In many cases, temporary websites may be simple, accessible solutions for knowledge management and dissemination of information. However, such sites may become outdated as the funding ends, but yet in many cases, still publicly available through the Internet. The issue of website sustainability is a relevant topic for all organizations that have websites. Website lifecycle, knowledge management, and website sustainability issues are discussed through a theoretical-based literature review. These issues are then summarized and used as lessons learned for the case study approach of this paper. The aim is to identify a solution to address a website’s life and longevity, post project. A practical case study assessment of the issue of project website sustainability is needed to address the website’s longevity—post project—as creation is often made through temporary endeavors. Recommendations for future project websites are made as the outcomes and results of this study and are expressed in the form of suggested practices for project website sustainability in future projects.

Aim/Purpose: There is ample evidence that team processes matter more than the characteristics of individual team members; unfortunately, very few empirical studies have examined communication process variables closely or tied them to team outcomes. Background: The University of Miami Laboratory for Integrated Knowledge (U-LINK) is a pilot funding mechanism that was developed and implemented based on empirically-established best practices established in the literature on the Science of Team Science (SciTS). In addition to addressing grand societal challenges, teams engaged in processes designed to enhance the process of “teaming”. This study uses the Inputs-Mediator-Outputs-Inputs (IMOI) model as a blueprint for an investigation into how team communication processes (shared communication, shared leadership, formal meetings, informal meetings) influence intermediary team processes (goal clarity, role ambiguity, process clarity, trust) and team outcomes (team satisfaction, team productivity). Methodology: Monte Carlo methodologies were used to explore both longitudinal self-report (survey of communication and team outcome variables) data and objective data on scholarly productivity, collected from seventy-eight members of eleven real-world intact interdisciplinary teams to explore how team communication processes affect team outcomes. Contribution: This study is among the few that centers communication practice and processes in the operationalization and measurement of its constructs and which provides a test of hypotheses centered on key questions identified in the literature. Findings: Communication practices are important to team processes and outcomes. Shared communication and informal meetings were associated with increased team satisfaction and increased research productivity. Shared leadership was associated with increased research productivity, as well as improved process and goal clarity. Formal meetings were associated with increased goal clarity and decreased role ambiguity. Recommendation for Researchers: Studying intact interdisciplinary research teams requires innovative methods and clear specification of variables. Challenges associated with access to limited numbers of teams should not preclude engaging in research as each study contributes to our larger body of knowledge of the factors that influence the success of interdisciplinary research teams. Future Research: Future research should examine different team formation and funding mechanisms and extend observation and data collection for longer periods of time.

DONALD Trump’s victory in the 2024 US presidential election has raised global concerns about how his economic policies may impact countries like Malaysia.

With an “America First” approach focused on protecting domestic interests, the Trump administration is expected to reshape international trade, shift investment flows and influence geopolitical relationships.

For Malaysia, this outcome presents not only challenges but also opportunities in key economic sectors, including trade, foreign investment and commodities.

Trump is anticipated to continue protectionist policies that prioritise US jobs and domestic production. His proposal to impose a 10% import tariff on all goods entering the US aims to reduce reliance on foreign products and bolster domestic manufacturing.

Additionally, Trump’s plan to impose tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese products could have significant implications for Malaysia, one of the major exporters of electronic products and components to the US. If high tariffs are applied to Chinese goods, Malaysian products incorporating Chinese components could also be impacted, potentially diminishing US demand for Malaysian exports.

While this situation presents risks, it also provides opportunities as companies diversify supply chains away from China. Malaysia benefitted from the “China+1” strategy during Trump’s first term, as exports to the US increased amid US-China trade tensions.

Malaysia’s semiconductor industry, a focus of large investments from multinational companies such as Intel and Infineon, may continue to attract interest as a stable manufacturing base.

Currently, Malaysia holds around 13% of the global market in chip packaging and testing, making it a favourable location for companies seeking to expand operations outside of China. These conditions indicate Malaysia’s potential to further establish itself as a manufacturing hub if it can maintain political stability and investor-friendly economic policies.

The energy sector is also likely to be affected. Trump’s pro-oil stance could lead to increased US production and exports of fossil fuels. Should global oil prices rise, Malaysia, as an oil exporter, stands to benefit from higher national revenue.

However, rising oil prices also carry inflationary risks, as increased energy costs could drive up production costs and consumer prices domestically. While the energy sector may gain, higher energy costs could pressure consumer purchasing power and escalate operational costs for local industries.

