Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland

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The Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland (BDM) is a Swiss Confederation programme for the long-term monitoring of species diversity in Switzerland. [1]

Contents

Introduction

The Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland surveys the long-term development of species diversity in selected organism groups in Switzerland. The focus is on surveying common and widespread species in order to make informed statements about the development of species diversity in common landscapes. [2]

Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland is a programme run by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. It is a long-term environmental monitoring project, comparable with other national programmes, such as the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI), [3] the National Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NAWA), [4] the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO) [5] and the project “Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland” (WBS). [6] There are similar biodiversity monitoring programmes in place in the United Kingdom (UK Countryside Survey [7] by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) and in parts of Canada (Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring [8] run by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute).

Tasks and objectives

Together with other environmental information, the data from the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland underpin national conservation policy and other policy areas that are relevant to biodiversity such as agriculture and forestry. [9] [10] By signing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Switzerland also has an obligation under international law to monitor the long-term development of biodiversity. [11] [12]

The objectives of the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland are to [13]

Methodology

1-km sampling area for the "species diversity in landscapes" indicator with a transect marked Csm Probeflaeche Z7 D.jpg
1-km sampling area for the “species diversity in landscapes” indicator with a transect marked
10-m sampling area for the "species diversity in habitats" indicator Csm Probeflaeche Z9 D.jpg
10-m sampling area for the “species diversity in habitats” indicator

The Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland comprises three sampling grids on different scales, which cover the whole of Switzerland and yield a representative sample. [14]

The sampling grid to observe species diversity in landscapes consists of some 450 sampling areas, each covering one square kilometre. On a precisely defined transect of this quadrant, vascular plants, butterflies and breeding birds are surveyed. Data on breeding birds are collected by the Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach. These surveys are coordinated with the Monitoring of Common Breeding Birds. [15] The density of the sampling grid in the Jura and in Southern Switzerland was increased in order to obtain reliable data for these regions.

The sampling grid to observe species diversity in habitats consists of some 1,450 sampling sites, each covering ten square metres. In terms of habitats a distinction is drawn between forests, meadows and pastures, settlements, farmland, alpine pastures and mountain areas. All the vascular plants found in a circular sampling area are surveyed. In addition, bryophyte samples are collected, which are subsequently identified by a team of experts, and soil samples are taken to study mollusc diversity in the laboratory.

The sampling grid to survey aquatic insects comprises approximately 500 small sections of minor watercourses measuring around 5–100 metres long. It surveys the larvae of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies (so-called EPT species group).

The sampling areas can be precisely located as they are permanent observation plots. A fifth of all areas are surveyed every year, which means that a survey is repeated at the same location every five years. Routine surveys of vascular plants, bryophytes, molluscs and breeding birds were started in 2001, with surveys of butterflies added in 2003 and aquatic invertebrates added in 2010. The species’ coordinates are integrated in the databases of InfoSpecies, the Swiss Information Centre for Species. [16]

Indicators

The data obtained are routinely used to calculate four indicators: [17] [18] [19]

In addition, the data can be used for various special analyses. They form the basis of numerous scientific research projects. [20] [21] [22] [23] Thanks to the systematic sampling design, the standardised methodology and the long-term nature of the programme, the data can be used to answer new, as yet undefined questions. The data are also incorporated in European biodiversity indicators, e.g. the European Grassland Butterfly Index compiled by Butterfly Conservation Europe [24] and the European Environment Agency EEA. [25] Furthermore, data from the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland contributed to the determination of critical loads in nitrogen deposition in Europe [26] assessed due to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) implemented by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP).

Distinctive features of the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland

The specific contribution of the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland to the analysis of species diversity in Switzerland is the fact that species lists can be drawn up that are as comprehensive as possible for all sampling areas, which increases the probability of detecting species absences. In addition, the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland is not restricted to well-known, highly species-rich areas or sites where rarities are found, but rather monitors randomly selected locations that would hardly ever be surveyed otherwise. Common and widespread species are thus also surveyed. Repeat surveys at exactly the same location using exactly the same method allow precise conclusions to be drawn regarding changes in species diversity.

Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland provides a cross section of the overall landscape covering a wide variety of uses. It serves as a reference for programmes that study the development of selected habitats or of specific rare species, e.g. the project “Monitoring the effectiveness of habitat conservation in Switzerland” (WBS), [27] and Switzerland's Red Lists. [28]

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Switzerland</span>

The geography of Switzerland features a mountainous and landlocked country located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by five countries: Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, France to the west, Italy to the south and Germany to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of 220 kilometres (140 mi) and an east–west length of about 350 kilometres (220 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiversity</span> Variety and variability of life forms

Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth; it is usually greater in the tropics as a result of the warm climate and high primary productivity in the region near the equator. Tropical forest ecosystems cover less than 10% of Earth's terrestrial surface and contain about 50% of the world's species. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity for both marine and terrestrial taxa. Marine coastal biodiversity is highest globally speaking in the Western Pacific ocean steered mainly by the higher surface temperatures. In all oceans across the planet, marine species diversity peaks in the mid-latitudinal zones. Terrestrial species threatened with mass extinction can be observed in exceptionally dense regional biodiversity hotspots, with high levels of species endemism under threat. There are 36 such hotspot regions which require the world's attention in order to secure global biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edge effects</span> Ecological concept

In ecology, edge effects are changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two or more habitats. Areas with small habitat fragments exhibit especially pronounced edge effects that may extend throughout the range. As the edge effects increase, the boundary habitat allows for greater biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected area</span> Areas protected for having ecological or cultural importance

Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources is limited.

This is an index of conservation topics. It is an alphabetical index of articles relating to conservation biology and conservation of the natural environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation biology</span> Study of threats to biological diversity

Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on natural and social sciences, and the practice of natural resource management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habitat fragmentation</span> Discontinuities in an organisms environment causing population fragmentation.

Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat), causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological processes that slowly alter the layout of the physical environment, and human activity such as land conversion, which can alter the environment much faster and causes the extinction of many species. More specifically, habitat fragmentation is a process by which large and contiguous habitats get divided into smaller, isolated patches of habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife conservation</span> Practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats

Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation, overexploitation, poaching, pollution, climate change, and the illegal wildlife trade. The IUCN estimates that 42,100 species of the ones assessed are at risk for extinction. Expanding to all existing species, a 2019 UN report on biodiversity put this estimate even higher at a million species. It is also being acknowledged that an increasing number of ecosystems on Earth containing endangered species are disappearing. To address these issues, there have been both national and international governmental efforts to preserve Earth's wildlife. Prominent conservation agreements include the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). There are also numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) dedicated to conservation such as the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, the Wild Animal Health Fund and Conservation International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation status</span> Indication of the chance of extinction

The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation status: not simply the number of individuals remaining, but the overall increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success rates, and known threats. Various systems of conservation status are in use at international, multi-country, national and local levels, as well as for consumer use such as sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification. The two international systems are by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Gate Biosphere Network</span>

The Golden Gate Biosphere Network is a voluntary coalition of federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private partners within the Golden Gate Biosphere region. The Network works towards protecting the biosphere region's biodiversity and conserving its natural resources to maintain the quality of life for people within the region. The Network has been part of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme since 1988 and is part of the US Biosphere Network and EuroMAB. It is recognized by UNESCO due to the significant biodiversity of the region, as well as the Network's efforts to demonstrate and promote a balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makalu Barun National Park</span>

Makalu Barun National Park is a national park in the Himalayas of Nepal that was established in 1992 as the eastern extension of Sagarmatha National Park. It is the world's only protected area with an elevation gain of more than 8,000 m (26,000 ft) enclosing tropical forest as well as snow-capped peaks. It covers an area of 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) in the Solukhumbu and Sankhuwasabha districts, and is surrounded by a bufferzone to the south and southeast with an area of 830 km2 (320 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiversity action plan</span>

A biodiversity action plan (BAP) is an internationally recognized program addressing threatened species and habitats and is designed to protect and restore biological systems. The original impetus for these plans derives from the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). As of 2009, 191 countries have ratified the CBD, but only a fraction of these have developed substantive BAP documents.

