Life on the Ukrainian Steppes
The Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology of the University of Lodz and the Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology of the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University have been cooperating for over 4 years. The cooperation involves the diversity and genetic structure of animals living in the aquatic ecosystems of Ukrainian steppes – including springs, which are the key water resources that are at risk due to climate change, and freshwater lagoons of the Black Sea coast, called limans.
The fauna of these often isolated water reservoirs surrounded by the dry steppes has a unique nature. Some of its aspects are still unknown to people and describing its diversity, evaluating the dynamics of its evolution and ecological dependency is essential for the protection of these unusual ecosystems and local freshwater resources. The project will be conducted with BGE grant.
– explains Prof. Michał Grabowski.
The project Biodiversity Genomics Europe will be conducted with 32 partners from 20 countries. The main coordinator of the project is Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands – a leading European research institution, with one of the biggest natural collections in the world, that focuses on analyzing and monitoring global biodiversity.
The main objective of the BGE project is full understanding of evolutionary and biogeographical processes that shape European flora and fauna. It focuses on the development of a uniform international standard of ecosystems biomonitoring, and the development of the strategy that would prevent the loss of biodiversity.
Barcode of Life
Poland has been selected as a model country for developing the initiative to create a DNA barcode register for local biodiversity (including the barcode library for valuable museum collections), and implementing methods of DNA barcoding as a future standard of biomonitoring, based on the national contact point of the international research network iBOL (International Barcode of Life) at the University of Lodz.
Prof. Michał Grabowski, from the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology of the University of Lodz represents Poland in the Research Committee iBOL. The research network, which will be launched under the project, will deal with coordination and obtaining funds for scientific research for various institutions. It will improve relations and cooperation between researchers, non-governmental organisations and institutions responsible for nature monitoring and protection in Poland. The network will also serve as an example for starting similar initiatives in other European countries. Another crucial objective of the UL team will involve cooperation in developing a reliable DNA barcode library for European freshwater fauna and some groups of terrestrial fauna.
On 9 June, association agreement between Horizon Europe and Ukraine entered into force, in which the European Commission waived the Ukraine’s financial contribution for 2021-2022. That is why, with effect of 1 January 2021, Ukraine as an affiliated country may take part in the Horizon Europe programme on the same terms as other member countries of the EU.
Source: Prof. Michał Grabowski, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz
Edit: Promotion Centre, University of Lodz