To maximise these potential gains, Malaysia will need to balance these impacts on the consumer sector and ensure monetary policies support price stability.

The Malaysian commodity sector, particularly palm oil, faces potential challenges as well. During Trump’s first term, the US imposed import restrictions on Malaysian palm oil companies such as FGV Holdings and Sime Darby Plantation over allegations of forced labour. These restrictions affected Malaysian palm oil exports to the US, reducing revenue and harming the country’s image as a responsible producer.

Should similar policies persist, Malaysia will need to strengthen sustainable labour practices and meet international standards to retain access to global markets and protect its reputation as an ethical producer.

Trump’s policies could bring added uncertainty to Malaysia’s capital markets and the ringgit’s value. With US interest rates currently at 4.75%-5.00%, any influence Trump may exert on the Federal Reserve to raise rates could lead global investors to favour US assets, potentially causing capital outflows from Malaysia.

In 2023, Malaysia saw a 6.8% decline in foreign equity inflows, and the ringgit depreciated by around 8% against the US dollar. This shift reduces liquidity in local capital markets, and foreign investors may approach Malaysian equities with greater caution, especially if Trump’s policies introduce additional tariffs or trade restrictions.

As demand for the US dollar rises, the ringgit may face continued downward pressure. A weaker ringgit could increase import costs, particularly in vital sectors like food and technology, compounding domestic inflationary pressures, which currently stand at 2.8%.

To address these challenges, Malaysia needs a strong risk management strategy to maintain market stability and support the ringgit amid growing uncertainties.

In addition, Trump’s protectionist stance may directly impact Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Malaysia. As a manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, Malaysia could see reduced FDI if the US pursues an aggressive stance on countries with significant trade surpluses.

Trump’s emphasis on protecting US jobs and domestic economic interests may lead to decreased investment from US companies in Malaysia.

Concurrently, prolonged US-China trade tensions could make investors more cautious about Malaysia, which may be perceived as politically and economically vulnerable. Any decline in FDI could affect job creation, technology growth and Malaysia’s long-term economic stability.

Furthermore, Trump’s victory raises concerns about the future of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (Ipef). Trump has previously expressed a desire to withdraw from trade agreements like Ipef, which he sees as “another TPP”. If this happens, Malaysia may face challenges in maintaining market access and regional economic integration.

To prepare, Malaysia must diversify its trade partnerships, strengthen local industries and foster growth in resilient sectors. Malaysia’s involvement in Ipef reflects its commitment to regional economic integration, which could help mitigate the negative effects of US protectionist policies.

In summary, Trump’s victory could have significant implications for Malaysia’s economy. Protectionist policies and prolonged trade tensions could disrupt global supply chains, increase market uncertainty and challenge Malaysia’s economic growth.

Malaysia must be prepared with sustainable and adaptable strategies to tackle these challenges while capitalising on emerging opportunities to maintain economic resilience amid an increasingly complex global landscape.

The writer is a researcher and Islamic Finance consultant.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

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The bereaved families lit lamps in front of the photos of their deceased loved ones, paying tribute to their memory.

Demands ECP action against K-P CM for using 'indecent language' about women

If you ever had the app, odds are you were reading some barely coherent narrative about One Direction or Harry Potter

With the perfect pair of sunglasses, you'll be ready to face the sun in style—no matter your face shape.

The actress shared the news of her husband’s passing on Instagram.

Afghan girls are part of a TV channel that is broadcasting the entire Afghan curriculum for girls out of school

Queen Camilla addresses health concerns after resuming Royal duties

Queen Camilla addressed her health concerns after returning to Royal duties following chest infection, due to which she took a brief break from work.

The Queen attended The Booker Prize Foundation at Clarence House...

The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case

Debate on Rs55.42b supplementary budget completed

Privacy: Our analog parents had the right to meet whomever they liked, wherever they liked, and discuss whatever they liked, without the government knowing. Our digital children have lost this, just because they use more modern items.

For a lot of our digital children’s activities, there’s no such thing as privacy anymore, as they naturally take place on the net. For people born 1980 and later, it doesn’t make sense to talk of “offline” or “online” activities. What older people see as “people spending time with their phone or computer”, younger see as socializing using their phone or computer.

This is an important distinction that the older generation tends to not understand.

Perhaps this is best illustrated with an anecdote from the previous generation again: The parents of our parents complained that our parents were talking with the phone, and not to another person using the phone. What our parents saw as socializing (using an old analog landline phone), their parents in turn saw as obsession with a device. There’s nothing new under the sun.

