Restoring genetic diversity to facilitate the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law

Governments and economic blocs are recognising that the world faces a biodiversity crisis. The restoration of biodiversity to the levels prior to widespread human induced damage has been incorporated as a crucial component of conservation in the Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention of Biological Diversity. The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) forms part of the European Union's response and after its adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, it has formally become the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). The NRL aims to play a role in restoring ecosystems, habitats and species but does not expressly include genetic diversity, the third biodiversity component. Considering genetic diversity in strategic biodiversity planning is important to help nature adapt to rapid anthropogenic change. We have reviewed the text of the NRL and note opportunities to incorporate genetic diversity in National Restoration Plans to augment its implementation. In particular, genetic diversity assessments are well aligned with the NRL's aspiration to enhance connectivity, and genetic indicators can assess the effectiveness of its implementation. Here we give examples where restoration has incorporated genetic diversity to ensure long term wide-reaching success. This is of relevance beyond the NRL and applies generally to policy for nature restoration efforts globally, especially those related to the Global Biodiversity Framework. • Nature Restoration Law (NRL) will shape biodiversity conservation in Europe. • Genetic diversity is not mentioned in the NRL core text but is key to implementation. • Connectivity is a key part of the NRL and is central to protecting genetic diversity. • Genetic diversity is easily monitored and could be incorporated in NRL reporting. • Genetic conservation can be incorporated in National Restoration Plans.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biological Conservation
Published
2025-02-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110995
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Environmental Conservation and Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
16.95

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article

Restoring genetic diversity to facilitate the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law

Marine Robuchon, Robin Goffaux, Deborah M. Leigh, David O’Brien et al.
7 citations
Biological Conservation
Environmental Conservation and Management
16.95
article

Restoring genetic diversity to facilitate the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law

Marine Robuchon, Robin Goffaux, Deborah M. Leigh, David O’Brien, Cristiano Vernesi, Linda Laikre, Christina Hvilsom, Tsipe Aavik, Martin C. Fischer, Ancuța Fedorca, Peter Klinga, Alexander Kopatz, Viktória Takács, Robert Jehle, Francine Kershaw, Gernot Segelbacher, Ivan Paz‐Vinas, Sean Hoban, Belma Kalamujić Stroil, Peter M. Hollingsworth
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Governments and economic blocs are recognising that the world faces a biodiversity crisis. The restoration of biodiversity to the levels prior to widespread human induced damage has been incorporated as a crucial component of conservation in the Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention of Biological Diversity. The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) forms part of the European Union's response and after its adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, it has formally become the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). The NRL aims to play a role in restoring ecosystems, habitats and species but does not expressly include genetic diversity, the third biodiversity component. Considering genetic diversity in strategic biodiversity planning is important to help nature adapt to rapid anthropogenic change. We have reviewed the text of the NRL and note opportunities to incorporate genetic diversity in National Restoration Plans to augment its implementation. In particular, genetic diversity assessments are well aligned with the NRL's aspiration to enhance connectivity, and genetic indicators can assess the effectiveness of its implementation. Here we give examples where restoration has incorporated genetic diversity to ensure long term wide-reaching success. This is of relevance beyond the NRL and applies generally to policy for nature restoration efforts globally, especially those related to the Global Biodiversity Framework. • Nature Restoration Law (NRL) will shape biodiversity conservation in Europe. • Genetic diversity is not mentioned in the NRL core text but is key to implementation. • Connectivity is a key part of the NRL and is central to protecting genetic diversity. • Genetic diversity is easily monitored and could be incorporated in NRL reporting. • Genetic conservation can be incorporated in National Restoration Plans.

Biological ConservationVol. 303
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR), Fondazione Edmund Mach (IT), University of Sarajevo (BA), Goethe University Frankfurt (DE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Natural Resources Defense Council (US), Stockholm University (SE), Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (GB), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZ), Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (CH), Morton Arboretum (US), Copenhagen Zoo (DK), Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M (DE), Transylvania University of Brașov (RO), ETH Zurich (CH), Technická univerzita vo Zvolene (SK), National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Drăcea" (RO), Life Services (United States) (US), Joint Research Centre (IT), LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (DE), Fondation Pour la Recherche Sur la Biodiversité (FR), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO), University of Salford (GB), University of Life Sciences in Poznań (PL), University of Tartu (EE), University of Palermo (IT)
Havs- och Vattenmyndigheten, Biodiversa+, Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas, Naturvårdsverket, Vetenskapsrådet
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Environmental Conservation and Management
16.95
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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