Biodiversa+ is supporting the deployment of novel technologies and approaches for biodiversity monitoring.
In this context, Biodiversa+ is developing a roadmap for their enhanced operationalisation across Europe. To kick off the development of the roadmap, Biodiversa+ held an expert workshop in February 2023.
This roadmap will guide future Biodiversa+ work on biodiversity novel technologies and approaches including the set-up of capacity building events and possible set-up of mobility schemes and build on recent work performed by EuropaBON, our key collaborator.
Such work identified a need for novel technologies and approaches to be standardised throughout the methodological pipeline. Infrastructure to host and share data and the building of common reference databases (libraries) were identified as other key missing elements in the current landscape.
Fifty-four participants attended the Biodiversa+ expert workshop in February 2023. This workshop was divided into two sessions.
In the first session, several experts were invited to set the scene by providing examples of opportunities and obstacles in the implementation of novel technology for biodiversity monitoring:
Following these presentations, based on their expertise the workshop participants were split into four sub-groups:
Satellites, lidar, drones, radars mainly for habitat status and condition
Species monitoring such as camera trapping, drones and thermal cameras
Permanently deployed for birds, bats, some marine mammals and terrestrial insects
Species and communities
In each group, the participants identified the main challenges and opportunities for the upscale and operationalisation of biodiversity monitoring novel methods and technologies across Europe. The participants were also invited to identify concrete ways of overcoming these challenges.
The outcomes of the break-out groups will allow to build the Biodiversa+ roadmap to support the enhanced operationalisation of biodiversity novel methods and technologies across Europe.