H2020 ECOPOTENTIAL Project: Enhancing Future Ecosystem Benefits Through Earth Observations
- Type Project
- Status Filled
- Execution 2015 -2019
- Assigned Budget 14.874.340,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing H2020
- Project website Proyecto ECOPOTENTIAL
The project achieved the following main results:
- Identification of research and knowledge needs in protected areas (PA) and conservation challenges.
- Identification of the characteristics, relevance, and uniqueness of the AP network included in the project and its possible extensions.
- Definition of a set of "Storylines," i.e., narratives stimulated by specific ecological challenges posed by climate and anthropogenic pressures on ecosystems.
- Identification/collection/retrieval of the remote sensing and in situ data needed to address the challenges identified in the project storylines, and development of hundreds of remote sensing products, available to any user through the "Protected Areas from Space" web browser ( http://maps.ecopotential-project.eu/).
- Identification of changes occurring in PAs and at the pan-European level for the main ecosystem variables and their meteoclimatic drivers.
- Defining climate change and land-use scenarios, including the implementation of climate downscaling procedures, to drive ecosystem models.
- Identification of essential variables to effectively describe ecosystems and their changes in different PAs.
- Development of EODESM, an open-access system for the automated classification and analysis of land cover changes from remote sensing imagery (Earth observation data for ecosystem monitoring).
- Development of a series of ecosystem models to describe the temporal dynamics of ecosystems and ecosystem services; (10) publication of more than 150 open-access scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and presentation of project results at more than 470 conferences.
- Dissemination of project results to various audiences to raise awareness about the importance of nature conservation.
- Sharing the knowledge created through a range of tools: products and publications are available in open access repositories such as Zenodo ( https://zenodo.org/communities/ecopotentialh2020/?page=1&size=20 ), the GEO portal ( https://www.geoportal.org/ ) and the CNR PUMALab repository (http://pumalab.isti.cnr.it/index.php/it/eu-h2020-project-ecopotential) or through the ECOPOTENTIAL website ( www.ecopotential-project.eu ).
- The EODESM models and system are also available through a virtual laboratory (Vlab) implemented at https://vl.geodab.org, which will be the basis for further development in EU RIs such as LifeWatch ERIC.
- Establishment of a network of scientific collaborations with other projects/programs.
What are ECOPOTENTIAL's stories? Together with the Protected Area's technical staff, ECOPOTENTIAL's scientific partners designed a series of narratives (the Story Lines) that contextualize the project's workflow in specific ecological, management, and policy settings and address the key ecological challenges encountered. The Story Lines specify Earth observation needs for ecosystem modeling, services, multiscale analysis, demands for future protection, policy, and capacity development.
What are essential variables? Essential variables (EVs) for ecosystems are defined as the minimum set of variables that characterize ecosystem status and change. EVs also serve as an effective communication and assessment tool that allows scientists and practitioners to better understand ecosystem conditions and changes, thereby better targeting monitoring initiatives and policy design.
Healthy ecosystems provide essential goods and services and are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, anthropogenic pressures, including climate change, seriously threaten ecosystem integrity, functions, and processes, potentially leading to the loss of ecosystem services (the benefits they provide to humanity).
In this context, protected areas (PAs) are a crucial component of natural capital, harboring rare and fragile habitats and species, supporting biodiversity, and providing ecosystem services often inaccessible in surrounding regions. Appropriate management and conservation require quantitative knowledge of the current and projected status and changes in ecosystems. Recent advances in Earth observation (remote sensing and in situ measurements) offer new opportunities to monitor ecosystem functions, processes, and services, as well as the pressures they face.
The project focused its research activities and pilot actions on a specific set of protected areas, including mountainous, arid and semi-arid, coastal, and marine ecosystems, assessing projected ecosystem changes and providing products and tools based on Earth observation data to facilitate monitoring of ongoing changes and support effective PA management.
A comprehensive approach was followed, carefully considering biotic-abiotic interactions. The project implemented climate-driven ecological models capable of generating future ecosystem projections, complemented by corresponding uncertainty estimates. The project considered changes in provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services, as well as policy development, included citizen science activities, and supported capacity building and outreach activities with PA staff.
The scientific results have been published following open access standards, and all data, models, and knowledge acquired have been made available on various common and open platforms and repositories, contributing to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), thereby benefiting scientists, protected area managers, and citizens.
Terrestrial and marine ecosystems provide essential services to human societies. However, anthropogenic pressures pose serious threats to ecosystems, leading to habitat degradation, increased risk of collapse, and loss of ecosystem services. Knowledge-based conservation, management, and restoration policies are needed to enhance ecosystem benefits in the face of increasing pressures. ECOPOTENTIAL achieves significant advances beyond the state of the art and creates a unified framework for ecosystem studies and protected area (PA) management. ECOPOTENTIAL focuses on internationally recognized PAs in Europe and beyond across a wide range of biogeographic regions, and includes UNESCO, Natura 2000, and LTER sites, as well as large marine ecosystems.
Better use of Earth observation and monitoring (EO) data is enabled by the new open-access EO ecosystem data services (ECOPERNICUS). Modeling approaches that include information from EO data are designed, ecosystem services are assessed under current and future conditions, and the requirements for future protected areas are defined. Conceptual approaches based on essential variables, macrosystem ecology, and cross-scale interactions allow for a deeper understanding of the Earth's critical zone. Open and interoperable access to data and knowledge is ensured by a GEO ecosystem virtual laboratory platform, fully integrated into GEOSS.
Support is being developed for transparent, knowledge-based conservation and management policies, capable of incorporating information from EO data. The knowledge acquired in PAs is being extended to pan-European conditions and used for the planning and management of future PAs. A permanent stakeholder advisory group (GEO Ecosystem Community of Practice) will be established. Capacity building is being pursued at all levels. SMEs are involved to gain experience that will lead to new job opportunities, ensuring the long-term continuity of services. In short, ECOPOTENTIAL uses the most advanced technologies to enhance the future benefits of ecosystems for humanity.
ECOPOTENTIAL considers ecosystems to be a single physical system with their environment, characterized by strong geosphere-biosphere-anthroposphere interactions at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Drawing on knowledge acquired in individual Protected Areas (PAs) and Earth observation data, ECOPOTENTIAL addressed geosphere-biosphere interactions from local to continental scales. The project provided a comprehensive and up-to-date view of PA ecosystems, as well as an assessment of ongoing changes in their meteoclimatic, environmental, and ecological conditions, boosting the use of remote sensing observations in nature conservation and ecosystem management. The project developed a suite of models to estimate current and future ecosystem conditions in a specific set of PAs. ECOPOTENTIAL contributed to making existing Earth observations accessible, usable, and interoperable, developing new remote sensing products and analysis frameworks. Furthermore, ECOPOTENTIAL defined the needs and requirements of future protected areas and adapted its findings to broader regional and continental scales, developing a methodology that can be extended beyond the selected protected areas. An Ecosystem Community of Practice has been established as a contribution to GEO ECO activities. The Virtual Laboratory Platform, developed during the project, allows access to the developed models and software and will inform other programs and projects such as LifeWatch ERIC, eLTER RI, GEO ECO, and ERA Planet, ensuring continuity of the project's approach and achievements. A presentation at the European Parliament facilitated scientific and technological knowledge for better decision-making.
- CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (CNR)
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