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CETAF 40 General Meeting & 20th Anniversary Event

The 40th CETAF General Meeting will take place in Madrid, Spain, on the 18th-19th October 2016 at the Royal Botanic Garden, followed by the CETAF 20th Anniversary Event "Why natural history collections matter" to be held on the 20th October
 
Meeting venue: Royal Botanic Garden at Madrid and goggle map access (coordinates: N40.4097702 - W3.690096). Please, be aware that the public entrance to the Garden is located in the opposite corner of the Garden premises, and it is closed before 10:00 am. Attendants could use it, but only during opening hours of the Garden.




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X. International Conference on Ecological Informatics 'Facing Global Change by Sharing Data and Models'

The 10th  International Conference on Ecological Informatics 'Facing Global Change by Sharing Data and Models' wil take place on 24‐28 October 2016 in Dubrovnik, Croatia  

Keynote speakers :  
Duccio Rocchini, Trento, Italy 'Recent developments in biogeography'
Marie A. Roch, San Diego State University, USA 'Managing bioacoustics data'
 
Submissions of abstracts, special sessions, short courses on all aspects of ecological informatics are accepted until January 31st 2016 and should be sent to
Bozidar Dedus, Local Conference Chair bozidar.dedus@gmail.com
 
More information is available here: www.icei2016.org                                                                                                                                     

 





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GEO XIII Plenary, St. Petersburg

The GEO XIII Plenary will take place on 9 & 10 Nov 2016 in St. Petersburg, Russia. More information to follow.





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GEO Data Providers Workshop

The GEO Data Providers workshop will take place from 20-21 April in Florence, Italy.

The First GEO Data Providers workshop was held as a side event during the GEO-XIII Plenary in St. Petersburg, to strengthen the dialogue with data providers in order to improve the discoverability, accessibility and usability of GEOSS resources by GEOSS users. Given the high level of interest and success of the first workshop, a more comprehensive event of two days will be hosted by the Italian, National Research Council (CNR) in Florence, Italy, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).

More information to follow.





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2017 GEO Work Programme Symposium & 37th International Symposium of Remote Sensing (ISRSE)

The 2017 GEO Work Programme Symposium will be held back-to-back with the 37th International Symposium of Remote Sensing (ISRSE), in Tshwane, South Africa, the week of 8-13 May 2017.

The ISRSE thematic areas are aligned with GEO's areas of focus and Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs). Abstracts for the conference themes may be submitted by 22 November 2016 here:

Please inform Douglas Cripe (dcripe@geosec.org) at the GEO Secretariat if you do submit an abstract.

In support of the Work Programme Symposium, there are eight GEO special sessions in which you are encouraged to submit an abstract:

  • 04-1 GEOGLAM - Beyond crop monitoring, form data to actionable knowledge;
  • 04-4 Towards a new philosophy for generating land cover;
  • 10-2 The GFOI as a R&D promoter toward operational tropical forest monitoring systems;
  • 11-2 Innovative infrastructure for delivering Earth Observations solutions; 
  • 11-4 Implementing GEOSS Data Sharing and Management Principles at the national level in Africa;
  • 12-2 GEO in-situ observation networks;
  • 13-2 GEOSS Common Infrastructure for Africa; and
  • 13-5 Implementing the GEO user needs and gaps process: expectations, opportunities and challenges.

To contribute to these special sessions, please submit your abstract by 24 November 2016 using this link:

 





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LifeWatch ERIC 1st General Assembly

The 1st General Assembly of LifeWatch ERIC will take place in Seville (Spain) on 8-9 May 2017.

More specific details about the working agenda and logistics to follow here.

 





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ECOPOTENTIAL General meeting and General Assembly

The Second ECOPOTENTIAL General Scientific Meeting and General Assembly of Partners will take place in Heraklion, Crete, from May 16th to May 19th, kindly hosted by the ECOPOTENTIAL Partner FORTH.

The General Meeting is aimed at a comprehensive presentation and discussion about the research activities, highlighting the status of the project, the main results, the critical points and the future perspectives. The Scientific advisors will give lectures and will participate to the discussion. Main topics will be The Essential Variables, the Status of Remote Sensing data, in situ data and modelling, the Virtual Laboratory Platform, the research on changes over Protected Areas and future projections, as well as the issues related to cross scale interactions. 

More information here.

 





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BIOTALENT EU Conference: Tackling biodiversity challenges through innovative e-learning

BIOTALENT is a multilingual blended e-learning training programme to gain crucial skills and knowledge in biodiversity. Protecting life on earth in all its forms also involves introducing innovative ways to address pressing environmental issues of today. A strong investment in environmental education and a passion for science is therefore essential to this programme.

