Overview

 

Our understanding of biological systems is inadequate because our knowledge is based on a very limited spatial coverage. In most biomes, data collection is concentrated in a few sites (e.g. research stations), and this highly aggregated distribution of information limits our ability to understand large-scale ecological processes and to properly manage large areas. Aerial photography and satellite imagery have greatly improved our ability to collect information over large areas. The use of these technologies and Geographic Information Systems software have opened up many new areas of research and have greatly improved our understanding of vegetation cover and dynamics, but for other ecosystem components, particularly the fauna, our information base is minimal. Furthermore, long-term information is needed to understand the implications of land-use change and climate change on biological systems. From both a conceptual and management perspective there is an urgent challenge to increase biological data collection over large areas; and this will create a need for new data management and analytical tools.

To address this challenge, the ARBIMON team is developing:

• Temporary and permanent recording stations that will store or transmit raw sound files.
• Database management software.
• Automated species identification software.
• Analytical tools.

Another important aspect of ARBIMON is to promote the use of these hardware/software tools for biodiversity monitoring. We will do this by:

• Having team members initiate new research projects.
• Collaborating with other researchers and organizations.
• Providing the tools and service for researchers and organizations worldwide.
• Providing a complete web-based workflow system for data storage and analyses.