The Land Use Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office collect information in 12-year intervals about Switzerland's land use and land cover based on aerial photographs of the Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo). In addition to statistics, the Land Use Statistics also provides basic geodata in hectare resolution for Geographical Information Systems (GIS) of the Confederation, the cantons, research institutes and higher education institutions. Furthermore, it provides inputs for national programmes and indicator systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of biodiversity articles</span>

This is a list of topics in biodiversity.

A gradsect or gradient-directed transect is a low-input, high-return sampling method where the aim is to maximise information about the distribution of biota in any area of study. Most living things are rarely distributed at random, their placement being largely determined by a hierarchy of environmental factors. For this reason, standard statistical designs based on purely random sampling or systematic systems tend to be less efficient in recovering information about the distribution of taxa than sample designs that are purposively directed instead along deterministic environmental gradients.

Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) is an agency that monitors and reports on biodiversity status throughout the province of Alberta, Canada, that is funded equally by the government of Alberta and the oil and gas industry. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute is based in Edmonton, Alberta. According to Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures (AITF), a key partner in the ABMI, the ABMI, which acts as "an early warning system by monitoring the cumulative effects of biodiversity change in regions throughout Alberta" is "the largest project of its kind ever attempted in Canada." Collaborating agencies include the government-industry research agency Alberta Innovates-Technology Futures, the University of Alberta, University of Calgary and the Royal Alberta Museum. Along with the Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard, the ABMI are key components to implementing resource planning based on ecosystem management principles. Alberta Environment and Parks consults the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Agency's reports in monitoring and preservation of species, setting benchmarks for biodiversity for land use plans. If industry contributes to the endangerment of a species that falls below these benchmarks, the Government of Alberta can order remedial action.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decline in insect populations</span> Ecological trend recorded since the late 20th century

Insects are the most numerous and widespread class in the animal kingdom, accounting for up to 90% of all animal species. In the 2010s, reports emerged about the widespread decline in insect populations across multiple insect orders. The reported severity shocked many observers, even though there had been earlier findings of pollinator decline. There has also been anecdotal reports of greater insect abundance earlier in the 20th century. Many car drivers know this anecdotal evidence through the windscreen phenomenon, for example. Causes for the decline in insect population are similar to those driving other biodiversity loss. They include habitat destruction, such as intensive agriculture, the use of pesticides, introduced species, and – to a lesser degree and only for some regions – the effects of climate change. An additional cause that may be specific to insects is light pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Area of Special Conservation Interest</span>

An Area of Special Conservation Interest (ASCI) is a protected area in Europe or North Africa, part of the Emerald network established by the countries who have signed the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. The purpose of the ASCIs is to conserve and protect habitats and species defined in the convention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of North Macedonia</span> Overview of the wildlife of North Macedonia

Over 22,500 species of wildlife have been recorded in North Macedonia. Over 10,000 of these are insects, which include 3,000 beetle species and large numbers of Lepidoptera, flies, and Hymenoptera. Aside from insects, other large arthropod groups include Chelicerata and crustaceans. Among vertebrates, more than 300 species of birds recorded, although not all nest in the country. There are over 80 species of both fish and mammals, 32 reptiles, and 14 amphibians.

The Samoa Conservation Society is an environmental organisation based in Samoa. Its purpose is to promote the conservation of Samoa’s biological diversity and natural heritage. The society is active in efforts to save the critically-endangered Manumea, Samoa's national bird, and in forest restoration.

