Romanian Centre of Excellence on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Society
FUNDING
National Research, Development and Innovation Plan 2022–2027 (PNCDI IV), Programme 6 – Challenges, Subprogramme 6.1 – Centres of Excellence
PROJECT CODE
PN-IV-P6-6.1-CoEx-2024-0124
TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE
RON 85,900,000
PROJECT DURATION
2026–2030
PROJECT DIRECTOR
Assoc. Prof. Tibor Hartel, Babeș-Bolyai University
PARTNERS
- Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca – Coordinator
- University of Bucharest
- Ovidius University of Constanța
- Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy
- Institute of Biological Research Cluj
- National Institute of Research and Development for Marine Geology and Geoecology – GeoEcoMar
- National Research and Development Institute for Environmental Protection
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
RECOVER – Romanian Centre of Excellence on Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Society – is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary project dedicated to biodiversity, ecosystems, and the social dimensions of human–nature relationships.
The Centre brings together the expertise of seven universities and research institutes in Romania to develop a joint research agenda connecting theoretical and applied ecology, nature’s contributions to people, biocultural systems, and governance for biodiversity conservation.
RECOVER will investigate how ecosystems, communities, and populations respond to global changes and will generate knowledge relevant to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, and ecological restoration. Research will cover a wide range of natural and social-ecological systems across Romania, including forests and grasslands, rivers and wetlands, mountain lakes and peatlands, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea, agricultural landscapes, and urban areas.
An important component of the project is translating scientific knowledge into actionable solutions. By combining disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches and by collaborating with practitioners, public authorities, organisations, and communities, RECOVER aims to strengthen the connection between research and action and contribute to evidence-based decision-making on biodiversity and sustainable development.
EXPECTED RESULTS
RECOVER pursues four major research objectives:
- Advancing the theoretical understanding of how ecosystems, communities, and populations respond to global changes, by developing and applying ecological theories and concepts across different ecosystems and social-ecological systems in Romania.
- Advancing applied ecology and research on ecological restoration and ecosystem management, to generate scientific evidence that can help reconcile biodiversity conservation with the use and management of landscapes and natural resources.
- Exploring how ecosystem services are co-produced across different biogeographical settings and along urban–rural gradients, to understand the role of natural capital in societal adaptation to climate, land-use, and socio-economic changes.
- Co-creating and fostering values and positive attitudes towards biodiversity conservation, by exploring social, cultural, and institutional opportunities for collaboration and governance and by strengthening positive human–nature relationships.
More information is available on the RECOVER project website.
Acknowledgement:
This work was supported by a grant of the Ministry of Education and Research – National Authority for Research and UEFISCDI, project number PN-IV-P6-6.1-CoEx-2024-0124, within PNCDI IV.