DIVERSE
Integration of bioDIVERSity conservation within bioEnergy production for a low-carbon energy mix in the Alpine region (DIVERSE)
An Interreg Project focusing on the interactions and trade-offs between bioenergy production and biodiversity conservation in the greater Alpine Region. This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Spaces programme. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
University of Graz is one of 12 project partners in this programme. PI's A. Clark and C. Berg are primarily responsible for carrying out a series of forest resurveys around the Metro Graz area, to assess how different management approaches have altered biodiversity and productivity in the region over the past century. Additionally, Uni. Graz is acting in an advisory capacity to help assess the impacts of different bioenergy production strategies have on local biodiversity, with the specific goal of identifying effective management approaches for maintaining forest biodiversity in Graz metro area while achieving reasonable bioenergy yields.
Selected Project Updates:
19 November 2024: Six of us (A. Clark, R. Stienen, A. Zeindl, C. Cavicchioli, S. Ambrosino, and C. Crosta) met online today to discuss how to collect and present indices for measuring biodiversity and sustainability related outcomes in the project. We have decide to produce two short-form memos outlining potential indices, explaining what they measure, and describing how to collect and apply them for the project. First drafts will be circulated within the next few weeks.
15 November 2024: Six members of the Austrian based project team members (A. Clark, R: Pratter, A. Kranz, N. Bisko, E. Hummer, and M. Baumann) met today to discuss strategies for our "pilot region" in Styria. Among other things, we agreed on a plan to link an academic study of the impacts of different forest management methods on plant biodiversity with potential recommendations for local heat and bioenergy plant operators and other relevant stakeholders.
28-30 October 2024: A. Clark and C. Berg travelled to Munich for the first of six DIVERSE workshops with all 12 project partners. The workshop served as a kick-off for the organisational structure of the project, and provided a forum for communicating first results from our pilot activities. A follow-up meeting among Styrian partners will be held on 15 November.