Examples will show how integrating climate resilience with biodiversity friendly practices supports soil health, pollinators, and ecosystem stability. Nutritional gains through biofortification and improved protein quality will be discussed. The session also covers benefits for farmers and local industries: reduced inputs, stable yields, improved livelihoods, and access to sustainable, high quality crops that open new markets. Participatory breeding and seed sovereignty empower communities. Policy options include funding incentives, biodiversity inclusive certification, multi-stakeholder governance, and payment for ecosystem services schemes rewarding sustainable farming.By linking biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate, this session fosters dialogue on breeding solutions that strengthen resilience, nutrition, and ecosystem integrity.
Grazed livestock usually face the challenge of obtaining sufficient nutrition due to uneven distribution of plant species and fluctuating vegetation productivity and nutrient levels in the native temperate grasslands. Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis are the dominate perennial plants of native grasslands in northern China, which provide limited nutrition compared to forbs with higher crude protein (CP) content. The dietary allowance and ingredients from the grassland can affect animal intake, which grazing management is a key issue to meet the requirement of animal dietary and available vegetation. In this study three sheep grazing strategies (lambs grazed alone, mixed grazed of lambs and ewes, ewes grazed alone) at the moderate stocking rate of 0.80 sheep ha-1year-1 were used to explore vegetation diversity effects on the diet selection of grazing livestock. We investigated the influence of vegetation characteristic (above-ground biomass production, height, and species diversity) and foraging behavior (forage intake, organic matter digestibility, and daily grazing time) on the dietary selection of animals (taxonomic family richness and composition). Dietary selection was quantified from June through August by analyzing fecal samples with DNA metabarcoding techniques. In addition, daily sheep grazing time was monitored using triaxial accelerometer collars. Forage intake was estimated using an external marker (TiO2) which dietary organic matter digestibility was calculated from crude protein (CP) concentrations in feces samples. Forage consumption across the grazing strategies revealed that species from Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Cyperaceae families were frequently consumed. Both ewes and lambs in the mixed-grazing preferentially consumed forbs with diverse species composition (Jacob's D > 0), which contained higher CP than those available in the overall vegetation (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary richness was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by vegetation species diversity except for lambs grazing alone. Compared to lambs in the mixed-grazing, lambs grazed alone had both greater daily grazing time and consumption of grass with lower digestibility (p < 0.05). Our study demonstrate that lambs can develop similar dietary selection and behavioral pattern during grazing with adult ewes, which indicates that the conservation of species diversity in native grasslands is critically beneficial to livestock nutrition.
How to cite: Rong, Y., Li, P., Zhang, Z., and Dong, Y.: Vegetation diversity can increase the nutrition content of sheep diet in native grasslands dominated by Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis , World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-45, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-45, 2026.
Reaching ethically responsible decisions in conservation is essential both from an ethical standpoint and for the long-term success of conservation projects. This talk discusses ETHAS, a self-assessment tool designed to support the evaluation of practices and procedures related to biodiversity conservation. ETHAS provides a framework through which scientists, practitioners, and other stakeholders can examine and compare their aims, methods, and decisions from an ethical point of view. Its applications range from the use of biotechnologies in conservation and biobanking to in situ and ex situ fieldwork, as well as research involving collections and ancient DNA. Its core structure includes several ethical dimensions that concern not only biodiversity itself but also human and non-human animals involved in conservation contexts. In the talk, we focus on how this multidimensional framework can be adapted to participatory settings, encouraging dialogue among diverse actors and fostering shared understanding of ethical responsibilities. By making explicit the assumptions, priorities, and potential conflicts embedded in conservation decisions, ETHAS allows participants to reflect on both immediate actions and long-term implications, cultivating greater awareness of the ethical stakes involved. This participatory reflection not only helps clarify responsibilities but also enables more considered and deliberate decision-making, bridging gaps between scientific objectives and societal expectations. The analysis contributes to a broader philosophical question: how ethical reasoning can guide the choice of means in complex conservation scenarios without reducing biodiversity to a single hierarchy of priorities. By encouraging collective reflection on the ethical assumptions embedded in conservation practice, ETHAS helps reveal how biodiversity is interpreted, prioritised, and acted upon. In doing so, it supports transformative approaches to conservation practice, fostering changes in behavior, planning, and policy that are more ethically informed and responsive to plural values. This framework illustrates how integrating ethical reflection into everyday practice can create conditions for both scientific and societal transformation, advancing conservation in ways that are thoughtful, participatory, and attuned to the multiple dimensions of value inherent in biodiversity.
