Biodiversity Building Blocks for policy

Project Information

B3

Grant agreement ID: 101059592

DOI

10.3030/101059592

Project closed

EC signature date 5 December 2022

Start date 1 March 2023

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 4 853 333,75

EU contribution

€ 4 778 526,50

Coordinated by

AGENTSCHAP PLANTENTUIN MEISE
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - B3 (Biodiversity Building Blocks for policy)

Reporting period: 2024-09-01 to 2026-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

During RP2, B3 made substantial progress towards its core objective of transforming large-scale biodiversity data into reproducible, policy-relevant data products, indicators and workflows. A major achievement was the deployment of the GBIF SQL-based occurrence cube service, integrated into the GBIF Download API and accessible through the GBIF website, command line tools, and R and Python libraries. This service enables users to generate DOI-backed occurrence cubes and other SQL-based biodiversity data products, marking a significant step from prototype development towards operational biodiversity monitoring infrastructure. By 1 April, the service had recorded 11,053 downloads, including 9,803 successful downloads, from 241 unique users, showing strong early uptake beyond the consortium.
The project also strengthened the quality, openness and reproducibility of its software and data infrastructure. A second software quality assessment reviewed 26 B3-related tools, which met project requirements overall at 81%, with improvements among tools assessed previously. The public B3 documentation website was completed and now provides a centralised, searchable and peer-reviewed hub for guides, tutorials and technical specifications. In parallel, B3 advanced FAIR data practices through improved interoperability between species occurrence cubes and the Essential Biodiversity Variables infrastructure, including API-accessible metadata and workflows for publishing harmonised geospatial outputs as EBV Cubes.
B3 delivered important modelling and indicator outputs during the reporting period. WP4 produced documented workflows for suitability, dissimilarity and invasibility cubes, supported by open-source software and tutorials. WP5 delivered a suite of indicator tools within the b3verse ecosystem, including workflows for general biodiversity indicators, phylogenetic diversity, alien-species impact indicators and uncertainty assessment. These tools support the full workflow from data generation and processing to indicator calculation, robustness assessment and visualisation, and are increasingly ready for integration into dashboards and user-facing policy applications.
The project’s case studies moved from planning into implementation. B3 tools are being tested in global Ramsar wetland analyses, South African biological invasion reporting, biological invasions in Flanders, and a stakeholder-driven case study on Habitats Directive reporting. These case studies demonstrate how occurrence cubes, indicators and diagnostic workflows can support real policy contexts, while also providing feedback to improve the underlying tools. In particular, the project is showing how open occurrence data can complement official monitoring where bias and data-quality issues are assessed transparently.
Stakeholder engagement, dissemination and training remained strong during RP2. The B3 website received 16,322 visits, 62 news items were published, and the project participated in 41 dissemination events. B3 published eleven journal articles, seven preprints and three policy briefs, including a joint policy brief with sister projects AD4GD, USAGE and FAIRiCUBE on Green Deal Data Space recommendations. Capacity building also expanded through a six-part webinar series and several hands-on workshops; the first two webinars attracted 196 participants from 49 countries and 157 participants from 44 countries, respectively.
Project management, quality control and sustainability were reinforced. The Work Plan and SOP was revised during RP2 to remain aligned with project needs, the risk register was updated, and the deliverable review process continued to support timely, high-quality submissions. The D1.8 Sustainability Report identified 148 project outputs and provided a framework for their continued accessibility, maintenance and impact beyond the project. B3 also responded to the previous review recommendation on impact tracking by developing an impact register based on Table 2.1 of the Grant Agreement, linking expected impacts to evidence collected during RP2 and planned tracking during RP3.
Overall, RP2 was a period of consolidation and transition from development to operational use. B3 has delivered core infrastructure, software, documentation, indicators and case-study workflows, while also expanding its community, policy engagement and sustainability planning.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A primary technical accomplishment is the establishment of species occurrence data cubes, which enable biodiversity data to be organised and analysed across spatial, temporal, and taxonomic dimensions. These data cubes are central to the project’s aim of providing a reliable system for biodiversity data storage and analysis, with the flexibility to support a broad range of research and policy needs. To facilitate the effective use of these data cubes, B3 has also developed workflows and technical guidelines, which help ensure that project tools and outputs are both reproducible, adaptable and FAIR. These workflows are designed with the needs of biodiversity data users in mind, allowing for robust analyses and more reliable ecosystem monitoring. Additionally, the guidelines establish clear standards for software, which is essential for maintaining consistency across the project’s tools and applications. B3 has also advanced work on biodiversity indicators, which provide metrics for assessing ecosystem health and tracking biodiversity change. These indicators draw on data from the data cubes and cover multiple aspects of biodiversity, including species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the impacts of invasive species. The project has also begun integrating deep learning techniques into species distribution modelling, focusing on mitigating biases related to inconsistent sampling efforts.
The landscape analyses identified how B3’s tools can meet stakeholder needs and support biodiversity conservation objectives. These analyses have guided the development of tools and indicators to align them with current policy frameworks, ensuring they provide actionable insights for biodiversity management.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project’s biodiversity data cubes are a notable outcome, providing a structured way to organise and analyse species data that is aligned with FAIR principles. These data cubes facilitate a more consistent approach to analysing biodiversity trends, allowing users to identify patterns and gaps in biodiversity data. Combined with the project’s workflows and quality-assured software guidelines, these outputs enable researchers, conservationists, and policymakers to access, interpret, and apply biodiversity data more effectively.

The project’s biodiversity indicators—covering species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and invasive species impacts—provide metrics for evaluating ecosystem health. They support policymakers by delivering measurable data on biodiversity that can inform conservation efforts and environmental management practices. As B3 tools are designed to be interoperable with major biodiversity data infrastructures like GBIF, they already align well with data standards, yet ongoing coordination with regulatory and standardisation bodies will ensure their sustained relevance.