing selected types of the Slovak landscape, in several periods of historical and archaeologicalpast and to evaluate the consequences of human activities in them. It is important to analyse the relationshipbetween man and his environment over the time.
Duration: 1.1.2023 - 31.12.2026
Ekologické analýzy akulturácie krajiny Slovenska od mladšieho praveku dodnes
Ecological Analyses of Landscape Acculturation in Slovakia since Early Prehistory until Today
Program: VEGA
Project leader: Mgr. Piscová Veronika, PhD.
Annotation: Human impact on landscape of Slovakia is manifested more markedly since the Neolithic period (New StoneAge). Acculturation processes such as mutual adoption and merging different cultures and process of social andcultural changes accompany people throughout their history and reflect on the environment (Škvarna, 2007). Thehuman impact on the landscape may appear at first positive, but it may have a negative influence on the natureitself and finally on people as well (Erten, Van Deb Berg, Weissing 2007). For this reason, it is important toanalyze the impact of landscape changes on people and also on natural ecosystems. The aim of this project is toreconstruct the landscape in several periods of historical and archaeological past and to evaluate theconsequences of human activity in the model areas. An important role will be played by the confrontation of theevolution of settlement and vegetation changes in the territories in the same chronological sections.
Duration: 1.1.2019 - 31.12.2022