Biodiversity has become a research topic of high importance during the last ten years. Many of the international research programs have established a special focus on biodiversity:

• DIVERSITAS an international program of biodiversity sciences

• GISP Global Invasive Species Program

• GMBA Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment

• ICSU International Council of Science

• IGBP International Geosphere – Biosphere Program

• IHDP International Human Dimension Program

• IUBS (International Union of Biological Sciences)

• SCOPE Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment

• UNDP United Nations Development Program

• UNEP United Nations Environmental Program

• MRI Mountain Research Initiative

• Millenium Ecosystem Assessment

• GTI Global Taxonomy Initivative

International networks on biodiversity research:

• IPBES Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services