An important core of the ECCB-26 conference are the sessions with scientific presentations showing us the state-of-the-art in effective conservation science. The sessions are divided in a number of general categories. An overview is provided below:

Ecosystem types

    1. Conservation in agricultural lands
    2. Forest conservation and old-growth woods
    3. Grassland conservation and management
    4. Mountain conservation
    5. Urban ecology and greening
    6. Soil biodiversity conservation and restoration
    7. Conservation of freshwater habitats
    8. Marine life conservation and fisheries

 

Threats

    1. Biosecurity and One-Health
    2. Habitat modification
    3. Conflicts between green energy transition and conservation
    4. Climate change and biodiversity: impacts and adaptation
    5. Invasive species management
    6. Impacts of pollution

 

Tools

    1. Recent developments in eDNA monitoring
    2. Automated detection for conservation
    3. Biodiversity (key performance) indicators

 

Solutions

    1. Solutions from recent conservation projects
    2. Evaluation of best practices in conservation
    3. Promoting pollinators and pest control agents
    4. Wilderness and rewilding
    5. Human-wildlife conflict mitigation
    6. Ex-situ conservation
    7. Nature-based solutions for effective conservation
    8. Community engagement, community-based conservation

 

Fundamentals

    1. Cross-cutting ecological themes for species conservation and restoration
    2. Functional ecology insights for effective conservation
    3. Using ecosystem services for conservation
    4. Conservation genetics, e-DNA, phylogenetics for effective conservation
    5. The social component of conservation

 

Socio-cultural

    1. Indigenous and local knowledge in conservation
    2. Environmental justice and equity

 

Economics

    1. Business, tourism, and recreational activities for biodiversity
    2. Payment for ecosystem services (PES)

 

Governance

    1. Conservation law and policy
    2. Protected areas: delineation and management
    3. Transboundary conservation
    4. Global conservation priorities and planetary limits
    5. Conservation in conflict zones

 

Knowledge exchange

    1. Conservation education curricula in Europe and beyond
    2. Conservation science communication
    3. Citizen science and conservation