Knowledge gaps exist for many habitats and species (Biodiversity strategy). In response, the consortium ‘Forensic Intelligence and Remote Sensing Technologies for nature conservation’ (Nature FIRST) proposed a number of innovations for monitoring nature by combining ecology sciences and environmental forensics with environmental observations (satellite-based and on-site). This novel approach resulted in propositions and related services for: 1. Biodiversity monitoring in Natura 2000 areas, for both habitats and species; 2. Early warning systems for the prevention of Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWC); 3. Management and compliance reporting.
Services include tools as well as methods, including software, checklists, instruction videos and more. The research objective is to move from a reactive approach and remediation of biodiversity loss to a preventive approach and a move from Human-Wildlife Conflict to Human-Wildlife Coexistence (HWCo). Existing technologies combined with new technologies and data science allow proactive nature conservation management. Semantic web technology is used to create knowledge-graphs that interlink and harmonise diverse data sources to provide new insights. Forensic data science and techniques are used to equip conservation managers with observation skills. These new observations are being combined with remote sensing data from wildlife cameras (camera-traps), drones and satellites, into automated risk and likelihood maps. Finally, predictive digital twins are being developed: two species related (bear and sturgeon) and one aimed at more integral biodiversity monitoring). Tools are co-developed with four field site partners, representing different habitat-species combinations in Europe. 1. Ancares-Courel in Spain (key species: bear, wolf), 2. Stara Planina Mountain (key species: bear, wolf) in Bulgaria, 3. Danube Delta (key species: sturgeon) in Romania, and 4. Maramures Transboundary Area (key species: bear, wolf, lynx, golden jackal) between Ukraine and Romania. A Policy Lab was to familiarise policy makers with the tools they can use for management as well as compliance assurance purposes.
The result is a tool suite comprising:
● human-wildlife conflict mapping and near real-time conflict radar (precursor to the illegal killing of wildlife).
● habitat/land use mapping and change monitoring (detection of illegal activities such as logging, degradation/fragmentation, waste, forest fires).
● knowledge graph (KG) for biodiversity (AI-driven backbone to linking different data and languages).
● wildlife forensic knowledge exchange and portable forensic toolkit (hands-on training and equipment for non-experts and experts in handling crime scenes).