(Note: when I say “digital children” here, I am not referring to children as in young people below majority age; I am referring to the next generation of fully capable adult professionals.)

This digital socializing, however, can be limited, it can be… permissioned. As in, requiring somebody’s permission to socialize in the way you and your friends want, or even to socialize at all. The network effects are strong and create centralizing pressure toward a few platforms where everybody hang out, and as these are private services, they get to set any terms and conditions they like for people assembling and socializing – for the billions of people assembling and socializing there.

Just as one example to illustrate this: Facebook is using American values for socializing, not universal values. Being super-against anything even slightly naked while being comparatively accepting of hate speech is not something inherently global; it is strictly American. If Facebook had been developed in France or Germany instead of the US, any and all nudity would be welcomed as art and free-body culture (Freikörperkultur) and a completely legitimate way of socializing, but the slightest genocide questioning would lead to an insta-kickban and reporting to authorities for criminal prosecution.

Therefore, just using the dominant Facebook as an example, any non-American way of socializing is effectively banned worldwide, and it’s likely that people developing and working with Facebook aren’t even aware of this. But the Freedom of Assembly hasn’t just been limited in the online sphere, but also in the classic analog offline world where our analog parents used to hang out (and still do).

Since people’s locations are tracked, as we saw in the previous post, it is possible to match locations between individuals and figure out who was talking to whom, as well as when and where this happened, even if they were only talking face to face. As I’m looking out my window from the office writing this piece, it just so happens that I’m looking at the old Stasi headquarters across from Alexanderplatz in former East Berlin. It was a little bit like Hotel California; people who checked in there tended to never leave. Stasi also tracked who was talking to whom, but required a ton of people to perform this task manually, just in order to walk behind other people and photograph whom they were talking to — and therefore, there was an economic limit to how many people could be tracked like this at any one time before the national economy couldn’t sustain more surveillance. Today, that limit is completely gone, and everybody is tracked all the time.

Do you really have Freedom of Assembly, when the fact that you’ve associated with a person — indeed, maybe just spent time in their physical proximity — can be held against you?

I’m going to illustrate this with an example. In a major leak recently, it doesn’t matter which one, a distant colleague of mine happened to celebrate a big event with a huge party in near physical proximity to where the documents were being copied at the same time, completely unaware and by sheer coincidence. Months later, this colleague was part of journalistically vetting those leaked documents and verifying their veracity, while at this time still unaware of the source and that they had held a big party very close to the origin of the documents.

The government was very aware of the physical proximity of the leak combined with this person’s journalistic access to the documents, though, and issued not one but two arrest-on-sight warrants for this distant colleague based on that coincidence. They are now living in exile outside of Sweden, and don’t expect to be able to return home anytime soon.

Privacy, including Privacy of Location, remains your own responsibility.

Miguel Smajlji - Welcome to SIBMX, Sunday & Odyssey

Miguel Smajlji is riding through SIBMX for Sunday Bikes and Odyssey and filmed with Robin Kachfi a solide "Welcome to SIBMX" Video.

Video: Robin Kachfi

Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/kunstformbmxshop

On the 16.06.2018, the "Rollrausch" Skate & BMX Contest will take place in Rüsselsheim am Main. In a jam session, which is divided into two groups, amateurs and pros will prove their talent. Whether young or old, everyone can join or watch the event. The whole is kindly supported by the city of Rüsselsheim and is accompanied by live music by DJ Sapiko.

All the best, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Registration:
https://www.b-skateboarding.de/rollrausch2018

What:
BMX & Skate Contest - Rollrausch Rüsselsheim 2018

When:
16th June 14pm - 21pm (local time)

Where:
Skatepark Rüsselsheim
Außerhalb an der Opel Brücke
65428 Rüsselsheim am Main


More infos on Facebook.

We got the new Odyssey 2019 BMX Parts now in stock, like for example the Odyssey BMX "Hazard Lite X Antigram V2 Cassette" Rear Wheel, which is a strong wheel for street riding made of best Odyssey quality. You can switch the Odyssey "Antigram V2" Cassette Hub from LHD to RHD and the built-in needle bearings let it run super smooth. The Odyssey BMX "Antigram V2" cassette hub has a 7075 T6 aluminum body and now comes with a revised hub cone, which is compatible with the Odyssey BMX "Clutch PC" Rear Hubguard. The Odyssey "Hazard Lite" rim has become a over the years a classic doublewall rim with 5-chamber system which is strong and yet light.