How to cite: de Mori, B., Biasetti, P., Seet, S., and Hildebrandt, T.: ETHAS: Exploring Ethical Responsibility in Conservation Contexts, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-506, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-506, 2026.
Crop rotation is a key component of agricultural biodiversity, yet its ecosystem and economic benefits remain incompletely quantified across intensive grain-production regions. Using the ecosys agroecosystem model, we evaluated how a soybean–corn (S–C) rotation—one of the most widespread forms of biodiversity in U.S. Midwestern agriculture—modifies crop productivity, soil carbon dynamics, and nitrogen losses relative to continuous corn (C–C). Simulations across ten Illinois sites reproduced observed nitrogen (N) fertilizer–yield relationships and CO₂ fluxes, enabling a robust comparison of system responses. We found that rotational biodiversity in the S–C system alters residue quality and seasonal biogeochemical dynamics: soybean residues provided less carbon but more N than corn residues, increasing early-spring soil temperature, accelerating N mineralization, and enhancing corn yields, particularly under moderate N fertilizer rates. However, this residue-driven acceleration of decomposition also reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) compared with C–C, illustrating a trade-off between short-term productivity and long-term soil carbon conservation. At the same time, S–C reduced N₂O and NH₃ emissions under typical N rates, although effects on N leaching differed between soybean and corn years. Economic analyses showed that biodiversity introduced through S–C rotations improved net returns at low N fertilizer levels but lost this advantage as N rates and fertilizer costs increased. Overall, our results demonstrate that agricultural biodiversity in the form of crop rotation reshapes the balance among yield, greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient losses, and soil carbon storage, and that N fertilizer rate is a critical factor governing these trade-offs in Midwestern cropping systems.
How to cite: Guan, K., Li, Z., and Wang, S.: Agroecosystem Biodiversity through Crop Rotation: Yield, Soil Carbon, and Nitrogen Loss Trade-offs Between Continuous Corn and Soybean–Corn Systems in the Midwest, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-561, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-561, 2026.
This multidisciplinary investigation was carried out across the Murree Hills (Pakistan) to concurrently characterize bee and floral biodiversity, quantify honey yield and purity, assess apiary health and pathogen load, model disease transmission dynamics, and formulate actionable strategies for conservation and commercialization. Thirty ecologically distinct sites (1,200–2,400 m) spanning forest, agro-pastoral, and peri-urban habitats were sampled from March to October. The study included inspection of 150 managed hives from 45 apiaries, 90 wild pollinator transect sessions using pan traps and netting, and analysis of 120 honey samples for physicochemical and palynological traits. Apis mellifera was the most abundant species (~45%), followed by A. cerana, bumblebees (Bombus spp.), carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.) and diverse solitary taxa totaling 12 identified taxa (Shannon H′ = 1.95; evenness J = 0.67), indicating moderate pollinator diversity. Mean honey production was 9.2 ± 2.4 kg per colony, peaking significantly at mid-elevation zones (p = 0.003). Quality parameters met international trade benchmarks moisture averaged 17.8% and HMF 9 mg kg⁻¹ while palynological profiling revealed a high-altitude multifloral origin enriched with Quercus (38%), Pinus (20%), Prunus spp. (12%) and Ericaceae (10%). Pathogen surveillance detected Nosema spp. in 18% and Varroa-associated viral signatures in 22% of hives, both strongly associated with apiary density (p < 0.01). A compartmental SIR model estimated R₀ = 1.4 under current hive mobility, predicting >60% localized outbreak risk when hive density exceeds 6 km⁻², whereas simulation confirmed that regulated colony movement and systematic disease surveillance could reduce R₀ below 1. Overall findings demonstrate that the Murree Hills hold exceptional potential for high value multifloral honey enterprises, provided disease pressure is managed, and floral resources are safeguarded. The study delivers applied recommendations for apiary sitting thresholds, floral enrichment, pathogen monitoring frameworks, and cooperative-based branding ensuring dual benefits for rural livelihoods and long-term pollinator biodiversity conservation.
Key Words: A. cerana, Biodiversity, Conservation, Epidemiology, Pollinators.
How to cite: Maqsood, S.: Conservation and Commercial Insights into Bees, Flora, and Honey Epidemiology in Murree Hills, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-723, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-723, 2026.
