GEO BON target contributions

1. GEO BON target contributions Prepared for the 3rd SBB telecon 20 Mar 2012 Michele Walters, BI-01 task coordinator

2. Action 1 T1. Increased routine collection of long term in-situ and remotely sensed biodiversity observations Action 2 T2. Access through GEOSS to a large panel of biodiversity observations, including satellite, aerial and in-situ Action 3-10 T3. Increased information sharing on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources Action 11 Action 12 T4. Implementation of a mechanism that enables users to interact with the development of biodiversity observations systems and request services Action 13 Action 14 T5. Increased availability of biodiversity information necessary to respond to and support related topics Action 15 Action 16 T6. Increased information to reduce the cost and support the management of biodiversity issues Action 17 Action 18

3. BI-01 Global Biodiversity Observation Objective • Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity Targets T1. Increased routine collection of long term in-situ and remotely sensed biodiversity observations T2. Access through GEOSS to a large panel of biodiversity observations, including satellite, aerial and in-situ T3. Increased information sharing on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources T4. Implementation of a mechanism that enables users to interact with the development of biodiversity observations systems and request services T5. Increased availability of biodiversity information necessary to respond to and support related topics (ecosystems, health, climate, etc.) T6. Increased information to reduce the cost and support the management of biodiversity issues Focus: (1) facilitate consensus on data collection protocols and interoperability among monitoring programs (2) support monitoring systems that enable frequent, repeated assessment of trends and distributions of species and ecosystems of special conservation merit (3) develop a strategy for assessing biodiversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem level BI-01 Component 1 Global Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON)

4. Priority actions and expected achievements Priority actions (from WP) • PA1. Develop standards for data collection and management of terrestrial, marine and freshwater species, and ecosystems observations: Promote monitoring standards for population counts of birds, mammals, and plants. Promote monitoring standards for marine biodiversity observations. Harmonize ecosystem mapping and monitoring so that data are exchangeable (see EC-01) • PA2. Implement a worldwide network of biodiversity observations for terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems: Develop a global network of biodiversity observation sites. Identify and fill gaps in data monitoring in regions where major ecosystem changes are happening. Establish an International Freshwater Consortium, covering global freshwater biodiversity observation and analysis. Record changes in marine biodiversity at multiple scales and time periods, from viruses to whales • PA3. Develop reporting mechanisms for biodiversity-relevant topics, starting with terrestrial ecosystems and services, and genetic diversity: Promote observations on gene, genomic and phylogenetic diversity for crop plants and wild plants. Implement a new measure of global change for biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems through model-based integration of in-situ and remote-sensing data. Characterize, monitor and predict changes in the distribution of invasive species. Develop a full global analysis of stability of ecosystem carbon services Expected Achievements by 2015 (from tasksheet) • A harmonised Ecosystem Map • Major components of a global network of Biodiversity Observation Sites in place • Major geographical gaps in the monitoring network starting to be filled • An accepted set of Essential Biodiversity Variables developed akin to GCOS ECVs (this ties a lot of the Biodiversity targets together and drives many of the actions – for some reason I neglected to list it as a key activity (though listed under outputs) in the task sheet) • Expansion of monitoring programs for birds, mammals, plants and butterflies • The development of a Global Wetland Observing System • Inventories for certain marine taxa • A new measure of stability of ecosystem carbon services • Delivery of a “genetic diversity report”

5. Actions & Expected achievements • PA1. Develop standards for data collection and management of terrestrial, marine and freshwater species, and ecosystems observations: Promote monitoring standards for population counts of birds, mammals, and plants. Promote monitoring standards for marine biodiversity observations. Harmonize ecosystem mapping and monitoring so that data are exchangeable (see EC-01) • Action 1. GEO BON will promote, as a start, monitoring standards for population counts of birds, mammals, plants, and butterflies • Action 2. GEO BON aims to harmonise ecosystem mapping and monitoring so that the data are exchangeable; thus facilitating collaboration in a global context • To meet this goal global information and approaches for exchange and harmonisation on terrestrial ecosystems will be provided, focusing on distribution, extent, condition, change in parameters of ecosystems, and identification of major players, gaps, barriers and opportunities. An important issue is the development of comparable approaches for different continents to enable reporting at a global level. This requires globally exchangeable definitions, methods, standards and metadata. GEO BON intends to build this standardisation process on existing systems such as the FAO LCSS and the EBONE habitat classification that are already using a comparable approach for land cover and habitats respectively

6. Actions & Expected achievements • PA2. Implement a worldwide network of biodiversity observations for terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems: Develop a global network of biodiversity observation sites. Identify and fill gaps in data monitoring in regions where major ecosystem changes are happening. Establish an International Freshwater Consortium, covering global freshwater biodiversity observation and analysis. Record changes in marine biodiversity at multiple scales and time periods, from viruses to whales • Action 3. GEO BON is to develop a global network of Biodiversity Observation Sites that is stratified to reflect major global environments and major threats to biodiversity • Action 4. GEO BON to carry out research and develop monitoring focusing on innovative conceptual frameworks, methods and shared protocols to provide consistent datasets and knowledge at different scales • Action 5. Observations for the annual wild bird indicators (WBI), based on standardised counts of breeding birds, will be extended from regions where they are already established, to cover the entire globe • Action 6. An observation programme for birds identified by the IUCN as Critically Endangered (currently 192 species) will be developed • Action 7. Extend standardised monitoring schemes for mammals to other regions and taxa not yet covered, using appropriate sampling methods • Action 8. Repeated surveys, by 2015, of as many threatened plant species as possible from a globally and phylogenetically representative sample • Action 9. Support the expansion of monitoring programs to gap regions for other taxa, particularly butterflies • Action 10. GEO BON aims to fill the gap in monitoring data from regions where major ecosystem changes are happening, including Africa, Asia, and Central and South America • Action 11. Facilitate the establishment of an International Freshwater Consortium, covering global freshwater biodiversity observation and analysis • Action 12. Contribute to the development of an atlas of freshwater biodiversity • Action 13. Collaboration with Ramsar and Wetlands International on the development of a Global Wetland Observation System • Action 14. Inventorisechanges in biodiversity from viruses to whales over long and short time periods, including the past

7. Actions & Expected achievements • PA3. Develop reporting mechanisms for biodiversity-relevant topics, starting with terrestrial ecosystems and services, and genetic diversity: Promote observations on gene, genomic and phylogenetic diversity for crop plants and wild plants. Implement a new measure of global change for biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems through model-based integration of in-situ and remote-sensing data. Characterize, monitor and predict changes in the distribution of invasive species. Develop a full global analysis of stability of ecosystem carbon services • Action 15. Promote observations on genetic diversity not only on crop plants and other economically important species, but also on wild genetic diversity • Action 16. Collaborate on the production of a “genetic diversity report” • Action 17. Develop a first full global analysis of a new measure of stability of ecosystem carbon services • Action 18. Implement a new measure of global change in compositional biodiversity (collective species richness) of terrestrial ecosystems through model-based integration of in situ and remote-sensing data

8. Notes • Not all GEO BON activities are listed in the task sheet – only the ones we think we might be achieved by 2015 (or close) • With the current listed actions T4 will not be fully reached – as it stands, the freshwater community will be served • Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) are likely to guide much of GEO BON’s work in the near future in terms of providing an organising framework for our activities