This one-day event, Taking place on 18 May 2017, in Brussels, will illustrate the uniqueness of the BIOTALENT project and programme in the way environmental education is brought to the course participant. The various expert speakers that are invited are all very passionate about innovation in education and the new ways in which scientific and environmental education can contribute to conserving biodiversity.  

To register and find out more visit the official announcement.





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11th GEO European Project Workshop 2017

The 11th GEO European Projects Workshop will take place in Helsinki between 19-21 June 2017.  

The purpose of the conference is to bring together European stakeholders interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). The event is a forum to exchange ideas and inform participants about work and initiatives undertaken in the context of GEOSS. 

The conference is organised by the European Commission and Finish Meteorological Institute. 

More information to come at: https://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/11th-geo-european-projects-workshop-2017





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GEO Week 2017, Washington DC

This year's GEO Week will take place from 23-28 Ovtober in Washington, D.C. Main highlight will be the GEO’s Fourteenth Plenary Meeting, to be held  on 25 & 26 October, focusing on the delivery of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.

The GEO Plenary is the annual meeting of GEO’s 104 Member governments and 109 Participating Organizations, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), JAXA, NOAA, NASA, USGS,, United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank and Observers such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Secretariat on Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM).

The Plenary is preceded by Side Events organized through the GEO community and featuring global initiatives and activities to improve use of satellite, atmospheric and in situ Earth observations for better decision making.

Expect to see events focused on national and regional best practices to implement and measure the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as Disaster Relief and measuring and mitigating the impacts of Climate Change.

More information here: http://www.earthobservations.org/article.php?id=202

 

 





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Repost of Vancouver: Three gems from Iran and India

The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs (2020). Since David’s death, this blog has not been updated. I do, however, plan to occasionally re-post old entries if they become relevant to current events in the world of film. I also hope to post new entries as the inspiration strikes me. This entry deals with Mohammad Rasoulof’s […]






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Jack’s Abby acquires Night Shift Brewing, making it the largest craft brewer in Mass.

“This expansion is not just about growth; it’s about building a stronger foundation for our teams and brands to thrive.”

The post Jack’s Abby acquires Night Shift Brewing, making it the largest craft brewer in Mass. appeared first on Boston.com.
















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Katalanische Politiker treten in unbefristeten Hungerstreik

Zwei der inhaftierten Anführer der katalanischen Unabhängigkeitsbewegung sind am Wochenende in den Hungerstreik getreten. Der ehemalige Minister Jordi Turull und der Aktivist Jordi Sánchez wollten damit nicht nur auf ihr Schicksal aufmerksam machen.

Ein Foto der zum Teil seit mehr als einem Jahr inhaftierten Katalanen im Innenhof des Gefängnisses Lledoners. Der erste und dritte von links sind in einen Hungerstreik getreten: Jordi Sànchez, Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull, Joaquim Forn, Jordi Cuixart, Josep Rull and Raul Romeva (v.l.n.r.).
©Maria Vernet / Omnium Cultural
AFP


STERN
 
2-12-2018
 
Wenige Wochen vor dem Beginn eines Prozesses gegen 18 führende Personen der katalanischen Unabhängigkeitsbewegung sind zwei der Angeklagten in einen unbefristeten Hungerstreik getreten. Die im katalanischen Gefängnis von Lledoners unweit von Barcelona einsitzenden Abgeordneten Jordi Sànchez und Jordi Turull gaben am Samstag den Beginn ihrer Aktion bekannt.

In einer Erklärung warfen der ehemalige Minister Jordi Turull, der im März 2018 verhaftet wurde, und Jordi Sànchez, der Ex-Vorsitzende der Assemblea Nacional Catalana, dem spanischen Verfassungsgericht vor, ihr Berufungsverfahren vor dem Europäischen Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte (EGMR) zu blockieren. Außerdem verwehre die spanische Justiz mehrere Verfassungsbeschwerden, wie sie auf Twitter mitteilten.

Den Politikern drohen 25 Jahre Haft

Ende Oktober hatte das Oberste Gericht in Madrid nach einjährigen Ermittlungen die Eröffnung eines Verfahrens gegen den früheren katalanischen Vizepräsidenten Oriol Junqueras, Turull, Sànchez und 15 weitere Separatisten wegen Rebellion, Ungehorsams und Unterschlagung angeordnet. Ein Termin für die Prozesseröffnung wurde noch nicht genannt. Nach Medieneinschätzung werden die Katalanen erst Anfang 2019 erstmals auf der Anklagebank sitzen. Die Anklage fordert bis zu 25 Jahre Haft für die katalanischen Unabhängigkeitspolitiker.
 