References

  1. ↑ Herzog, Felix; Franklin, Janet (December 2016). "State-of-the-art practices in farmland biodiversity monitoring for North America and Europe". Ambio. 45 (8): 857–871. Bibcode:2016Ambio..45..857H. doi:10.1007/s13280-016-0799-0. PMC   5102971 . PMID   27334103.
  2. ↑ Die Biodiversität beobachten - Nach wie vor eine vielfältige Flora in der Schweiz. Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Article written by Gregor Klaus, published 2002-06-05.
  3. ↑ The Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI). Website of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  4. ↑ The National Surface Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NAWA). Website of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  5. ↑ The Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO). Website of Agroscope. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  6. ↑ Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland” (WBS). Website of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  7. ↑ Countryside Survey - Measuring Change in Our Countryside. Website of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council NERC. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  8. ↑ Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring. Website of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute ABMI. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  9. ↑ Monitoring Programms on Biodiversity. Website of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN (German, French and Italian only). Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  10. ↑ Mission B - für mehr Biodiversität. Documentary film made by SRF Swiss Radio Television (German only). Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  11. ↑ Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 7: Identification and Monitoring. CBD-Website. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  12. ↑ Übereinkommen über die Biologische Vielfalt vom 5. Juni 1992. Classified compilation on Acts & Ordinances in Switzerland SR 0.451.43 (German, French and Italian only). Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  13. ↑ Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring BDM. Description of Methods and Indicators. Environmental Studies No. 1410, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Bern, 2014.
  14. ↑ Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring BDM. Description of Methods and Indicators. Environmental Studies No. 1410, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Bern, 2014.
  15. ↑ Monitoring of Common Breeding Birds. Website of the Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  16. ↑ InfoSpecies. Website of the Swiss Information Centre for Species (German and French only). Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  17. ↑ Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland Website. Downloads of Method Documents. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  18. ↑ Weber, Darius; Hintermann, Urs; Zangger, Adrian (February 2004). "Scale and trends in species richness: considerations for monitoring biological diversity for political purposes". Global Ecology and Biogeography. 13 (2). Blackwell Publishing Ltd: 97–104. Bibcode:2004GloEB..13...97W. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-882X.2004.00078.x .
  19. ↑ Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland. Website of Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP). Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  20. ↑ Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland Website. Download of Publication List. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  21. ↑ Zingg, Silvia; Grenz, Jan; Humbert, Jean-Yves (August 2018). "Landscape-scale effects of land use intensity on birds and butterflies". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 267. Elsevier: 119–128. Bibcode:2018AgEE..267..119Z. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2018.08.014. S2CID   91702458.
  22. ↑ Zingg, Silvia; Ritschard, Eva; Arlettaz, Raphaël; Humbert, Jean-Yves (March 2019). "Increasing the proportion and quality of land under agri-environment schemes promotes birds and butterflies at the landscape scale". Biological Conservation. 231. Elsevier: 39–48. Bibcode:2019BCons.231...39Z. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.12.022. S2CID   91201272.
  23. ↑ Oehri, Jaqueline; Schmid, Bernhard; Schaepman-Strub, Gabriela; Niklaus, Pascal A. (September 2017). "Biodiversity promotes primary productivity and growing season lengthening at the landscape scale". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (38). PNAS: 10160–10165. Bibcode:2017PNAS..11410160O. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1703928114 . PMC   5617266 . PMID   28874547.
  24. ↑ Van Swaay, C.A.M. et al. (2016). The European Butterfly Indicator for Grassland species 1990-2015 . Report VS2016.019, De Vlinderstichting, Wageningen.
  25. ↑ European Environment Agency: The European Grassland Butterfly Indicator: 1990–2011. EEA Technical Report No 11/2013, 2013.
  26. ↑ Roth, T., Kohli, L., Rihm, B., Meier, R., Achermann, B., 2017: Using change-point models to estimate empirical critical loads for nitrogen in mountain ecosystems. Environmental Pollution, 220:1480-1487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.083
  27. ↑ Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland” (WBS). Website of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  28. ↑ Rote Listen der Schweiz. Website of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN (German, French and Italian only). Retrieved 2019-01-22.
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