Land Webinar | Biodiversity in the Mediterranean, From Participative Case Studies to GIS-Based Investigation, 15 January 2026

The level of provision of ecosystem services is a decisive factor for the livelihood of people and a key aspect to be considered to increase the resilience of populations in the Mediterranean area (MedECC, 2024). Ensuring the provision of the ecosystem services and functions most relevant to farmers and agricultural activities can also accelerate the transition paths towards a more sustainable food system.

Food insecurity in the Mediterranean is expected to rise in the upcoming years and decades (Worldbank, 2014) and this process can be linked with the degradation of natural resources, ecosystem services and functions and the loss of biodiversity as it disrupts key services like soil fertility, pollination, and water regulation.

The integration of different management practices and approaches including and connecting the farm level with the landscape level would help to find solutions to the complex challenges mentioned above, allowing a higher level of provision of ecosystem services relevant to the sustainability of the food system. The adoption of an integrated approach to land management requires attention to all levels of sustainability and a strong collaboration between different groups of local actors, land managers and stakeholders that leads to the achievement of multiple objectives and to a greater resilience of local populations.

Date: 15 January 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CET | 8:00 a.m. EST
Webinar ID: 832 8658 1191

Speaker/Presentation	Time in CET	Time in EST
Ms. Mara Parvulescu Journal Introduction & Overview of Submission Process	2:00–2:10 p.m.	8:00–8:10 a.m.
Dr. Mélanie Requier Desjardins and Dr. Generosa Calabrese Webinar Opening & Relevant Special Issue Introduction	2:10–2:20 p.m.	8:10–8:20 a.m.
Ms. Mercedes Muñoz Cañas Applying the Land Health Monitoring Framework, a practical example through the NATAE Living Labs	2:20–2:40 p.m.	8:20–8:40 a.m.
Q&A Session	2:40–2:50 p.m.	8:40–8:50 a.m.
Dr. Manuela Giovanetti Evaluating Spatial Representativity in a Stakeholder-Driven Honeybee Monitoring Network Across Italy	2:50–3:10 p.m.	8:50–9:10 a.m.
Q&A Session	3:10–3:20 p.m.	9:10–9:20 a.m.
Ms. Ayantu Tadesse Deressa Assessing Landscape Ability to Support the Agroecological Transition of Bio-Distretto Delle Lame (Puglia - Italy)	3:20–3:40 p.m.	9:20–9:40 a.m.
Q&A Session	3:40–4:00 p.m.	9:40–10:00 a.m.
Dr. Mélanie Requier Desjardins and Dr. Generosa Calabrese Closing of Webinar	4:00–4:20 p.m.	10:00–10:20 a.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chairs and Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Mélanie Requier-Desjardins, 1. CIHEAM-IAMM, Univ Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
2. SENS, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, IRD, Univ Paul Valery Montpellier 3, 34960 Montpellier, France;
Dr. Generosa Calabrese, CIHEAM–IAMB, via Ceglie,9 Valenzano (BA), Italy;
Ms. Mercedes Muñoz Cañas, International Union for Conservation of Nature- Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation;
Dr. Manuela Giovanetti, CREA Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Italy;
Ms. Ayantu Tadesse Deressa, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy.

Relevant Special Issue:
“Land Use, Ecosystem Services and Environmental Management in Mediterranean Climate Areas”
Guest Editors: Dr. Mélanie Requier-Desjardins and Dr. Generosa Calabres
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026