Nach dem Unabhängigkeitsreferendum vom 1. Oktober 2017, das die Madrider Regierung für illegal erklärt hatte, und einem anschließenden Mehrheitsbeschluss des katalanischen Parlaments hatte die spanische Regierung unter dem damaligen Ministerpräsidenten Mariano Rajoy den Regionalpräsident Carles Puigdemont und sein Kabinett abgesetzt. Madrid stellte die autonome Region unter Zwangsverwaltung.

Seit mehr als einem Jahr sitzen zahlreiche Politiker der damaligen Regionalregierung und Aktivisten der Unabhängigkeitsbewegung in U-Haft. Mehrere katalanische Politiker, darunter der abgesetzte Regionalpräsident Carles Puigdemont, flohen ins Exil. Puigdemont war im März 2018 in Deutschland auf der Durchreise von Finnland nach Belgien festgenommen worden. Das Schleswig-Holsteinische Oberlandesgericht hielt den Auslieferungsantrag der Spanier wegen des Vorwurfs der Rebellion für unbegründet.

Bei den von Madrid kurzfristig einberufenen Neuwahlen im Dezember 2017 setzten sich aber erneut die Parteien durch, die eine Trennung von Spanien fordern. Turull und Sànchez wurden ungeachtet ihrer U-Haft ins Parlament von Barcelona gewählt.
 
+++ Lesen Sie auch den Hintergrundartikel: "Warum Katalonien so vehement die Unabhängigkeit fordert" +++
 




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Spain: 2 Catalan Separatists Start Hunger Strike in Prison

NYT
By The Associated Press
Dec. 1, 2018
                 
 
BARCELONA, Spain — Two leaders of Catalonia's separatist movement who have spent the last year in prison started a hunger strike on Saturday to protest what they claim is the unfair treatment by Spanish courts.

Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, regional lawmakers in northeastern Catalonia, said in a statement distributed by the Catalan government that "we will never give up on our right to a fair trial."

Spain's government responded by saying that they and other separatist leaders will be treated just like any other citizens brought before the law.

The government led by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a statement that "like all citizens who are subject to and protected by the rule of law, the separatist leaders will receive a fair trial."
 
Sanchez and Turull are two of nine separatist leaders who are in pre-trial custody for their role in an illegal secession attempt by Catalonia's leaders last year. Spain's state prosecutors will pursue charges of rebellion against both, asking for sentences of 17 years for Sanchez and 16 years for Turull.

Sanchez and Turull are being held in a prison near Barcelona, the largest city in the Catalonia region.
 
They have been kept behind bars with authorities saying they pose a risk of continuing to push for secession and fleeing Spain like other separatist leaders, including former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont.

The trial is expected to start in the coming months.

Catalonia's current separatist leaders insist they won't desist in their effort to break away from the rest of Spain.

Election results and polls show that the 7.5 million resident of the wealthy Catalonia region are roughly equally divided by the secession issue.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




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AP Interview: Catalan separatists on hunger strike speak out

In this undated photo provided by Catalan language association Omnium Cultural, showing jailed Catalan separatist leaders posing for a photo inside Lledoners jail in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, 50 kms from Barcelona, Spain, with left to right; Jordi Sanchez, Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull, Joaquim Forn, Jordi Cuixart, Josep Rull and Raul Romeva. Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, have been in a medical ward since Friday Dec. 14, 2018, as the hunger strike by the group of Catalan politicians enters its third week and begins to take a toll on their health, but they say their upcoming treason trial will allow them to peacefully promote their cause for independence from Spain. (Maria Vernet/Omnium Cultural via AP)


APNews

By ARITZ PARRA
December 16, 2018
 

SANT JOAN DE VILATORRADA, Spain (AP) — As a hunger strike by jailed Catalan separatist politicians enters its third week and begins to take a toll on their health, they say their upcoming rebellion trial will allow them to peacefully promote their cause for independence from Spain.

In rare interviews in a prison north of Barcelona, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Turull, who has been in a medical ward since Friday, repeated calls for dialogue between Catalan’s regional government and Spain’s central authorities in Madrid. They also rejected any depiction of the secessionist movement in the prosperous northeastern region of Catalonia as violent.

Sanchez told The Associated Press that their trial, set to begin early next year, will be “a unique moment to denounce the attitude of the Kingdom of Spain contrary to the political and democratic rights in Catalonia.”

“We are not going to let this opportunity go to waste,” he added.

