BioMonitor4CAP

Promote biodiversity monitoring and agricultural reorganisation

Around half of Europe's land area is used for agriculture. Intensive land use is one of the main causes of habitat and biodiversity loss in the EU. The EU strategies "Biodiversity 2030" and "Farm to Fork" aim to halt the loss of biodiversity while safeguarding human well-being.

However, it is still unclear how these strategies are to be effectively implemented, as there is currently no results-orientated monitoring of the changes. Effective and objectively assessable methods are needed to monitor and visualise the loss or recovery of biodiversity over time.

The main objective of the international research project "BioMonitor4CAP" is to provide modern biodiversity monitoring systems for agriculture in order to identify strategies that achieve the best possible conservation of biodiversity and thus support a result-oriented policy for the protection of biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes.

Modern systems for monitoring biodiversity in agriculture

Objectives
- To assess, develop, test and validate reliable, efficient and cost-effective biodiversity monitoring systems.
- To provide farmers and the interested public with knowledge, methods and tools to promote the transformation of agricultural systems.
- To develop predictive models to advise on adaptive management practices to improve farm biodiversity at the international level and to support the development of EU biodiversity strategies.

To achieve these goals, the BioMonitor4CAP project will use different approaches:
- combining classical indicator systems with technology-based approaches that include acoustic, optical and molecular methods.
- assessing the diversity of target species and habitats in five European regions representing the main agroecological regions of the EU, as well as in Peru, which is one of the global biodiversity hotspots.
- involving different stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the developed monitoring systems.

A total of 23 partner organisations from 10 European countries and Peru are involved in the project. The multidisciplinary project team consists of ecologists, agronomists, ornithologists, entomologists, soil scientists, biochemists, geospatial experts, data scientists, acoustic data experts, social scientists, economists and conservationists.

The LIB is the coordinator of the BioMonitor4CAP project and contributes its expertise in molecular, optical and acoustic methods and indicators for insect and bird monitoring, in particular in the work package "Development, testing and calibration of systems for monitoring biodiversity on agricultural land".