Download What is GEO BON? - Group on Earth Observations

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The GEO Biodiversity Observation
Network
Boston University
Department of Geography
4 May 2009
(c) 2009 California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.
Gary Geller
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
What is GEO BON?
Global network, and collaboration
 Interoperating biodiversity observation
systems
 Collect, manage, analyze, share data
on status of the world’s biodiversity
Scholes et al., Science 321: 22 August 2008
2
Overview
 GEO and GEOSS
 GEO BON
 Implementation
 Challenges
 Next Steps
Sagra buqueti edof
3
Group on Earth Observations
 Response to 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development
 Global collaboration needed
 Enhance interoperability
 Voluntary partnership
• 79 governments + EC
• 56 participating organizations
Chiasognathus
granti
4
GEOSS
 Global Earth Observing System of Systems
• Disasters
• Health
• Energy
• Climate
• Water
9 SBAs
• Weather
• Agriculture
• Ecosystems
GEO BON
• Biodiversity
5
Why do we need GEO BON?
Living Planet Index, 1970-2000
http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/
WWF, WCMC
Some components of a BON
 Collection
 Storage & distribution
 Tools
 Partnerships
Many observations…
but not fully utilized
Oxynodera
moczarski
7
Collecting observations
 Many gaps
• Spatial
• Temporal
• Taxonomic
• Topical
 Uneven coverage
Oxynodera distincta
Lack of coordination
8
Storage and distribution
 Many systems
 Many observations
 Dispersed, unconnected
 Little coordination
 Sharing is difficult
Doryphora undata
Lack of system interoperability
9
Tools for working with data
 Important capabilities missing
 Capabilities not integrated
 System-specific
 Data utilization too difficult
Lack the full set of tools
Pseudomesomphalia
illustris
10
Integration across scales
In-situ observations
Sparse…but finely detailed
RS observations
Global…but spatially coarse
 Cannot extract the full value from data
 Need to combine in-situ and RS data
• Provide continuous and complete
datasets
11
Partnerships
Collaboration
Coordination
Network of BONS
GEO BON
12
GEO BON: A network of BONs
1. Data collection coordination
•
•
Global sampling framework
Ecosystems, species, genes, ecosystem
services
2. System interoperability
•
Guidelines and coordination
3. New and coordinated tools
•
Extraction, synthesis, & visualization
4. Stronger partnerships
13
Focal areas
 Quantifying and mapping drivers of
biodiversity change
 Recording impacts of biodiversity change
• Especially vital ecosystem services
 Reporting biodiversity status and its changes
Leptinotarsa
flavitarsus
14
Focal areas
 Ecosystems
 Species
 Genes
 Ecosystem services
Prosicela vittata
15
History
 2003: GEO forms
 2006-2007: GEO BON established
• Concept Document drafted
 April 2008: stakeholder meeting
• Blessed basic concept
 October 2008: Implementation Overview
 November 2008: GEO V Plenary
16
Concept
Scarabaeus
pius
GEO BON
Community Network
In-situ
Observational
Needs
Coordination
& facilitation
Remote
Observations
•Ecosystems
•Species
•Genes
•Ecosystem services
Data Extraction
& Visualization
Tools
Observation Products
•Maps
•Status indicators
•Change metrics
•…
End Users
18
Target users
 Governments and agencies
 Parties to international conventions
 Conservation organizations
 Decision makers
 Researchers
 Public
Megistomela
punctatissima
19
Goals
 Create inter-operable "system of systems"
 Establish global clearinghouse
 Assess state of biodiversity
 Monitor change over time
 Quantify and map the causes of change
 Record the impacts of change
 Provide ecological forecasts
Doryphora
pyrrhoptera
Scope
 Broad
 Complete
 Ambitious
 New
Pachylomera femoralis
What value will GEO BON add?
 Global framework for detecting change
 Coordinated observations
 Improved information delivery
 New assessment and forecast products, e.g.
