GEO Biodiversity Observation Networkand its contribution to global biodiversity observations

Bob Scholes1 and Rob Jongman 2 1. GEO BON chair Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa

2. GEOBON SC; Aterra, Wageingen UR

Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network

A global partnership to promote the collection, sharing, management, analysis and & reporting of data relating to the status of the world’s biodiversity, across all taxa and domains, for all aspects of biodiversity at the gene, species and ecosystem levels

Members of the network include most major international biodiversity-oriented organisations (such as IUCN, GBIF, Diversitas, UNEP-WCMC, UN-CBD), space agencies, regional sub-networks (Asia-Pacific, Arctic, Japan)

What does GEO BON do?GEO BON adds value to on-going biodiversity observation by:

• Providing a global, scientifically robust framework for observations on the detection of biodiversity change (GBIF, GTOS, UNEP-WCMC, UNESCO-MAB, IUCN etc.)

• Coordinating the data gathering and the delivery of information through establishing standards and interoperability

• Providing a set of innovative and relevant global products

• Advocating long term continuity of data supply (moving observations from the experimental to operational spheres) and data sharing

What does GEO BON do?

• Provide a global, scientifically robust framework for observations relating to the detection of biodiversity change

• Through partnerships, help coordinate data gathering and the delivery of information according to user needs

• Advocate long term continuity of data supply

• Stimulate the development of a set of innovative and relevant global products

Where GEOBON fits in

Tallis et al 2012 Bioscience 62,977-986

A brief history of GEO BON…• 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development• 2003 Group on Earth Observations formed

– USA, EU, Japan and South Africa co-chairs• 2005 GEO establishes GEOSS

– Task BI-07-01(Biodiversity Observation Network Design) assigned to DIVERSITAS and US-NASA

GEOBON

•2006 User Needs workshop, Geneva 23-25 Oct

•2008 Interim committee convened 14-16 Jan • GEO BON concept document produced• Potsdam meeting of stakeholders

•2008 GEO Ministerial in Budapest approves concept

•2009 GEO BON Steering Group meets, June

•2010 Working Groups draft Implementation Plan Asilomar, February (presented at SBSTTA 14)

•2010 Tasked by Convention on Biological Diversity to assess adequacy of observation systems for 2020 targets

…brief history, continued

Current working groups

Data Integration and Operability WG 8Data Integration and Operability WG 8

Models WG 7

TerrestrialTerrestrial

SpeciesWG2

SpeciesWG2

EcosystemsWG3

EcosystemsWG3

Freshwater

Freshwater

WG 4

MarineMarine

WG 5

Genes WG1Genes WG1

Regional BONs

J-BON (Japan), EBONE

(European Union), AP BON (Asia–

Pacific),French BON,

Arctic BON, K-BON? (Korea)

Regional BONs

J-BON (Japan), EBONE

(European Union), AP BON (Asia–

Pacific),French BON,

Arctic BON, K-BON? (Korea)

Ecosystem services WG 6

Indicators WG 9 (Biodiversity Indicator Partnership)

specimen•Species•Location•Date•Source

population

•Species•Location•Date•Abundance

ecosystem•Name•Polygon•Date•Attributes

Remotelysensedimages

Tabula-tions

Attributemaps

abiotic

climate•substrate•Topography•Disturbance

models

GIS

uses•product•offtake•value•users

gene•Species•Location•Date•Genes

community

•Location•Date•Species 1•Species n

taxonomy•Species•Genus•Family•Class etc

species

•binomial•authority•synonyms

gazeteer

•Location•Polygon

interactions•type•intensity•from•to

Supporting information

ObservationsObservation

products

Resourcetrends

Conservationplans

Changehotspots

Biodiversityindicators

Ecosystemservices

Researchoutputs

User-definedneeds

Core of the biodiversity observation network

GE

O B

ON

po

rtal

feedbackfeedback

specimen•Species•Location•Date•Source

specimen•Species•Location•Date•Source

population

•Species•Location•Date•Abundance

population

•Species•Location•Date•Abundance

ecosystem•Name•Polygon•Date•Attributes

ecosystem•Name•Polygon•Date•Attributes

Remotelysensedimages

Tabula-tions

Attributemaps

abiotic

climate•substrate•Topography•Disturbance

abiotic

climate•substrate•Topography•Disturbance

models

GIS

uses•product•offtake•value•users

uses•product•offtake•value•users

gene•Species•Location•Date•Genes

gene•Species•Location•Date•Genes

community

•Location•Date•Species 1•Species n

community

•Location•Date•Species 1•Species n

taxonomy•Species•Genus•Family•Class etc

taxonomy•Species•Genus•Family•Class etc

species

•binomial•authority•synonyms

species

•binomial•authority•synonyms

gazeteer

•Location•Polygon

gazeteer

•Location•Polygon

interactions•type•intensity•from•to

interactions•type•intensity•from•to

Supporting information

ObservationsObservation

products

Resourcetrends

Conservationplans

Changehotspots

Biodiversityindicators

Ecosystemservices

Researchoutputs

User-definedneeds

Core of the biodiversity observation network

GE

O B

ON

po

rtal

feedbackfeedbackfeedbackfeedback

Integrated biodiversity observation system

(Science 321:1044-1045; 22/08/08)

