GUARDEN Case Studies
The GUARDEN case studies have been selected to represent a wide range of cross-sectoral challenges that are related to biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as end-users, stakeholders, species, habitats, and ecosystems over four (4) different countries. A specific DSA will be developed for each case study, targeted to the end-users’ needs. An MSP will be set up for each use case, bringing stakeholders that may have different interests and stakes in the common challenge addressed. The partnership with actors involved in activities based in Madagascar will make it possible to take into account the specific ecological, political and societal features of a major world biodiversity hotspot in tropical zones, located on a different continent, and subject to pressures of different natures from those observed in Europe (notably due to high deforestation for agricultural needs). This will facilitate the transfer of the GUARDEN tools in the long term to other tropical regions with comparable situations. The four (4) Case Studies are briefly provided:
Conservation vs development of urban and transport infrastructures (France & Madagascar):
The main goal is to assess plant species and EU-habitats loss to balance conservation and the development of urban and transport infrastructures.
Structured framework for post-construction ecosystem monitoring of windfarms (Greece):
The main goal is the development of a structured framework for the post-construction environmental/ecological monitoring of windfarms that will effectively provide information on the biodiversity and associated ecosystem services potentially affected by windfarms and link their status to appropriate mitigation/ restoration measures that would restore the ecological integrity where deviations from the estimated impacts occur.
Biodiversity vs Urban Coastal Management (Spain):
The main goal is to assess the impact of current and future coastal management actions and strategies on biodiversity and ecosystems.
Consideration of species loss caused by expansion of energy centre (Cyprus):
The main goal is to support informed decision-making for the implementation of a Master Plan for the expansion of an energy centre, taking into account the impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services.