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
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
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
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
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
[email protected]@[email protected]
http://www.earthobservations.org/geobon.shtml