Den danske biodiversitets portal - Danmarks Biodiversitets Clearing House Mechanism

Ecosystems and habitats

2004-06-30T16:09:44Z

Denmark has many important areas for ecosystems and habitat types and for animals and plants. The areas are owned either by privates or by public authorities, and are therefore administrated by many different instances. Some of the areas are conserved or protected in other wise. Below here there will gradually be gathered references to most of them.

The web site Naturnet.dk contains many local references.On the European EUNIS web data base there are descriptions of Danish areas: - larger conserved areas (from the Central Conservation Register, only little information), - Danish CORINE biotope areas (much information), (choose: sites, country, CDDA national or CORINE biotopes dataset).

Confusion of languages: There are many words for nature areas and for conserved or protected areas. The word 'habitat' causes the greatest confusion in Denmark. A habitat type is a general type of area, which is necessary for certain groups of animals and plants. When a specific area is protected because of its substance or habitat types, it is called a habitat area. But many just use the word 'habitat' without specifying whether it concerns a type or an area. This is especially present for habitat types and areas protected after EU's Habitats Directive.

Plant and animal species

2004-06-21T11:05:13Z

Genetic resources

2005-07-01T08:28:34Z

Protection of genetic resources and access to and sharing of benefits is a central issue in the Biordiversity Convention. The term genetic resources includes the assembled genetic band, which a population of individuals have together and the genetic mass which each single individual has. The interest of genetic resources includes livestock, cultivated plants, trees and bushes and fish, as well as wild living species. Globally the main emphasis is to ensure developing countries rights and access to their own genetic resources.

In Denmark the interest is particularly committed to the resources in the existing races and varieties and to ensure that none of especially the old resources, which have been here for a very long time, disappears. Several ministries and institutions and many private associations or private animal owners and cultivators of plants are envolved in the genetic aspects.

There are many ways to clarify genetic varities. Most common it is about sub species, races, varieties and sorts, which shall be recognizable and stable though generations under different conditions. With the use of molecular techniques it is possible to identify genetic variety more exactly and then define individuals within the same race or variety. Molecular genetic analysis are therefore being used still more to create an overview of the genetic variety in and among populations to see if they are allied, how close the alliance is and if there have been cross-breeding. It is essential to how the genetic resources can be preserved in the future. Until now only a few numbers of species and populations have been examined. Most examinations have been done on livestock and cultivated plants and eventually also on wild living species.

There will gradually be added a number of links to such activities here.

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2004-05-13T13:37:53Z

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2004-05-13T13:37:53Z