Also now in stock, the Odyssey BMX "La Guardia Limited Edition" Sprocket in the colorway Black w/Silver Splatter, which is a CNC machined sprocket and sprocket guard and made of one piece of 7075 Aluminium and comes here as Limited Black w/Silver Splatter Edition.

Check our online-shop for more new Odyssey products!



Have fun!



All the best,

Your kunstform BMX Shop Team

We got the new Odyssey 2019 BMX Parts in stock, like the Odyssey BMX "R25" BMX Fork. They used 41 Thermal treated 4130 CrMo, which gives the needed durability wich Odyssey BMX guarantees for. The Odyssey BMX "R25" BMX Fork is also anti-corrosive protection treated.

Also now in stock, the Odyssey BMX "Boss v2" BMX bar, which is Aaron Ross's new signature handlebar. They are rised up a bit higher and produced of finest and strongest quality from Odyssey. The Odyssey BMX "Boss v2" BMX handlebar comes with multi butted 100% CrMo tubes including an extra strong cross bar and is equipped with the famous Odyssey 41 Thermal process.

Related Links:

• all products of Odyssey
• all Signature Parts of Aaron Ross

The Kessel Festival is Stuttgart's Music, Sport and Culture Festival and takes place on 01.06 - 02.06.2019. International top stars of the music scene on the main stage, young musicians on the up-and-coming stage, sports and fun sports areas to join in and watch, sustainability to touch in the integrated day after tomorrow market and an interactive children and family program make the Kessel Festival something special for visitors of all ages.

Together with the STUTTPARK skate hall, there will be a mini ramp with skateboard session on 01.06.2019 and a BMX session on 02.06.2019 . If you want to participate actively as a rider in the BMX session, please register in advance via Email contact@kunstform.org . A contest with the groups AM and Profi is planned. You can expect lavish prizes, which are provided by kunstform.

On the 15.06.2018, the "Rollrausch" Skate & BMX Contest will take place in Rüsselsheim am Main. In a jam session and 3 Fun-Quests, you can prove your talent. Whether young or old, everyone can join or watch the event. The whole is kindly supported by the city of Rüsselsheim and is accompanied by live music by DJ Sapiko & special guest.

All the best, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Registration:
https://www.b-skateboarding.de/rollrausch2019

What:
BMX & Skate Contest - Rollrausch Rüsselsheim 2019

When:
15th June 13pm - 21pm (local time)

Where:
Skatepark Rüsselsheim
Außerhalb an der Opel Brücke
65428 Rüsselsheim am Main

At the beginning of June, the Kessel Festival, Stuttgart's music, sports and culture festival took place. As part of this event, a miniramp contest went down, under very hot temperatures. Whether our guys and the locals have survived the heat, you'll find out in the video.

Enjoy, your kunstform BMX Shop Team!


Video: Justin Rudd

Related links:

• all products of kunstform

We got the new Odyssey 2021 Softgoods in stock. Fresh new colors and new designs!

Related links:

• all products of Odyssey BMX

Yeah... we've received a new shipment of Odyssey and long sold out BMX parts like the "Hazard Lite" rims, "R-25" forks or the popular "Monolever" brake levers (in various options) are finally available again. There are also plenty of new items like the "Prime" shirt, the "Monogram" winderbreaker jackets, the "Broc Raiford" seat in a new color and much more! We recommend you to grab it while stocks last.

We got a large amount of the popular Odyssey "Travis Hughes" grips with better conditions, which is why we can now offer them to you in our "Super Sale" at a great price. The offer is only valid while stocks last, so grab it!

Just in time for the hot weather, we present the Odyssey X Bloom BMX seat with a beautiful floral embroidery pattern! But that's not all: we've received an entire shipment of new Odyssey BMX parts, including the anticipated Odyssey BMX "Clutch Pro" freecoaster hub. Grab yours while supplies last!

Er det bedre at smitte danskere med min hudsygdom end at pisse dem af ved at nægte at give dem hånden? En ung muslim er i tvivl og beder RokokoPosten om hjælp.

Indlægget Brevkasse: Jeg er muslim med klamme hænder – skal jeg give hånd eller ej? blev først udgivet på RokokoPosten.

cna

Students wearing face masks walk along a street amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 21, 2023. — AFP

RAWALPINDI: As intense smog continues to choke residents across Punjab, the provincial government on Tuesday ordered the closure of public and private schools and a...

