Connecting Earth observation to high-throughput biodiversity data

• Published in: Nature ecology & evolution Vol. 1; no. 7; p. 176
• Main Authors: Bush, Alex, Sollmann, Rahel, Wilting, Andreas, Bohmann, Kristine, Cole, Beth, Balzter, Heiko, Martius, Christopher, Zlinszky, András, Calvignac-Spencer, Sébastien, Cobbold, Christina A., Dawson, Terence P., Emerson, Brent C., Ferrier, Simon, Gilbert, M. Thomas P., Herold, Martin, Jones, Laurence, Leendertz, Fabian H., Matthews, Louise, Millington, James D. A., Olson, John R., Ovaskainen, Otso, Raffaelli, Dave, Reeve, Richard, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Rodgers, Torrey W., Snape, Stewart, Visseren-Hamakers, Ingrid, Vogler, Alfried P., White, Piran C. L., Wooster, Martin J., Yu, Douglas W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.06.2017; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 49/23; 631/158/2458; 631/158/670; 631/158/672; 704/172/4081; 706/689/2788; Automation; Biodiversity; Biodiversity loss; Biological and Physical Anthropology; Conservation; DNA sequencing; Earth; Ecological function; Ecological models; Ecology; Ecosystem services; Evolutionary Biology; Laboratorium voor Geo-informatiekunde en remote sensing; Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing; Life Sciences; Mathematical models; Modelling; Nature conservation; Next-generation sequencing; Paleontology; PE&RC; perspective; Real time; Recording; Zoology
• ISSN: 2397-334X; 2397-334X
• DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0176

Understandably, given the fast pace of biodiversity loss, there is much interest in using Earth observation technology to track biodiversity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services. However, because most biodiversity is invisible to Earth observation, indicators based on Earth observation could be misleading and reduce the effectiveness of nature conservation and even unintentionally decrease conservation effort. We describe an approach that combines automated recording devices, high-throughput DNA sequencing and modern ecological modelling to extract much more of the information available in Earth observation data. This approach is achievable now, offering efficient and near-real-time monitoring of management impacts on biodiversity and its functions and services. A new approach is outlined for capturing multiple facets of biodiversity in near real-time by combining the latest advances in automated Earth observation recording, high-throughput sequencing and ecological modelling.