REN, together with the Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) and University of Porto (UP), have created a Chair in Biodiversity, to be taught at UP. The partnership between REN, FCT and CIBIO-InBIO (Centre for Research in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, of University of Porto) reflects the commitment and endeavour of the three entities in this area.
The Chair is based on three pillars: monitoring, minimizing and offsetting impacts; population ecology; and citizenship in science. The first will conduct research in the field of assessment, monitoring, minimization and offsetting the impacts of energy transport networks on biodiversity, with particular attention to power lines.
The second pillar is devoted to analysing the demographic responses of species subject to unnatural mortality. This study may, in the future, help to define the circumstances in which significant minimization or offsetting efforts should be made and where to direct those efforts.
The third pillar focuses on citizenship projects in science (Citizen Science), a growing international trend, although still relatively small in Portugal. These projects have the dual objective of raising the awareness of citizens to the importance of scientific activity through their involvement in specific initiatives, and collecting relatively simple but useful data which would be difficult or too costly to collect by conventional means.
Furthermore, the REN Chair in Biodiversity will allow the work already developed to be systematized and disseminated: identify impacts on biodiversity; assess risks and adopt minimization measures; promote activities with positive impacts; integrate biodiversity into the company's activity and support nature conservation initiatives.
