Awareness Raising > JRC Activities > Calendrar 2011
Calendar 2011 - "Biodiversity"
Download the Calendar 
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This calendar and the related European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity is an initiative of the European Commission Joint Research
Centre to bring the issue of soil biota to the attention of society as a whole.
To raise awareness of the general public, policy makers and other scientists of the global perspective and importance of soil biodiversity particularly,
in the context of the UN’s International Year for Biodiversity, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (located in Ispra, Italy) has collaborated
with soil scientists from all over Europe to produce the first ever European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity.
Soil organisms represent around a quarter of all biodiversity on Earth, yet are widely neglected in conservation efforts. Worldwide, only eight soil species
are protected under CITES, the international rules on trade in endangered species: three scorpions, four tarantulas and one beetle. This is not
because soil species are not endangered: it is simply because so little is known about them and because their habitat and functioning are complex.
However, taking steps to protect them may be doubly useful as efforts to protect soil communities are very likely to help above ground habitats.
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European Commission - Joint
Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability Contacts: Marc Van Liedekerke(tel. +39-0332-785179) Panos Panagos (tel. +39-0332-785574) |
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