sMon is a Synthesis Project of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. We aim at combining and harmonizing exemplary datasets of different taxa and habitats and to evaluate the potentials and limits for analyzing changes in the state of biodiversity  in Germany. based on these insights, we will derive perspective for future biodiversity monitoring programs in Germany.

Motivation

• Many species in Germany are are  threatened  or endangered and many indicators point at an progressive loss in species occurrences and/or abundances 
• statistically sound data for changes in biodiversity is lacking for most species grooups in Germany or such information is only available in coarse scales

Aims

• Screening, harmonizing and integrating heterogeneous time series data from different sources and from exemplary species groups (e.g. vascular plants, amphibians, orthopterans)
• Development of statistical methods to derive statistically sound trends for species from these taxa based on this heterogeneous data
• Assisting in the indentification of statistical cornerstones for the collection of biodiversity data within an efficient future biodiversity monitoring scheme in Germany

Methods

• We will focus on data from federal agencies, nature conservation organisations and professional societiesfor the exemplay taxa as well as scientific institutions
• we will carry out exemplary time-series analyses  based on non-systematic, non- random and potentially spatially and temporally misaligned species-observation data. Here, we will account for the heterogeneity in the methods and the origin of the data. Moreover, we will try to integrate potential drivers for the changes in biodiversity data
• We will identify gaps in existing data and assist in developping potential improvements for future data assessment
• In cooperation with stakeholders from a variety of organisations and experts in data analysis, we will organize regular sDiv-Workshops to bring together a broad spectrum of knowledge and expertise

Other Documents

Flyer: sMon Biodiversitätstrends in Deutschland