A progress report on biodiversity monitoring in agricultural landscapes
We are nearing the end of the second year of the BioMonitor4CAP project and what a journey it has been thus far! We bring you an update on what we’ve been up to in our involvement within this Consortium.
As a refresher, the key objective of BioMonitor4CAP is to develop advanced biodiversity monitoring systems using remote sensing and on-the-ground methods to assess the diversity of targeted species and habitats across European agricultural landscapes. These systems will support the implementation of result-based policies aimed at enhancing biodiversity as part of the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies.
The Consortium is comprised of 23 partners including universities, research institutes, private companies and associations, which are working collaboratively across eight work packages to achieve its key objective. These work packages cover technical aspects, socio-economic measures, policy development, and dissemination efforts. Space4Good is mainly involved in three main tasks within the Consortium:
Develop a geospatial repository/database (WP1 -Baseline analysis and biodiversity indicators, systems, programs and policies) to collect, process and provide access to biodiversity data collected by the Consortium. The GIS database will include a suite of layers with spatial information which aid in the description of the landscape.
Implement and assess remote sensing methods (WP2 - Developing, testing and calibrating farmland biodiversity monitoring systems) using optical, radar, drone and satellite data to monitor biodiversity at larger scales. This task involves mapping landscape parameters related to agrobiodiversity, correlating them with in-situ biodiversity measurements and developing indices at a landscape scale.
Ensure upscaling for science-policy interfaces (WP5 - Ensuring replication, and implementation) by expanding a European network of coordinated biodiversity monitoring observatories. This task will enhance data access and collaboration at various levels, linking the project’s tools and methods with broader initiatives that address biodiversity decline.
Project Progress & Deliverables
As we near the end of the second year of the BioMonitor4CAP project, significant progress has been made across the tasks we are involved in. To start off, Space4Good successfully achieved the first milestone for the entire Consortium by launching the webGIS platform to display collected data from the project.
Figure 1. WebGIS Platform BioMonitor4CAP Leaf Area Index for Bulgaria’s Major Research Site
Currently, the platform is undergoing enhancements to expand its capabilities, including the ability to upload relevant processed data, download datasets, and visualize geographic information more effectively. We also completed the first deliverable, which detailed the data management plan, including naming conventions and storage protocols for the collected data.
For Space4Good´s second major task, we began by conducting a literature review to identify the most relevant earth-observation products related to biodiversity, such as leaf-area index, forest cover, chlorophyll content, and land cover (to name a few). Following this, we initiated the automation of a layer-generating process for these layers on the main research sites across different periods. Our ongoing work explores correlations between these layers and biodiversity metrics collected on the ground. The first deliverable for this task is scheduled for completion in December.
Figure 2. Luis Figueroa from Space4Good presenting on the webGIS platform and data storage solution
Our work in Work Package 5 has been primarily focused on collaborating on a PRISMA P approach to identify relevant biodiversity observatories across Europe. So far, we have established the protocol and conducted an initial search for observatories that meet the criteria (e.g., located within Europe, contains data from the last 5 years). The next steps include peer-reviewing findings from other consortium partners and attaching descriptive attributes to each observatory. The goal is to create a searchable database of observatories on the BioMonitor4CAP website, allowing users to filter and explore them based on various attributes.
Gathering in Lisbon
In March of 2024, the Consortium gathered in Lisbon, Portugal for our annual meeting where we had productive presentations in which we gave updates on our work and had discussions on how to best move forward with the 2024 data collection campaign. The meeting also provided an opportunity to get hands-on with eDNA sample kits from NatureMetrics, as well as field visits to the actual research sites that we’ve been studying via satellite imagery!
Figure 3. Field Visit to Companhia das Lezírias Research Site
Future work
As we move forward into the next phases of the project, we remain committed to advancing the field of biodiversity monitoring by contributing to the main objective of the BioMonitor4CAP project. We look forward to continuing in this journey, providing new geographic insights for innovative monitoring methodologies, and ultimately supporting the development of policies that will aid the conservation of biodiversity across Europe. Stay tuned for more updates on the deliverables and milestones by following the updates on the official website.
Would you like more information or are you interested in collaborating with Space4Good? Visit our website or contact us via hello@space4good.com.
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