SIG | Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (EO-BES)

About

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Methodological and Application Innovations

To promote innovation in methodologies and applications, we invite contributions that advance EO’s role in the following areas:

1. Remote Sensing Methodologies for Biodiversity Monitoring for mapping ecosystem structure and condition, ecosystem traits, and functional diversity, including the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). This includes innovations in spectral analysis, time-series modelling, and classification methods using data from satellite and airborne sources. Emphasis is placed on scalable, reproducible workflows that support biodiversity monitoring across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine domains.
2. Habitat and Ecosystem Services Modelling focusing on habitat extent, fragmentation, and connectivity using EO data. We welcome work that applies remote sensing to assess habitat changes over time, land degradation, ecosystem services to support conservation prioritization. Applications that link EO-derived habitat metrics to species movement and distribution are equally relevant.
3. Climate-Biodiversity Interactions EO-based research that explores the impacts of climate change on biodiversity—such as shifts in phenology, vegetation dynamics, or ecosystem vulnerability—is of high interest. Contributions may include modelling future biodiversity trajectories under climate scenarios or detecting early warning signals of ecosystem stress.
4. Nature-Based Solutions and Restoration Monitoring As remote sensing specialists, we are increasingly required to develop EO workflows for evaluating the effectiveness of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and ecosystem restoration efforts. This includes monitoring vegetation recovery, carbon sequestration, and hydrological impacts using EO data, with relevance to climate mitigation and disaster risk reduction.
5. SEEA Ecosystem Accounting and Biodiversity Indicators EO applications that support ecosystem extent and condition mappingin alignment with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA EA)are welcomed. We also invite work on developing EO-derived indicators that inform biodiversity policy, track progress toward SDGs (especially SDG 13 and 15), and contribute to National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
6. Cross-Sectoral Integration We encourage interdisciplinary research that connects EO-based biodiversity and ecosystem services monitoring with sectors such as agriculture, urban planning,finance, andpublic health.Studies that demonstrate how EO can inform biodiversity-positive investments, sustainable land-use practices, or climate-resilient infrastructure are particularly welcome.
7. EO-Driven Science-Policy Insights While policy design may lie beyond the technical scope of this SIG, we as remote sensing specialists play a key role at the science-policy interface in supporting frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, andSEEA EA. We therefore encourage submissions that demonstrate how EO data can be translated into decision-ready products for planners and stakeholders.

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Workshops

The SIG on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services will organise regular workshops. These events will feature invited oral presentations, posters, and ample time for discussion and exchange. The goal of the workshops is to serve as a platform for researchers to share cutting-edge Earth Observation (EO) methods and applications for monitoring biodiversity, assessing ecosystem services, and informing conservation and restoration strategies.

Upcoming Session

1st EO-BES Session is planned

Athens, Greece | 29 Sept – 2 Oct 2026

The workshop will be held within the frame of the 45th EARSeL Symposium. More information about the Special Session is available on the EARSeL Symposium website under the ‘Special Sessions’ section here: https://athens2026.earsel.org/?page_id=462.

Past related events

Ecosystem Services and NbS – From Local Wisdom Towards Global Sustainability Through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) World Conference, Darwin, Australia, 23-27 June 2025 Focused on integrating local knowledge and AI/ML to scale Nature-based Solutions (NbS) globally.

Artificial Intelligence and Ecosystem Services – Advancements in AI in the Field of Ecosystem Services for Transformative Change: 5^th ESP Europe Conference, Wageningen, The Netherlands 18–22 November 2024. A session exploring how AI is reshaping the way we assess and manage ecosystem services.

Biodiversity and Animals in the Earth System – A Geoscience Perspective: European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 28 April – 2 May 2025 Explored how biodiversity and animal dynamics shape Earth system processes, with a focus on nature-based solutions, bio-cultural diversity, and EO-supported restoration strategies.

Forests in Dynamic Social-Ecological Contexts: EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022 Addressed the role of forests within complex socio-ecological systems, highlighting forest-based strategies for climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and bio-economy transitions in the Global South.

Land Use Dynamics, Land Degradation and Insights for Land Sustainability in Agriculture and Forest Landscapes: EGU General Assembly, Online, 19–30 April 2021 Focused on understanding land use change and degradation processes across scales, and their implications for sustainable land management in agricultural and forest systems.

Sustaining Forests in Mosaic Landscapes: 11^th IALE World Congress, Nairobi, Kenya, 10–15 July 2023  

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Contribution to International Expert Groups

• The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Scenarios and Models task force
• Science Policy Interface group of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD-SPI)
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Scenarios-based Model Intercomparison work group (BES-SIM 2)
• European Geosciences Union Biodiversity Task Force
• Commission on Ecosystem Management of the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN (CEM)

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List of Relevant Projects

• Evidence-based control and monitoring of Garden Lupine for the conservation of species-rich road verges
• SUSTAINFORESTS – Tropical Forest Patches Under Pressure
• LDIMapping – Monitoring land degradation in the Central District of Botswana. A three-tier land degradation index mapping approach

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Relevant Publications

Iheaturu, C. J., Hepner, S., Batchelor, J. L., Agonvonon, G. A., Akinyemi, F. O., Wingate, V. R., & Speranza, C. I. (2024). Integrating UAV LiDAR and multispectral data to assess forest status and map disturbance severity in a West African forest patch. Ecological Informatics, 84, 102876.

Iheaturu, C., Wingate, V., Akinyemi, F. O., & Speranza, C. I. (2025). An integrated object-based sampling approach for validating non-contiguous forest cover maps in fragmented tropical landscapes. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 139.

Wingate, V. R., Akinyemi, F. O., & Speranza, C. I. (2023). Archetypes of remnant West African forest patches, their main characteristics and geographical distribution. Applied Geography, 158, 103024.

Wingate, V. R., Akinyemi, F. O., Iheaturu, C. J., & Ifejika Speranza, C. (2022). A remote sensing-based inventory of West Africa tropical forest patches: a basis for enhancing their conservation and sustainable use. Remote Sensing, 14(24), 6251.

Bär, V., Akinyemi, F. O., & Speranza, C. I. (2023). Land cover degradation in the reference and monitoring periods of the SDG land degradation neutrality indicator for Switzerland. Ecological Indicators, 151, 110252.

Akinyemi, F. O. (2021). Vegetation trends, drought severity and land use-land cover change during the growing season in semi-arid contexts. Remote Sensing, 13(5), 836.

Akinyemi, F. O., & Kgomo, M. O. (2019). Vegetation dynamics in African drylands: an assessment based on the Vegetation Degradation Index in an agro-pastoral region of Botswana. Regional Environmental Change, 19(7), 2027-2039.

Haas, J., & Ban, Y. (2016). Mapping and monitoring urban ecosystem services using multitemporal high-resolution satellite data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 10(2), 669-680.

Hill, C., Akinyemi, F., Bruckman, V., Carrasco, R., Ekberzade, B., Izdebski, A., … & Sofo, A. (2023). Restoring Forest Ecosystems: Evidence-Based Insights for Policymakers.

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Contact us

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