• Global maps of ecosystem services
• Predicted areas of rapid degradation
 End-end continuity
Gymnopleurus nitens
22
End-end continuity
To knowledge and
decision making
From raw
physical data
To electronic
data
To data
processing
To information
generation
23
GEO BON must be
a community-driven activity!
Lamprima latreillei
Observations:
Ecosystems, species, genes, and
ecosystem services
Doryphora undata
Ecosystems
 Global maps
 Terrestrial
 Freshwater
 Marine
 Distribution
 Extent
 Condition
Chrysochroa buqueti
Ecosystems: Change
 What
 How
 Causes
 Consequences
Calodema kirbyi
Ecosystems
GEOSS Global Ecosystem Mapping Task: Geospatial approach
(terrestrial, US)
http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/ecosystems/method.shtml
Species
 Globally:
• How is distribution changing?
• How is abundance changing?
 Coordinated global sampling scheme
• Eg. Pereira and Cooper, TREE, 2006
 Select representative species
 Sample periodically
 Many gaps to fill
 Requires capacity building
Species: Methods
 In-situ sampling
 Remote sensing
 Modeling
 Representative coverage
• Taxa
• Ecosystem types
• Geographic regions
Agelia petelii nigrita
Species: Which ones?
Genes
 Important for…
• Small population sizes
• Large scale harvesting
• Large scale release operations
 Observe genes and variability over
time
• Selected species and genetic
components
Chrysochroa ocellata
Genes: How?
 Because genes and genetic diversity linked
to…
• Species range
• Physical environment
 Can infer change…
• From changes in range extent
or environment
 Use RS and modeling
Leptinotarsa
flavitarsus
Ecosystem goods and services
 Quantify change using indicators
 Goods
• Food and fiber
 Services
• Clean air and water
• Waste disposal
• Pollination
Cladognatha confucius
Implementation
Oxynodera
moczarski
Implementation approach
 Incremental
 Opportunistic
 Collaborative
 Starting point: Topical Working Groups
Doryphora pastica
37
Topical working groups
1. Map concepts to activities
2. Find regional and thematic partners
3. Together, create an implementation plan
Alurnus ornatus
38
Topical working groups
 Ecosystem change
 Terrestrial
 Marine
 Freshwater
 Species change
 Terrestrial
 Genetic change
 Ecosystem services change
 In-situ / remote sensing integration
 Data integration and interoperability
39
Concepts
Topical
Working groups
Activities
Concepts
Regional / thematic
BONs and partners
Implementation
Concept Document
Implementation
Regional and local
implementation
40
Thematic partners
 ILTER
 GBIF
 UNEP-WCMC
 Space agencies
 National wildlife / park agencies
 NGOs
…
Callopistus castelnaudi
41
Possible regional partners
 EBONE
 Asia-Pacific BON
 JBON (research oriented)
 UK BON?
 Southern Africa BON?
?
Alurnus bipunctatus
42
Early products
 Product exemplars
• Populations & drivers of change
• Protected areas tools
• Ecosystems change maps
• Marine (Census of Marine Life)
 Primary obstacle is funding
Pseudomesomphalia
decemguttata
43
Citizen Science
 “Traditional” methods alone not adequate
 Precedents
• Christmas Bird Count
• Breeding Bird Survey
• Feeder Watch
 New efforts are needed
• http://whatsbloomin.com
Calodema wallacei
44
Funding
 Mostly "in-kind"
 Gap-filling
• Sampling
• Tools
 Integrating and extending existing systems
 Marginal cost relatively low
• Leverages base cost
Belinota sumptuosa
Challenges
 Making independently developed systems
work together
 Ensuring appropriate incentives for
partners
 Filling in observation gaps
 Integrating in-situ and remote sensing obs
 Funding and resources
Homoderus mellyi
46
Next steps
 Further engage biodiversity community
 Facilitate regional / thematic BONs
 Develop implementation plans
 Develop funding mechanisms
Doryphora 21punctata
47
Thank you
Near Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Cenistra dohrni
Website: Google “GEO BON”
48