Eminem, Boy George, George Clinton, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson, the Doobie Brothers, N.W.A. and Alanis Morissette are among the nominees for the 2025 class at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an eclectic group of rap, rock, hip-hop and pop pioneers.

A man faces a felony assault charge after an unprovoked attack on a fellow passenger who was sleeping during a cross-country flight this week, according to authorities.

The CIA suppressed secrets from inside Iran during the Obama administration showing efforts by Tehran to build a nuclear weapon were more advanced than suspected, according to a former National Security Agency counterintelligence official.

Four Russian and Chinese security ships were tracked by the Coast Guard in a sign of increased activity by key U.S. adversaries in the Arctic, the Alaska office of the Coast Guard said on Tuesday.

Israel has failed to meet U.S. demands to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, where conditions are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war, international aid organizations said Tuesday.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said there are "no credible threats" to the District ahead of Tuesday's presidential election, despite several downtown businesses boarding up their buildings and the White House and other federal properties erecting climb-proof fencing along their perimeters.

Another moribund post-bye week performance under Mike Locksley reared its ugly head for Maryland Friday night against Northwestern in an embarrassing 37-10 loss.

The Terrapins' struggles last season were rooted in the most basic of problems: They couldn't shoot, finishing 320th nationally in field goal percentage (41.3%) and 340th in 3-point percentage (28.9%).

Violence in Haiti led to the closure of Toussaint Louverture International Airport after gunfire struck a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, trying to land Monday.

Many voters are wondering which of the presidential candidates would empty their pockets more.

South Carolina has lifted the suspension of forward Ashlyn Watkins after charges of assault and kidnapping were dismissed earlier this month.

Ospito qui la lettera aperta che Marta Rovira, dirigente del partito indipendentista di sinistra catalano guidato da Junqueras, ha inviato prima di lasciare la Spagna. Continuano in questi giorni arresti di esponenti politici catalani accusati (semplifico) di tradimento verso il governo spagnolo, all’indomani del referendum di ottobre. L’ex presidente Carles Puigdemont è stato fermato in Germania. Il ‘delitto’ riguarda le opinioni politiche espresse e il fatto di aver consentito ai cittadini di esprimersi col voto. Alle successive elezioni di dicembre questi partiti, queste persone (quelle che non erano in prigione) sono state rielette dalla maggioranza dei catalani. Fin dal primo giorno, a ottobre, Marta Rovira e gli altri esponenti del governo catalano hanno chiesto che l’Europa intervenisse. Un’Europa sorda a chi viene arrestato per le sue opinioni, all’esito del voto popolare e democratico, si chiedono, che Europa è.

Zur Unterstützung der Beteiligung des MfN an EU BON ist am Museum für Naturkunde Berlin zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt eine vorerst auf 2 Jahre befristete (mit der Option der Verlängerung)
Position eines/einer Wissenschaftlichen Mitarbeiters/in mit 75% der regelmäßigen wöchentlichen Arbeitszeit Entgeltgruppe E13 TV-L Berlin zu besetzen
Aufgabengebiete:
Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeit und eigenständige Durchführung spezifischer Aufgaben innerhalb des EU BON Projektes, vor allem innerhalb der Arbeitspakete 1 (Datenquellen) und 2 (Datenintegration), i.b.
- Datenrecherche und Erstellung von Übersichten für EU BON relevanter Daten- und Informationsquellen;
- Bewertung und Lückenanalyse bestehender Datenbanken und Informationssysteme zur Biodiversität;
- Harmonisierung, Aktualisierung und Koordinierung taxonomischer Referenz-Datenbanken i.b. für Europa;
- Unterstützung der Einführung und Verbesserung von Datenstandards zur Verbesserung der Integration und Interoperabilität unterschiedlicher Datenebenen
- Mitwirkung bei Erprobung neuer Datenerhebungsansätze und –verfahren, auch im Gelände
- Planung und Durchführung von Projekttreffen und -veranstaltungen
- Erstellung von Ergebnisberichten und wissenschaftlichen Präsentationen / Veröffentlichungen.

The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) was initiated by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) together with a group of editors and publishers of scholarly journals after a meeting in  December 2012 during the ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The document recognizes the need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scientific research are evaluated.

DORA puts into question the use of Journal Impact Factor as a main tool for assessment, and proposes the consideration of various other factors towards more sophisticated and meaningful approaches. DORA is a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines.

