Essential Biodiversity Variables

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Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) is a putative set of parameters intended to be the minimum set of broadly agreed upon necessary and sufficient biodiversity variables for at least national to global monitoring, researching, and forecasting of biodiversity. [1] They are being developed by an interdisciplinary group of governmental and academic research partners. The initiative aims for a harmonised global biodiversity monitoring system. EBVs would be used to inform biodiversity change indicators, such as the CBD Biodiversity Indicators for the Aichi Targets. [2]

Contents

The concept is partly based on the earlier Essential Climate Variables. [3] [4] It can be generalised as the minimum set of variables for describing and predicting a system's state and dynamics. Areas with more developed EV lists include climate, ocean, and biodiversity. [5]

EBV Classes / Categories

The current candidate EBVs occupy six classes of Essential Biodiversity Variable: genetic composition, species populations, species traits, community composition, ecosystem structure, and ecosystem function. [1] Within each class are a few to several variables.

EBV ClassEBVNotes
Genetic compositionCo-ancestry
Allelic diversity
Population genetic differentiation
Breed and variety diversity
Species populationsSpecies distributionAddressed in. [6] Track from space. [7]
Population abundanceAddressed in. [6]
Population age / size structure
Species traits

(subject of [8] )

PhenologyTrack from space. [7] GlobDiversity RS-enabled EBV (land surface phenology). [9]
Body massVegetation height—track from space. [7]
Natal dispersal distance
Migratory behaviour
Demographic traits
Physiological traitsTrack from space. [7] GlobDiversity RS-enabled EBV (canopy chlorophyll concentration). [9]
Community compositionTaxonomic diversity
Species interactions
Ecosystem functionNet primary productionTrack from space. [7]
Secondary production
Nutrient retention
Disturbance regimeTrack from space. [7] Should not be a candidate EBV, due to being non-biological in nature. [10]
Ecosystem structureHabitat structure
Ecosystem extent and fragmentationTrack from space. [7] GlobDiversity RS-enabled EBV (fragmentation). [9]
Ecosystem composition by functional type

Associated projects and organisations

As of 2017, participants in the project consist of the GlobDiversity project (funded by the European Space Agency) [11] under GEO BON (Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network; a cooperative project of international universities), [12] and the GLOBIS-B project (Global Infrastructures for Supporting Biodiversity Research; funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme) [13]

Development

The concept was first proposed in 2012 [14] [15] and developed in the following years. [3] [5] [7]

The GLOBIS-B global cooperation project, aimed to advance the challenge of practical implementation of EBVs by supporting interoperability and cooperation activities among diverse biodiversity infrastructures, started in 2015. [16] The GlobDiversity project of GEO BON, led by the University of Zurich, started in 2017, focusing on specification and engineering of three RS-enabled EBVs. [9] [17]

The scope and screening of potential variables is under ongoing discussion. [10] [18] [19] [8] [20] [21]

This includes definition of the species distribution EBV and population abundance EBV, operationalisation of the EBV framework, data and tools for building EBV data products, workflow for building EBV data products, metadata and data sharing standards; [6] and possible integration of abiotic variables (e.g. those emphasised in the Ecosystem Integrity framework) with biotic variables (emphasised in the EBV framework) to achieve comprehensive ecosystem monitoring. [22]

"EBV data products" refers to the end product in the EBV information supply chain, from raw observations, to EBV-usable data, to EBV-ready data, to EBV data products. Each of these three types of EBV datasets could be used to produce indicators. [6] Data sources for EBVs are categorised into four types: extensive and intensive monitoring schemes, ecological field studies, and remote sensing. [23] Each have their own often complementary properties, implying that data integration will be important for creation of representative EBVs, as well as identifying and filling data gaps.

Related Research Articles

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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 level. 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 surface and contain about 90% of the world's species. Marine biodiversity is usually higher along coasts in the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is highest, and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans. There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity. Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and has been increasing through time, but will be likely to slow in the future as a primary result of deforestation. It encompasses the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life.

