European Biodiversity Observation Network
European Biodiversity Observation Network (EBONE)
The European Biodiversity Observation Network (EBONE) is a European contribution on terrestrial monitoring to GEO BON, the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network. EBONE is an EU FP7 project.
Products EBONE
European Monitoring Approach
EBONE has developed an approach that allows to harmonise national and regional procedures in monitoring and that links different levels of monitoring. The outputs concern ecological aspects, technical aspects and governance aspects of a monitoring system based on the knowledge that is available in Europe, Israel and South Africa.
Selection of biodiversity indicators
A Deliverable report has been published on the selection of indicators for EBONE. The main aim of this report is to assess which biodiversity indicators should be selected as the basis for developing new EBONE methodologies for assessing biodiversity.
Habitat Mapping and Recording
The instructions of habitat mapping and recording on this website are taken from the Maual for Habitat and Vegetation Surveillance and Monitoring: Temperate, Mediterranean and Desert Biomes by Bunce, R.G.H., Bogers, M.M. B., Roche, P., Walczak, M. Geijzendorffer., I.R. and R.H.G. Jongman. 2011.
General Habitat Categories
The Habitat Monitoring system is based on General Habitat Categories (GHCs). The definitions of the General Habitat Categories are based on the practical experience of the GB Countryside Survey adapted for Europe on the basis of the validation workshops.
European Environmental Stratification
The Environmental Zones of Europe are derived from the Environmental Stratification of Europe. The stratification is based on climate data, data on the ocean influence and geographical position (northing). Soil data are not distinctive at the level of Europe, as the soil classification systems differ for each country. And they are not continuous but qualitative (class-based) data.
Global Stratification
There is growing urgency for integration and coordination of global environmental and biodiversity data required to respond to the ‘grand challenges’ our planet is facing, including climate change and biodiversity decline. On-going and new programmes are gathering valuable data through a profusion of projects at regional, national and international scales, e.g. the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) programmes, and activities related to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
Annex I Habitats key
In the EBONE project the recognition of Annex I habitats in the field has been considered as an important issue. A hierarchical structure is created in this report within which the Annex I habitats can be identified. The current concept of an expert system emerged during an ECOLAND forum meeting in Almeria south-eastern Spain and further developed in close consultation with the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC-BD).
Field computer programme
In EBONE a standardised programme for field computers has been developed enabling cost efficient and repeatable field observations.
What is EBONE?
The EBONE project ran from April 2008 until March 2012 and focused on the development of a cost effective system of biodiversity data collection at regional, national and European levels.
The project developed a system for a coherent system for data collection that can be used for international comparable assessments.
Recent publications
Bunce, R.G.H., M.M.B. Bogers, D. Evans, R.H.G. Jongman, 2012. Field identification of habitats directive Annex I habitats as a major European biodiversity indicator. Ecol. Indicat. (2012)
Estreguil A.C., G. Caudullo and C. Whitmore, 2012. Habitat landscape pattern and connectivity indices; Used at varying spatial scales for harmonized reporting in the EBONE project; published: 18 Jun 2012; 80 pp. Alterra report 2297.