Thematic Programmes

     The Conference of the Parties (COP) has established seven thematic programmes of work (listed below) which correspond to some of the major biomes on the planet. Each programme establishes a vision for, and basic principles to guide future work. They also set out key issues for consideration, identify potential outputs, and suggest a timetable and means for achieving these. Implementation of the work programmes depends on contributions from Parties, the Secretariat, relevant intergovernmental and other organizations. Periodically, the COP and the SBSTTA review the state of implementation of the work programmes.

      Agricultural Biodiversity

What is Agricultural Biodiversity?
   Agricultural biodiversity is a broad term that includes all components of biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture, and all components of biological diversity that constitute the agricultural ecosystems, also named agro-ecosystems: the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms, at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels, which are necessary to sustain key functions of the agro-ecosystem, its structure and processes (COP decision V/5, appendix).
Agricultural biodiversity is the outcome of the interactions among genetic resources, the environment and the management systems and practices used by farmers. This is the result of both natural selection and human inventive developed over millennia.
The following dimensions of agricultural biodiversity can be identified:
   1) Genetic resources for food and agriculture:

• Plant genetic resources, including crops, wild plants harvested and managed for food, trees on farms, pasture and rangeland species,
• Animal genetic resources, including domesticated animals, wild animals hunted for food, wild and farmed fish and other aquatic organisms,
• Microbial and fungal genetic resources.

These constitute the main units of production in agriculture, and include cultivated and domesticated species, managed wild plants and animals, as well as wild relatives of cultivated and domesticated species.
   2) Components of biodiversity that support ecosystem services upon which agriculture is based. These include a diverse range of organisms that contribute, at various scales to, inter alia, nutrient cycling, pest and disease regulation, pollination, pollution and sediment regulation, maintenance of the hydrological cycle, erosion control, and climate regulation and carbon sequestration.
   3) Abiotic factors, such as local climatic and chemical factors and the physical structure and functioning of ecosystems, which have a determining effect on agricultural biodiversity.
   4) Socio-economic and cultural dimensions. Agricultural biodiversity is largely shaped and maintained by human activities and management practices, and a large number of people depend on agricultural biodiversity for sustainable livelihoods. These dimensions include traditional and local knowledge of agricultural biodiversity, cultural factors and participatory processes, as well as tourism associated with agricultural landscapes.
      Dry and Sub-humid Lands Biodiversit

    The biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands provides critical ecosystem services to support two billion people, 90% of whom live in developing countries. The conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands is, therefore, central to livelihood development and poverty alleviation.  

What is Dry and Sub-humid Lands Biodiversity?
     Dry and sub-humid lands, including arid and semi-arid regions, grasslands, savannahs, and Mediterranean landscapes, encompass approximately 47% of the Earth's terrestrial area, with the largest areas found in Australia, China, Russia, the United States, and Kazakhstan. There are six countries with at least 99% of their area classified as dry and sub-humid lands: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, and Turkmenistan.
Dry and sub-humid lands include many fragile environments that may warrant priority attention to avoid irreversible loss of biological diversity. Wetland areas in dry and sub-humid lands, for instance, are often of crucial importance in supporting migratory bird species. Dry and sub-humid lands also include important areas of extraordinary endemism, such as the Mediterranean Basin, which is home to more than 11,700 endemic plant species.
The biodiversity of dry and sub-humid lands is well adapted to the harsh conditions typified by inconsistent rainfall patterns, and, in many cases, high temperatures. The sociable weaver of southern Africa, for example builds communal nests which can weigh up to 1,000 kg in order to maximize insulation from extreme temperatures. Many species of desert toads burrow into the sand and lie dormant for months until the return of the rains.
      Forest Biodiversity

   Forests are biologically diverse systems, representing some of the richest biological areas on Earth. They offer a variety of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms. However, forest biodiversity is increasingly threatened as a result of deforestation, fragmentation, climate change and other stressors.  

About Forest Biodiversity
     Tropical, temperate and boreal forests offer a diverse set of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms. Consequently forests hold the majority of the world’s terrestrial species. However these biologically rich systems are increasingly threatened, largely as a result of human activity.
What is Forest Biological Diversity?
     Forest biological diversity is broad term referring to all the life forms found within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. As such, forest biological diversity encompasses not just trees but the multitude of plants, animals and micro-organisms that inhabit forest areas and their associated genetic diversity. 
Forest biological diversity is a broad term that refers to all the life forms found within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. As such, forest biological diversity encompasses not just trees but the multitude of plants, animals and micro-organisms that inhabit forest areas and their associated genetic diversity.
Forest biological diversity can be considered at different levels, including the ecosystem, landscapes, species, populations and genetics. Complex interactions can occur within and amongst these levels. In biologically diverse forests, this complexity allows organisms to adapt to continually changing environmental conditions and to maintain ecosystem functions.
In the annex to decision II/9, the Conference of the Parties recognized that:
     “Forest biological diversity results from evolutionary processes over thousands and even millions of years which, in themselves, are driven by ecological forces such as climate, fire, competition and disturbance. Furthermore, the diversity of forest ecosystems (in both physical and biological features) results in high levels of adaptation, a feature of forest ecosystems which is an integral component of their biological diversity. Within specific forest ecosystems, the maintenance of ecological processes is dependent upon the maintenance of their biological diversity.”
      Mountain Biodiversity

