Shift from a “species diversity” perspective to a “genetic and functional diversity” perspective in the approach to Nature-based Solutions.

This action aims to address a major scientific challenge for Nature-based Solutions (NbS): integrating adaptation and both functional and (epi)genetic diversity into NbS, which remain largely understudied today. The program will therefore support new high-throughput screening approaches for (epi)geno-phenotypic diversity of species (genotyping, phenotyping, functional genomics), by analyzing their relevance to the design and performance of NbS under experimental and field conditions.

Led by the CNRS and co-led by the University of Montpellier, this action will take the form, on the one hand, of a group of experts in evolutionary biology and ecology whose goal will be to identify priority research questions for integrating genetic and functional diversity into the NbS approach. These research questions will inform the governance of SOLU-BIOD, which will prepare in 2025 a call for projects including this scientific challenge. On the other hand, they will lead to the establishment of a dedicated knowledge hub. This action could also be supported through the development of major shared research equipments.