With global environmental change and biodiversity in decline, the research community is working on developing sensitive, high-resolution indicators for efficient policy support. Over the past 30 years, satellite remote sensing (SRS) has proven to be beneficial in environmental research and monitoring (Pettorelli et al. 2014). The difficulty in quantifying e.g. biodiversity trends has prompted the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) to propose a framework of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV). Ground-truth data on biodiversity is not only essential for providing reliable EBVs from SRS and validating them, it can also be used in a holistic manner (e.g. CEOBE proposed by Bush et al. 2017). Internationally applicable, harmonised and standardised frameworks of in-situ observations are the key to provide standardized retrievable and localised (=site-based) environmental data. We will use the European eLTER Research Infrastructure by making its biodiversity and ecosystem data available through web-based services and providing tools to integrate this data with SRS products (e.g. EBVs). LTER covers a wide range of European ecosystems (Mirtl et al. 2018) and holds long-term, localised datasets on various organisms and habitats, as well as relevant in-situ observations on ecosystem properties (e.g. primary production) and the drivers of changes in biodiversity (climate, air pollution, soil properties, land use, etc.). Focusing on the observation sites (e.g. LTER sites incl. protected areas) workflows will be defined to select relevant data and allow easier access for end users. This should include a) EO data products (e.g. Copernicus services), b) large scale EBVs (e.g. GEO-BON portal), and c) in-situ data provided by both long-term as well as ad-hoc monitoring systems.
EAA, UFZ, BSI
technical and scientific staff of project groups (e.g. GlobDiversity, BioDISCOVERY), European and national conservation agencies
Long term ecosystem data (e.g. species frequency data, presence data, relevees, tree stand data)
Derived EO data products adressing main characteristics of ecosystems
EO based EBV provided by GEO BON portal
The outcome is threefold:
First, a common registry of observation facilities (protected areas and long-term monitoring sites) relevant in the GEO context providing information from available site catalogue from research networks and infrastructures. The common registry will be in form of a web-based platform (htpps://deims.org) with a TRL of 7+ integrating 1000+ sites along with important meta information and site-based in-situ data linkage that will be the basis for any long-term and large scale ecosystem assessment.
Second, an integrated visualization and analysis platform (EcoSense) for end users supporting defined workflows and allowing access to relevant data services (e.g. from eLTER DIP, GEO BON portal). This platform will visualize both, in-situ data gathered from selected sites across Europe and spatially explicit data from mySPACE (RS-value added products) and myVARIABLE (EBV products). In addition, the Virtual Lab (VL) will provide the possibility to automatically run mySPACE modules within A DIAS framework. This will allow the download of RS data directly from the platform, the integration with additional in-situ/ancillary input data, the use of cloud computing, the DIAS storage facilities of both intermediate and final products.
Third, recommendations regarding the implementation/adaption of in-situ observation designs in view of an improved integration and linkage of RS-based (mySPACE) and EBV (myVARIABLE) data products
The e-shape project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 820852