Spain says the 22 defendants in the case are being prosecuted not for their ideas but for defying court orders by holding a banned independence referendum in Catalonia last year and making an illegal attempt to secede.

Some of them have been indicted on charges of rebellion or sedition and face decades in prison in what local media have dubbed “the trial of the century” in Spain’s Supreme Court. A preliminary hearing will be held Tuesday, although the defendants are not expected in court until weeks later.

Catalonia’s banned independence referendum in October 2017, Spain’s violent crackdown to stop it and a subsequent declaration of independence by Catalan authorities led to an unprecedented seven-month takeover by central authorities of the region of 7.4 million people.

More than a year later, the shockwaves from the Catalan independence movement are still being felt across Spain. A political divide is growing between Catalan and Spanish nationalism, a development that has fueled the momentum of a far-right populist party that recently won a dozen seats in Andalusia’s regional parliament.

Sanchez emerged clad in three layers of clothes despite normal heating in the modern prison managed by the Catalan government. His doctor says a permanent chill is the result of not ingesting calories and adds that the 54 year-old has lost more than 5 kilograms (11 pounds) since he began fasting on Dec. 1.

Turull, a former candidate to become the region’s chief, was sent to the Lledoners prison infirmary Friday because his kidneys have been affected after he shed over 13 pounds in two weeks. He tricks his body to ignore its hunger with nicotine.

Two more former Catalan cabinet members also joined the strike Dec. 3, but other inmates from a competing separatist political group, including former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, have chosen not to join, again exposing different approaches within the independence movement.

Turull said his protest comes with “a sense of responsibility” and he is not looking to starve to death.

“Its end depends on how far our strength takes us and on achieving our goal of calling attention to Spain’s judicial problem,” the 52-year-old lawyer said.

Their aim is to press Spain’s Constitutional Court to rule on appeals about their political rights and their prolonged pre-trial jailing. The strikers think the court is deliberately trying to block them from reaching the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, where they hope to expose the judicial flaws they see at home.

The Spanish top court has recently begun to issue some rulings in a series of appeals and says that it’s working as fast as the judicial calendar allows it to in “dealing with the complexity of a case that affects fundamental rights and a careful analysis of criminal law.”

Central Spanish authorities see no reason for the hunger strike.

“Their arguments are false. They will have a fair trial because in Spain the judiciary is independent,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said recently, adding that his government rejects both taking politics to court and “politicizing justice.”

Although Spain’s system of appointing top justices and prosecutors has been questioned in and outside Spain, those who think it’s working list the numerous sentences against the country’s political and economic elite. One such ruling earlier this year led to Mariano Rajoy’s ousting as prime minister and brought Sanchez to power.

Sanchez, a Socialist, has tried a conciliatory tone, but his approach has not reduced tensions with the Catalan separatists. Hardening rhetoric against the nationalists has spread across Spain’s political spectrum and coincided with the ascent of Vox, a far-right party.

Turull, a longtime secessionist, says Spain’s far right is dragging other parties to its extremism and becoming “a machine of generating tensions” in Catalonia. He also says Sanchez should consider dialogue more than ever, including on the underlying issue of Catalan self-determination.

No prime minister in Spain has agreed to that in the past, arguing it goes against Spain’s constitution. With polls showing that Catalan society is evenly divided on the issue of independence, Sanchez instead defends more self-government in Catalonia as a solution, and says he would rather spend time talking about social and economic policies.

“There are ways to delve into the core issue without anyone having to give up their fundamental positions,” Turull said in the prison visiting room.
But he warned that talks are not going to yield progress if they are done for political gains.

“They should be in the realm of utmost discretion, away from the microphones,” he said.

The jailed politician rejects the idea that taking a weekly central government meeting to Barcelona amid extraordinary security measures next week is “a way of showing affection to Catalonia,” as Sanchez has put it.

Separatists are supporting protests against the cabinet’s presence in the Catalan capital while jockeying for a meeting between the prime minister and Catalonia’s regional chief, Quim Torra, whose cabinet has been criticized for not responding effectively to violent protesters.

Turull said those favoring secession “should be stricter than ever against those who make us look bad.”

“We have a red line, which is achieving our goals peacefully, using mediation and dialogue. We are never going to put anybody at risk,” he declared.
 




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Catalan Hunger Strikers Send Message to European Leaders




NYT

By REUTERS

17-12-2018

Four jailed Catalan separatist leaders currently on hunger strike sent letters to more than 40 European heads on Monday to protest what they see as mistreatment by the Spanish courts.

The dispute between Catalonia's independence-seeking regional government and Madrid has worsened in recent weeks as negotiations have reached an impasse. Pro-independence protests are planned across Catalonia on Friday.

