Effective Biodiversity Monitoring Needs a Culture of Integration

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Hjalmar S. Kühl - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Author)
  • Diana E. Bowler - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)
  • Lukas Bösch - , Leipzig University (Author)
  • Helge Bruelheide - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)
  • Jens Dauber - , Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig (Author)
  • David Eichenberg - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Nico Eisenhauer - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Néstor Fernández - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig (Author)
  • Carlos A. Guerra - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)
  • Klaus Henle - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)
  • Ilka Herbinger - , WWF Germany (Author)
  • Nick J.B. Isaac - , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Author)
  • Florian Jansen - , University of Rostock (Author)
  • Birgitta König-Ries - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Ingolf Kühn - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)
  • Erlend B. Nilsen - , Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (Author)
  • Guy Pe'er - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Anett Richter - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Johann Heinrich von Thunen Institute (Author)
  • Ralf Schulte - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Josef Settele - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, University of the Philippines Diliman (Author)
  • Nicole M. van Dam - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Maria Voigt - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, University of Kent (Author)
  • Wolfgang J. Wägele - , Research Museum Alexander Koenig - Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity (Author)
  • Christian Wirth - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Aletta Bonn - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)

Abstract

Despite conservation commitments, most countries still lack large-scale biodiversity monitoring programs to track progress toward agreed targets. Monitoring program design is frequently approached from a top-down, data-centric perspective that ignores the socio-cultural context of data collection. A rich landscape of people and organizations, with a diversity of motivations and expertise, independently engages in biodiversity monitoring. This diversity often leads to complementarity in activities across places, time periods, and taxa. In this Perspective, we propose a framework for aligning different efforts to realize large-scale biodiversity monitoring through a networked design of stakeholders, data, and biodiversity schemes. We emphasize the value of integrating independent biodiversity observations in conjunction with a backbone of structured core monitoring, thereby fostering broad ownership and resilience due to a strong partnership of science, society, policy, and individuals. Furthermore, we identify stakeholder-specific barriers and incentives to foster joint collaboration toward effective large-scale biodiversity monitoring. Many people and organizations independently engage in biodiversity monitoring. It is important that independent biodiversity observations are integrated, in conjunction with structured core monitoring. In this Perspective, we propose a framework for aligning different efforts to realize large-scale, integrated biodiversity monitoring through a networked design of stakeholders, data, and biodiversity schemes. Recognizing and valuing distributed monitoring expertise is important and efforts for integrating these provide benefits for society, policy, science, and individuals.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)462-474
Number of pages13
JournalOne Earth
Volume3
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 23 Oct 2020
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

Keywords

  • biodiversity monitoring, citizen science, distributed expertise, integration, policy, society, stakeholder engagement, stakeholder network