To read the whole declaration, please follow the link: http://am.ascb.org/dora/

The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) is leading the development of a set of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs), akin to the GCOS Essential Climate Variables (ECVs).

The recently published paper (Science 339, 18 January 2013) describing the EBV concept states that: "Reducing the rate of biodiversity loss and averting dangerous biodiversity change are international goals, reasserted by the Aichi Targets for 2020 by Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).… However, there is no global, harmonized observation system for delivering regular, timely data on biodiversity change." Read Full Paper and supplementary materials on EBVs here.

GEO BON partners are thus developing (and seeking consensus around) EBVs that could form the basis of monitoring programs worldwide. For more information on EBVs please click here.

GEO BON invites anyone who would like to get involved in EBV development, to take the EBV survey which will run till 31 August 2013. The survey will help us gauge how respondents feel about current candidate EBVs and provides respondents with the opportunity to make suggestions for new/alternative EBVs. Complete survey now!

The FP7 CLIMSAVE project ("Climate Change Integrated Assessment Methodology for Cross-Sectoral Adaptation and Vulnerability in Europe") finished at the end of 2013. The project developed the CLIMSAVE Integrated Assessment Platform which is a unique user-friendly, interactive web-based tool that enables stakeholders to interactively explore the complex multi-sectoral issues surrounding impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate and socio-economic change within the agriculture, forest, biodiversity, coast, water and urban sectors.  Two versions of the tool have been developed: one for Europe and one for Scotland.

The 4th Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO 4) was officially launched on 6 Oct 2014, during the opening day of the Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12) in Pyeongchang, Korea. Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention.

GBO 4 is a comprehensive report that serves as a mid-term analysis towards the 20 "Aichi Biodiversity Targets". The report states significant progress towards meeting some components of the majority of the Aichi  Biodiversity Targets. Some target components, such as conserving at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and  inland water areas, are on track to be met. However, in most cases this progress is seen as not sufficient to achieve the targets set for 2020, and additional action is required to keep the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 on course. 

The full report can be accessed here: http://www.cbd.int/gbo4/

One of our recent associated partners, the EU project GLOBIS-B has published its first paper: "Towards global interoperability for supporting biodiversity research on essential biodiversity variables (EBVs)". You can find the article here.

Abstract: 

Essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) have been proposed by the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) to identify a minimum set of essential measurements that are required for studying, monitoring and reporting biodiversity and ecosystem change. Despite the initial conceptualisation, however, the practical implementation of EBVs remains challenging. There is much discussion about the concept and implementation of EBVs: which variables are meaningful; which data are needed and available; at which spatial, temporal and topical scales can EBVs be calculated; and how sensitive are EBVs to variations in underlying data? To advance scientific progress in implementing EBVs we propose that both scientists and research infrastructure operators need to cooperate globally to serve and process the essential large datasets for calculating EBVs. We introduce GLOBIS-B (GLOBal Infrastructures for Supporting Biodiversity research), a global cooperation funded by the Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework programme of the European Commission. The main aim of GLOBIS-B is to bring together biodiversity scientists, global research infrastructure operators and legal interoperability experts to identify the research needs and infrastructure services underpinning the concept of EBVs. The project will facilitate the multi-lateral cooperation of biodiversity research infrastructures worldwide and identify the required primary data, analysis tools, methodologies and legal and technical bottlenecks to develop an agenda for research and infrastructure development to compute EBVs. This requires development of standards, protocols and workflows that are ‘self-documenting’ and openly shared to allow the discovery and analysis of data across large spatial extents and different temporal resolutions. The interoperability of existing biodiversity research infrastructures will be crucial for integrating the necessary biodiversity data to calculate EBVs, and to advance our ability to assess progress towards the Aichi targets for 2020 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Original Source:

W. Daniel Kissling et. al. (2015) Towards global interoperability for supporting biodiversity research on essential biodiversity variables (EBVs). Biodiversity. DOI: 10.1080/14888386.2015.1068709

The Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network has the aim to measure and compare plants, terrestrial mammals, ground-dwelling birds and climate using a standard methodology in a range of tropical forests, from relatively pristine places to those most affected by people. TEAM currently operates in sixteen tropical forest sites across Africa, Asia and Latin America supporting a network of scientists committed to standardized methods of data collection to quantify how plants and animals respond to pressures such as climate change and human encroachment.

A recent TEAM network paper published in PLOS Biology deals with the standartization of methods in assessing biodiversity trends in tropical forest protected areas.

Abstract: