Archives des Biodiversity and infrastructures - Fondation pour la recherche sur la biodiversité

Reducing carbon emissions in the EU by increasing freshwater navigation: what are the consequences for biodiversity?

Posted on 5 July 2024 by Fanny Lavastrou

Roughly 20,000 observations of freshwater fish and macroinvertebrate communities over the last 32 years were combined with data on freshwater ship traffic and navigation infrastructures to better understand the impact that navigation has on biodiversity. This large synthesis effort was carried out by the NAVIDIV research working group, funded by the FRB through its Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (Cesab). The results attest to the negative impact of navigation on biodiversity. Two consequences in particular stand out:

A significant decline in biodiversity, particularly through community homogenization and, more specifically, a loss of taxonomic and trait richness of both fish and macroinvertebrates, and

An increase in the presence of invasive species.

These consequences particularly affect rare species, and for those that live and reproduce on the river bed. Finally, ship traffic proved to be a much stronger predictor of biodiversity than navigation infrastructure, indicating that it is the most important aspect of the navigation industry to consider regarding biodiversity costs.

In addition to these direct associations between navigation and biodiversity, the researchers wondered whether the pressure exerted by freshwater transport on biodiversity are magnified in human-modified landscapes. In highly degraded landscapes, such as urban and agricultural areas, the negative impact of freshwater transport is strongly magnified for fish communities. The loss of taxonomic and trait diversity is more pronounced in areas with increased urban and agricultural cover. Additionally, the negative effects of channelization, or river straightening, were heightened in areas where the riparian forest had been lost.

These results highlight the potential biodiversity alterations that the EU may suffer in case of an increases of freshwater shipping in the coming years. These negative effects on biodiversity are probably more significant than they could be if biodiversity had been considered in the design of the development of these infrastructures. Importantly, the authors argue as a result that there should be increased investment in waterway management, rehabilitation, and mitigation of navigation’s strongest impacts. Creating low-flow habitats and areas protected from ship waves could mitigate the negative impacts on river-bed species. Reducing shipping pollutants and increasing riparian habitat alongside waterways could be crucial mitigation measures as well. In summary, the authors advocate for increased consideration of Europe’s freshwater biodiversity in any potential future push for increased shipping and navigation development.

[BISON project] The results will be presented on 6 June at an international seminar

Transport infrastructure is one of the drivers of global economic development. It is also one of the main causes of climate change and biodiversity decline. In order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, heavy investments are being made to make infrastructure more resilient and sustainable. However, the impact on biodiversity is much less well known and understood by the sector. In light of growing global concern about biodiversity loss, new regulations and approaches with higher biodiversity standards are expected in the wake of the COP15 negotiations.

In order to address concerns about the integration of biodiversity into transport infrastructure development, there has so far been no general consensus on how to create a biodiversity-friendly transport sector based on research.

After two and a half years of work, under the joint auspices of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the United Nations Environment Programme-led Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP), the members of the BISON consortium are organising an international seminar that will bring together a range of actors and stakeholders at national, regional and international levels to engage in a dialogue on the topic of infrastructure and biodiversity.

The main results of the BISON project will be presented on 6 June. A whole day will be dedicated to the links between the results of the BISON project and the wider sustainable infrastructure community.
In collaboration with SIP and international partners, the joint seminar on 7 June will explore ways to integrate research findings into policy making and investment decisions, and to catalyse next steps.

The event will be held in a hybrid format to facilitate dissemination, but speakers will be present. For more information, please visit the BISON website.

[Call for proposals FRB-CESAB / ITTECOP] The projects NAVIDIV and BRIDGE selected

Two projects were selected by the scientific committee from the joint call for proposals FRB-CESAB / ITTECOP on the theme “Territorial approach to biodiversity: transport infrastructures, natural and agricultural environments”.

NAVIDIV

Inland navigation infrastructures and biodiversity: impacts and opportunities for waterwayscape management

PIs : Alienor JELIAZKOV – INRAE (France) and Jean-Nicolas BEISEL – ENGEES/CNRS (France)

BRIDGE

Building a bridge between river corridors, roadsides and field margins: how landscape interactions modulate taxonomic and functional plant diversity

PIs: Eric TABACCHI – CNRS-INEE (France) and Guillaume FRIED – ANSES (France)

Both projects will, among others, evaluate the impacts of these infrastructures on biodiversity and analyse the economic, socio-technical and political factors that contribute to the deployment of these infrastructures and the extent to which they take biodiversity into account.

[Call for proposals] Opening of the joint call FRB-CESAB / ITTECOP

The FRB, with the support of ITTECOP programme, call on the scientific community to submit projects to the Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB), based on the analysis and synthesis of existing data on the theme “Territorial approach to biodiversity: transport infrastructures, natural and agricultural environments” at a European geographic level.

Pre-proposals deadline : 16th July 2020, 13:00 CEST

More information can be found on the call page.

Biomimétisme et biodiversité

Posted on 18 February 202025 March 2020 by Robin Almansa

Le concept de biomimétisme ou bio-inspiration a été théorisé pour la première fois il y a une vingtaine d’année (cf. Janine Benyus : Biomimicry, Innovation Inspired by Nature). L’approche initiale défend une vision qui considère que cette démarche d’innovation « fait appel au transfert et à l’adaptation des principes et stratégies élaborés par les organismes vivants et les écosystèmes, afin de produire des biens et des services de manière durable, et rendre les sociétés humaines compatibles avec la biosphère ».

Le Biomimétisme identifie des solutions naturelles apparues au cours de l’évolution, c’est à dire des fonctions ou des rapports entre structures et fonctions chez les organismes vivants qu’il peut être intéressant de transposer à une fonction d’intérêt humain : sa finalité est de chercher, d’identifier et de d’industrialiser une solution à un problème humain.

Cette démarche est nécessairement interdisciplinaire, entre sciences fondamentales et sciences de l’ingénieur, et demande de la part des acteurs économiques la mobilisation de ressources significatives en matière de recherche et développement (R&D).

Le biomimétisme est la rencontre de plusieurs mondes, l’écologie,
les sciences de l’évolution, la biologie et l’ingénierie,
ou encore une interface entre sciences naturelles et industrie.

L’association Biomimicry Europa, créée en 2006 pour la promotion du biomimétisme, propose de distinguer trois niveaux d’inspiration : les formes biologiques, les matériaux et processus, les interactions.

En matière de recherche et développement, l’Allemagne a longtemps été en tête avec plus de 100 structures de recherche publiques impliquées et dix réseaux territoriaux spécialisés. Le Royaume-Uni et la Suisse sont aussi deux pays fortement impliqués en Europe.

En France, l’implication est plus récente, mais actuellement, plus de 175 équipes de recherche s’intéressent au sujet et plus de 100 entreprises font appel à cette démarche. Plusieurs Groupements de recherche (GDR) et Réseaux thématiques pluridisciplinaires (RTP) génèrent des initiatives structurantes autour de la chimie bio-inspirée, la mécanique des matériaux biologiques ou les micro-technologies inspirées des insectes. Le centre européen d’excellence en biomimétisme (Ceebios), créé en 2012, fédère un nombre croissant de grandes entreprises comme L’Oréal, LVMH, Engie, Vicat, Saint-Gobain, et bénéficie du soutien du ministère de la transition écologique et solidaire.

Les régions les plus impliquées en matière de R&D (compétences académiques) sont l’Ile-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et Nouvelle-Aquitaine, puis, à un niveau sensiblement équivalent, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur et Grand-Est.