Water towers of the world
   The world’s mountains encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes, a great diversity of species and habitat types, and distinctive human communities. Mountains occur on all continents, in all latitude zones, and within all the world’s principal biome types. Mountains provide freshwater for more than half of humanity, and are, in effect, the water towers of the world. More...

About Mountain Biodiversity
What is mountain biodiversity
   Many mountain ecosystems are host to higher species richness and levels of endemism than adjacent lowlands. Mountains at lower altitudes can support exceptional biodiversity, due to compression of a wide range of ecosystems into a relatively short distance. Mountains also often provide islands of suitable habitat, isolated from unfavourable surrounding lowlands.
Endemism levels are often high, particularly on mountains at medium elevations in the tropics and warmer temperate zones. For some taxa, mountains have acted as refuges from environmental change or competing species, and they often represent sites of in situ speciation. Mountain species with narrow habitat tolerance, particularly higher elevation forms and those with low dispersal capacity, are at high risk from the environmental effects of climate change. Slope dynamics and livestock grazing are significant drivers of diversity in many alpine regions. Flower-rich alpine meadows are an important cultural heritage that is increasingly threatened as traditional grazing practices decline.

      Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

The wealth of the sea is finite
     The oceans occupy more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and 95% of the biosphere. Life in the sea is roughly 1000 times older than the genus Homo. There is broad recognition that the seas face unprecedented human-induced threats from industries such as fishing and transportation, the effects of waste disposal, excess nutrients from agricultural runoff, and the introduction of exotic species. If we fail to understand both the vulnerability and resilience of the living sea, the relatively brief history of the human species will face a tragic destiny.

What is Marine and Coastal Biodiversity?
    The oceans cover 70% of the planet’s surface area, and marine and coastal environments contain diverse habitats that support an abundance of marine life. Life in our seas produces a third of the oxygen that we breathe, offers a valuable source of protein and moderates global climatic change. Some examples of marine and coastal habitats include mangrove forests; coral reefs; sea grass beds; estuaries in coastal areas; hydrothermal vents; and seamounts and soft sediments on the ocean floor a few kilometres below the surface.

      Island Biodiversity

Protecting paradise on earth
     Islands and their surrounding near-shore marine areas constitute unique ecosystems often comprising many plant and animal species that are endemic—found nowhere else on Earth. The legacy of a unique evolutionary history, these ecosystems are irreplaceable treasures. They are also key to the livelihood, economy, well-being and cultural identity of 600 million islanders—one-tenth of world population.

    Island species are also unique in their vulnerability: of the 724 recorded animal extinctions in the last 400 years, about half were island species. Over the past century, island biodiversity has been subject to intense pressure from invasive alien species, habitat change and over-exploitation, and, increasingly, from climate change and pollution. This pressure is also keenly felt by island economies. Among the most vulnerable of the developing countries, small island developing States (SIDS) depend on the conservation and sustainable use of island biodiversity for their sustainable development.

      Inland Waters Biodiversity

   Inland water ecosystems are often extensively modified by humans, more so than marine or terrestrial systems, and are amongst the most threatened ecosystem types of all. Physical alteration, habitat loss and degradation, water withdrawal, overexploitation, pollution and the introduction of invasive alien species are the main threats to these ecosystems and their associated biological resources.  
Inland water systems can be fresh or saline within continental and island boundaries. They include lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, groundwater, springs, cave waters, floodplains, as well as bogs, marshes and swamps, which are traditionally grouped as inland wetlands.
The biodiversity of inland waters is an important source of food, income and livelihood, particularly in rural areas in developing countries. Other values of these ecosystems include: water supply, energy production, transport, recreation and tourism, maintenance of the hydrological balance, retention of sediments and nutrients, and provision of habitats for various fauna and flora.

What is inland water biodiversity?
   Simply put, it is biodiversity associated with inland water ecosystems. This ecosystem diversity is very complex and includes both aquatic and terrestrial influences.