RegistryUnique IDBinomialAuthority

EcosystemGeolocationTimestampAttribute1..expression 1

…Attributen…expressionn

CommunityGeolocationTimestampUnique ID Amount…Unique IDn Amountn

TaxonomyUnique IDSpeciesGenusFamily…etc

GazeteerGeolocationPlacename

GenomeUnique IDGeolocationDatestampGene1…Sequence 1 …Genen…Sequence n

TraitsUnique IDAttribute 1 expression 1…Attribute 2 expression 2

InteractionsUnique ID1

RelationshipUnique ID2

CollectionUnique ID GeolocationTimestampCollection record

Field observationGeolocationTimestampUnique IDQuantity Observer, method

EnvironmentGeolocationTimestampSubstrate/mediumClimate…

StatusUnique ID Treat level

GBIF

GBIF

GBIF

GEO

GEO

TRY

GEOBON GEO

GBIF

GenBank

IUCN

Protected AreasGeolocationTimestampCategory

WCMC

GEOBON

UtilisationUnique IDGeolocationTimestampHarvest amount

FAO

Scholes et al 2012 Current Opinions in Sustainability

Gaps in biodiversity monitoringLiving Planet Index Populations

In service of users

www.earthobservations.org/geobon_docs.shtml

CEOPS report

A formal process requested by the space agencies to elicit from experts and the literature the stated earth observation needs for biodiversity, particularly with respect to remote sensing

Accepted February 2012

http://sbageotask.larc.nasa.gov/biodiversity.html

Adequacy ReportFor UN-CBD 2020

GWOS

State of the World’s Wetlands Reports

WatershedHealth Index

GWOS: an example of a topical BONOur role is bringing stakeholders together

Wetland map

A GEOBON innovation:Essential Biodiversity Variables

• A relatively small number of variables (~30) are foundational for many user communities– operational indicators for the CBD 2020 targets– As yet unspecified IPBES needs– RAMSAR, CMS, CCD, UNFCCC…– Researchers– Conservation agencies and organisations– Development agencies

• Each ‘essential variable’ talks to multiple indicators and targets and most indicators and targets are informed by multiple essential variables

• These variables must be consistently monitored and reported and contribute towards assessing both national and global targets

Periera et al (in review) Science

Co-ancestry

Allellic richness

Hetero-zygosity

Evolutionary distinctiveness

Alleles of a gene

Phylogeneticdiversity

Gene beta

F STTrait

frequency

Spectral reflectance over time

Phenometrics

LIDARRadar

Hi-resimagery

Height & cover

Extent of ecosystem

Presence & abundance of species

ES use & priceTraits

Compositionby species

Land use

Fragmentation

NPP

ES yield

Compositionby FT

Status of ecosystems

Status of species

Disturbregime

Speciesrichness &

equity

Speciesdistribution

Functionaltypes

Taxonomy

Protectionsuccess

NaturalCapital

Protectedarea

Decision support

Key indicator EBVderived

EBV primaryEBV-related

Remote Sensing

Ess

enti

al B

iod

iv V

aria

ble

sE

xam

ple

s o

f u

se

AICHI Targets, EBVs and GEO

The GEOBON Handbook

• Book-length manual, due 2013, on networking, data collection, sharing and analysis in the biodiversity area

• Helps meet our harmonisation & interoperability mandate

• In demand from countries, regional and topical BONs

Biodiversity and Ecosystems SBAsare closely linked

What GEOBON needs

• A concerted effort to implement the plan by 2015– Global Biodiversity Observation Initiative– Support by countries for data sharing and gap filling

• Within their own territory• Shared international efforts

– Much tighter integration within GEO between Biodiversity, Ecosystems, Agriculture (GLAM), Global Forest Observation Initiative, climate and Water SBAs

bscholes@csir.co.zarob.jongman@wur.edu.nlgsarantakos@geosec.org

http://www.earthobservations.org/geobon.shtml