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

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

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References

  1. 1 2 "What are EBVs?". GEO BON. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  2. ↑ "Aichi Biodiversity Targets". www.cbd.int. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  3. 1 2 Pereira, H. M.; Ferrier, S.; Walters, M.; Geller, G. N.; Jongman, R. H. G.; Scholes, R. J.; Bruford, M. W.; Brummitt, N.; Butchart, S. H. M. (2013-01-18). "Essential Biodiversity Variables". Science. 339 (6117): 277–278. Bibcode:2013Sci...339..277P. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.394.5235 . doi:10.1126/science.1229931. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   23329036. S2CID   36683730.
  4. ↑ "Essential Climate Variables". World Meteorological Organization. 2017-06-27. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  5. 1 2 Antonio, Bombelli; Ivette, Serral (2015). "D2.2. EVs current status in different communities and way to move forward".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Kissling, W. Daniel; Ahumada, Jorge A.; Bowser, Anne; Fernandez, Miguel; Fernández, Néstor; García, Enrique Alonso; Guralnick, Robert P.; Isaac, Nick J. B.; Kelling, Steve (2018). "Building essential biodiversity variables (EBVs) of species distribution and abundance at a global scale". Biological Reviews. 93 (1): 600–625. doi: 10.1111/brv.12359 . ISSN   1469-185X. PMID   28766908.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Skidmore, Andrew K.; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Coops, Nicholas C.; Geller, Gary N.; Hansen, Matthew; Lucas, Richard; Mücher, Caspar A.; O'Connor, Brian; Paganini, Marc (2015-07-23). "Environmental science: Agree on biodiversity metrics to track from space". Nature. 523 (7561): 403–405. Bibcode:2015Natur.523..403S. doi: 10.1038/523403a . PMID   26201582.
  8. 1 2 "GLOBIS-B Essential Biodiversity Variables Workshop on Species Traits held in Amsterdam GLOBIS-B". www.globis-b.eu (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "The GlobDiversity project has started". GEO BON. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  10. 1 2 Schmeller, Dirk S.; Mihoub, Jean-Baptiste; Bowser, Anne; Arvanitidis, Christos; Costello, Mark J.; Fernandez, Miguel; Geller, Gary N.; Hobern, Donald; Kissling, W. Daniel (2017-11-01). "An operational definition of essential biodiversity variables". Biodiversity and Conservation. 26 (12): 2967–2972. doi:10.1007/s10531-017-1386-9. ISSN   0960-3115. S2CID   24399755.
  11. ↑ "The GlobDiversity Project".
  12. ↑ "Group on earth Observations". 2018-01-17.
  13. ↑ "GLOBIS-B".
  14. ↑ "Frascati Workshop Essential Biodiversity Variables Term of Reference" (PDF). Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Report EBV Meeting Frascati 26-29 February 2012" (PDF).
  16. ↑ Kissling, W. Daniel; Hardisty, Alex; García, Enrique Alonso; Santamaria, Monica; Leo, Francesca De; Pesole, Graziano; Freyhof, Jörg; Manset, David; Wissel, Silvia (2015-07-03). "Towards global interoperability for supporting biodiversity research on essential biodiversity variables (EBVs)" (PDF). Biodiversity. 16 (2–3): 99–107. doi: 10.1080/14888386.2015.1068709 . ISSN   1488-8386.
  17. ↑ "GEO BON Strategy for Development of EBVs" (PDF).
  18. ↑ "GLOBIS-B contributes to a better definition of EBVs GLOBIS-B". www.globis-b.eu (in Dutch). Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  19. ↑ Brummitt, Neil; Regan, Eugenie C.; Weatherdon, Lauren V.; Martin, Corinne S.; Geijzendorffer, Ilse R.; Rocchini, Duccio; Gavish, Yoni; Haase, Peter; Marsh, Charles J.; Schmeller, Dirk S. (2017-09-01). "Taking stock of nature: Essential biodiversity variables explained" (PDF). Biological Conservation. 213: 252–255. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.09.006. ISSN   0006-3207.
  20. ↑ Turak, Eren; Harrison, Ian; Dudgeon, David; Abell, Robin; Bush, Alex; Darwall, William; Finlayson, C. Max; Ferrier, Simon; Freyhof, Jörg; Hermoso, Virgilio; Juffe-Bignoli, Diego; Linke, Simon; Nel, Jeanne; Patricio, Harmony C.; Pittock, Jamie; Raghavan, Rajeev; Revenga, Carmen; Simaika, John P.; De Wever, Aaike (2017-09-01). "Essential Biodiversity Variables for measuring change in global freshwater biodiversity". Biological Conservation. 213: 272–279. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.09.005. ISSN   0006-3207.
  21. ↑ Vihervaara, Petteri; Auvinen, Ari-Pekka; Mononen, Laura; Törmä, Markus; Ahlroth, Petri; Anttila, Saku; Böttcher, Kristin; Forsius, Martin; Heino, Jani; Heliölä, Janne; Koskelainen, Meri; Kuussaari, Mikko; Meissner, Kristian; Ojala, Olli; Tuominen, Seppo; Viitasalo, Markku; Virkkala, Raimo (2017-04-01). "How Essential Biodiversity Variables and remote sensing can help national biodiversity monitoring". Global Ecology and Conservation. 10: 43–59. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2017.01.007 . ISSN   2351-9894.
  22. ↑ Haase, Peter; Tonkin, Jonathan D.; Stoll, Stefan; Burkhard, Benjamin; Frenzel, Mark; Geijzendorffer, Ilse R.; Häuser, Christoph; Klotz, Stefan; Kühn, Ingolf; McDowell, William H.; Mirtl, Michael; Müller, Felix; Musche, Martin; Penner, Johannes; Zacharias, Steffen; Schmeller, Dirk S. (2018-02-01). "The next generation of site-based long-term ecological monitoring: Linking essential biodiversity variables and ecosystem integrity". Science of the Total Environment. 613–614: 1376–1384. Bibcode:2018ScTEn.613.1376H. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.111 . ISSN   0048-9697. PMID   29898505.
  23. ↑ Proença, Vânia; Martin, Laura Jane; Pereira, Henrique Miguel; Fernandez, Miguel; McRae, Louise; Belnap, Jayne; Böhm, Monika; Brummitt, Neil; García-Moreno, Jaime; Gregory, Richard D.; Honrado, João Pradinho; Jürgens, Norbert; Opige, Michael; Schmeller, Dirk S.; Tiago, Patrícia; Van Swaay, Chris A.M. (2017-09-01). "Global biodiversity monitoring: From data sources to Essential Biodiversity Variables". Biological Conservation. 213: 256–263. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.07.014 . ISSN   0006-3207.
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