Explore and develop ideas with other organizations (including, for example, private-public partnerships) for an information system that supports development and operation of Biodiversity Observation Networks (BONs). The system could combine models, remote sensing and in situ data from a variety of existing sources to provide important data products for biodiversity stakeholders such as the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
As explained in the comments, this deliverable includes two closely related concepts.
BON focus
Global system focus
Update, 2022-02-10
The manuscript exploring challenges to BON expansion towards a global system is being actively revised to better fit the journal format and needs. The Microsoft funding in support of updating the BON in a Box toolkit was received and the toolkit is being actively updated by the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science (McGill University, Canada, host of GEO BON) and the Humboldt Institute in Colombia (a major GEO BON partner and home institute of one GEO BON co-Chair).
The BON in a Box update is focused on adding some new tools incorporating machine learning so that users can perform queries to rapidly synthesize existing biodiversity knowledge in a region (prior to establishing a BON) and then design and optimize a BON (e.g., estimate biodiversity trends based on data produced by BON, incorporate constraints such as land use and available resources). The tools are free and open-source and will help streamline the data-to-decision pathway.
A workshop proposal on the topic of a global biodiversity system was submitted to the World Biodiversity Forum 2022 by Gary Geller and Fabian Schneider of NASA/JPL with consultation with Andy Gonzalez, GEO BON co-lead, and Cornelia Krug, lead Forum organizer. A one day workshop was approved by the WBF Organizing Committee and, subsequently, a proposal was submitted to ESA for funding support. This was approved, providing EUR20k to be used for logistical support and participant travel.
An informal “organizing committee” for the workshop that includes the above-named people was formed. Discussion within that committee has indicated that the two closely related concepts described in the previous update should be merged as they are related aspects of the same system. It is that merged concept—still at a very high level—that will be explored at the WBF workshop scheduled for 26 June in Davos, Switzerland.
Update, 2022-08-30
The concept for a Global Biodiversity Observation / Monitoring System (now called GBiOS, the Global Biodiversity Observation System) has progressed and now engulfs the BON focus topic that was also within this CEOS deliverable; this is because BONs are such a central component of any global system.
The GEO BON Implementation Committee has agreed that GBiOS should be a major GEO BON focus; it is expected to be the defining theme of what is being called “GEO BON Phase 3” and, consequently, the concept features prominently in the GEO BON Strategic Plan that is now in development. A key milestone for the GBiOS concept was the one day workshop at the World Biodiversity Forum 2022, held in Davos, Switzerland on 26 June, attended by more than 40 participants. The workshop produced two core outcomes:
Given the agreement on the top-level concept and several initial implementation options, this first phase of GBiOS concept development can be considered complete. Details of these outcomes are available on the workshop website (link available on request)
Additional information on GBiOS activities follows:
A key activity for moving the GBiOS concept forward is the discussions that the GEO BON co-chairs are having with the CBD, which is developing their plan for the next decade and on to 2050 called the Global Biodiversity Framework. The GBF includes a “monitoring framework” outlining indicators that countries can track over time; this is particularly significant since satellite-based EO has a special monitoring role because it is inherently regular and periodic.
It is hoped that the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) can highlight or perhaps endorse the GBiOS concept at its December COP-15 where the GBF will receive formal approval; a COP side event on GBiOS that GEO BON is planning will help to inform COP participants. Additionally, there are also some discussions with a potential sponsor to support further planning for GBiOS development, though the outcome of those discussions is not yet known.
There are two closely related concepts to this deliverable; these are summarized separately here.
Background-1. A BON is a collaboration among partners who agree to share knowledge and know-how to evaluate changes in biodiversity, including data, products, protocols and methods, data systems, and software. BONs seek to establish standardized processes for sustained, operational measurements of biodiversity to understand how biodiversity is changing so as to provide information needed by governments and intergovernmental bodies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. BONs can be national or regional in scale, or topically based such as the Marine BON, and they often emphasize in situ data collection, though also work to utilize Earth observations and integrate the two. One of GEO BON’s core goals, directly tied to this deliverable, is to expand the areal and topical coverage of BONs and the level of interaction among them.
Background-2. A concept having heavy overlap with BONs is sometimes called the Global Biodiversity Monitoring System (or Global Biodiversity Observation System, or Observation and Information System…). It tends to be somewhat more oriented towards satellite-based observations than BONs, though has a similar focus on integrating them with in situ and airborne data as well as improved data sharing. More flexibility and increased breadth in the range of product generation is another element. This is a concept that has been discussed for several years in different venues; it is probably accurate to say that there is general agreement on the value of such a system, and that the best approach is a system of systems via a federation of partners. However, progressing global concepts requiring collaboration among funding-limited partners is challenging.