Agricultural biodiversity is central to building resilient and sustainable food systems capable of addressing the interconnected challenges of malnutrition, climate instability, soil degradation, and declining ecosystem health. In regions like South Asia, where micronutrient deficiencies, water scarcity, and climate-induced stress are widespread, the diversification of wheat genetic resources presents a timely opportunity. This work highlights how wheat biodiversity, encompassing local landraces, elite cultivars, and wild relatives, can be strategically mobilized to advance biofortification, enhance nutrient-use efficiency, and strengthen ecosystem resilience.
Our ongoing research evaluates a wide range of wheat germplasm, including local Pakistani varieties, enriched biofortified lines, and wild relatives. These diverse genetic resources are assessed for their capacity to enhance zinc and iron density, improve nutrient-use efficiency, and withstand increasing heat, drought, and soil nutrient limitations. By integrating multi-environment field trials, advanced nutrient profiling, soil–plant interaction studies, and physiological assessments, we demonstrate how expanding the genetic base of wheat contributes simultaneously to human health and environmental sustainability.
Introducing mineral-efficient and climate-resilient wheat lines into farming systems reduces fertilizer dependence, minimizes nutrient runoff, and supports soil biological activity—yielding co-benefits for water conservation, soil health, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The use of wild relatives, in particular, provides access to alleles for stress tolerance, micronutrient enhancement, disease resistance, and improved root system architecture—traits essential for climate adaptation and nutritional resilience.
Farmer-participatory trials, training workshops, and community engagement further illuminate the social and behavioral dimensions of biodiversity-driven innovation. These efforts show that integrating local germplasm, wild species, and improved biofortified varieties into breeding pipelines can enhance farmer acceptance, diversify diets, and stabilize yields under unpredictable environmental conditions. Such transdisciplinary approaches align with the principles of One Health, Planetary Health, and agroecology, where biodiversity is leveraged to deliver integrated benefits across food, health, water, and climate systems.
This contribution demonstrates that mobilizing wheat biodiversity—from wild species to improved biofortified cultivars—offers a robust, nature-based pathway to healthier, climate-resilient, and nutrition-sensitive food systems. It presents an evidence-based model for using agrobiodiversity to navigate global transitions toward sustainable agriculture and enhanced human well-being.
How to cite: Rehman, R., Ahmed, Z., Khan, A. I., and Govindan, V.: Biofortified and Climate-Smart Wheat: A Biodiversity-Based Approach to Global Nutrition Challenges, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-906, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-906, 2026.
Agriculture today faces a set of intertwined challenges—climate change, soil degradation, increasing disease pressure, and persistent nutritional deficiencies. These issues make it clear that simply focusing on yield is no longer enough. Cotton, although primarily known as the world’s leading fiber crop, plays a growing role in food, feed, and oil production. This opens an opportunity to rethink cotton improvement through approaches that draw on biodiversity and nature-based solutions, not only to support productivity but to strengthen ecosystem health and human well-being.
In this work, we explored the potential of diverse cotton germplasm, including wild relatives and traditional landraces, to identify traits related to disease resistance, climate resilience, and improved seed nutritional profiles. Field evaluations under low-input and stress-prone conditions helped us pinpoint accessions that naturally tolerate major biotic stresses—such as viral diseases and insect pressure—while also showing promising levels of seed protein and oil content. We also examined root characteristics and rhizosphere interactions to better understand cotton’s compatibility with beneficial microbes, recognizing that plant–microbe partnerships are an important part of resilient production systems.
The early results show that a biodiversity-informed breeding strategy can contribute to reducing pesticide use, lowering production costs, and improving soil and ecosystem health. In addition, adding nutritional value to cottonseed and diversifying cotton by-products offer promising economic benefits for farming communities. Our participatory selection work emphasized farmer input and respected local knowledge, reinforcing the importance of seed sovereignty as part of sustainable agricultural development.
Overall, our experience demonstrates that cotton can be part of future climate-smart, biodiversity-supporting food and fiber systems. When breeding strategies intentionally integrate resilience, nutrition, and ecological principles, the crop becomes a contributor not only to fiber markets but to soil health, climate adaptation, and community livelihoods. Policy incentives and certification schemes that recognize biodiversity gains could help accelerate adoption and ensure that nature-based advances translate into real benefits for farmers and ecosystems alike
How to cite: Saleem, H.: Biodiversity-Informed Breeding Pathways for Nutritious, Disease-Resilient, and Climate-Smart Cotton Varieties, World Biodiversity Forum 2026, Davos, Switzerland, 14–19 Jun 2026, WBF2026-916, https://doi.org/10.5194/wbf2026-916, 2026.