"We suffer from a judicial process that severely violates our fundamental rights, including the right to the presumption of innocence," the Catalan leaders wrote in the letter, which was sent to more than 40 European heads of state and government.

Spain's courts are unduly delaying their appeal demands to prevent the separatists appealing at the European level, the Catalan leaders said.

The four signatories went on hunger strike earlier this month to protest their treatment by the Spanish judiciary, though they have no intention of starving themselves to death, one told Reuters last week.

A total of nine Catalan leaders are in jail awaiting trial for their role in the region's failed bid to split from Spain last year. If convicted, they face decades in prison on charges including misappropriation of funds and rebellion.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his cabinet will travel to Barcelona on Friday for a meeting to be held amid high security as pro-independence groups have announced plans to hold protests and block transport in the region.

(Reporting by Sam Edwards; Editing by Angus MacSwan)






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Catalan separatists appeal to UN rights body in Geneva

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and five other separatist leaders from the region have appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, denouncing what they call the “suspension” of their political rights by Spanish authorities.



SWISSINFO

Decembrer 20, 2018


(© KEYSTONE / MARTIAL TREZZINI)



Speaking to journalists in the Swiss city on Thursday, Puigdemont said that the joint appeal to the rights body aimed to denounce the “serious violation of rights and freedoms in Spain, something unacceptable in the framework of European Union law”.


Puigdemont, Oriol Junqueras, Raul Romeva, Josep Rull, Jordi Sanchez, and Jordi Turull are all members of Catalonia’s parliament, but were charged and suspended from taking office by the Spanish Supreme Court for their role in organizing an October 2017 independence referendum in Catalonia in northeast Spain.


“Six people, democratically-elected and not yet convicted – five of whom have been detained for over a year – cannot exercise their rights,” said Puigdemont.


Having been accused of rebellion and sedition by Spanish authorities after the unauthorized referendum, Puigdemont has since lived in Belgium. An international arrest warrant against him was withdrawn last July.


Puigdemont and Sanchez, president of the independent association ANC, had already filed a separate complaint to the same UN rights body in March 2018 to denounce their "impossibility of running for president of the Generalitat” [the Catalan government]. The UN committee has yet to take any decision on the complaints.


+ Puigdemont said the Swiss federal model could offer a vision for Spain


It’s not the first time the emblematic Catalan figure has visited Geneva; an international human rights film festival hosted him for a debate on self-determination in March, a visit from which cantonal authorities distanced themselves.


Several other ‘wanted’ separatists, including Anna Gabriel and Marta Rovira, have sought exile in Switzerland following their condemnation in Spain.


Thursday’s action in Geneva comes as the Catalan separatist row shows no signs of ending. This week, four imprisoned leaders of the movement ended an almost three-week hunger strike, while Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has chosen to hold this Friday’s cabinet meeting in Barcelona – a deliberate “provocation”, for some Catalan supporters.






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Who Invented Grunge Music?

Eventually, genres give rise to subgenres. For example, grunge started as an underground subgenre that combined elements from hard rock, punk, and metal and welded ... Read more

The post Who Invented Grunge Music? appeared first on CMUSE.





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“Phantom of the Opera,” Broadway’s longest running musical, marks 29th birthday

Today is the 29th anniversary of the first performance of “The Phantom of the Opera,” which is currently the longest-running musical on Broadway. Andrew Lloyd ... Read more

The post “Phantom of the Opera,” Broadway’s longest running musical, marks 29th birthday appeared first on CMUSE.






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Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) Detailed Implementation Plan





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A decadal view of biodiversity informatics: challenges and priorities





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Earth Observation for Biodiversity Monitoring: A review of current approaches and future opportunities for tracking progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets





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Disentangling the role of remotely sensed spectral heterogeneity as a proxy for North American plant species richness




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Open exchange of scientific knowledge and European copyright: The case of biodiversity information




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Surface Temperatures at the Continental Scale: Tracking Changes with Remote Sensing at Unprecedented Detail




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Crop vegetation structure is more important than crop type in determining where Lesser Kestrels forage





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How can local and traditional knowledge be effectively incorporated into international assessments?





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Indicators of the impact of land use changes using large-scale birdsurveys: Land abandonment in a Mediterranean region




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Gone with the wind: Seasonal trends in foraging movement directions for a central-place forager





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EU BON: challenges and opportunities for integrating biodiversity information for GEOSS





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Conservation planning to zone protected areas under optimal landscape management for bird conservation




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The importance of open data for invasive alien species research, policy and management