Using essential biodiversity variables to assess forest ecosystem integrity

Abstract

Introduction: An unprecedented amount of Earth Observations and in-situ data has become available in recent decades, opening up the possibility of developing scalable and practical solutions to assess and monitor ecosystems across the globe. Essential Biodiversity Variables are an example of the integration between Earth Observations and in-situ data for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, with applicability to assess and monitor ecosystem structure, function, and composition. However, studies have yet to explore how such metrics can be organized in an effective workflow to create a composite Ecosystem Integrity Index and differentiate between local plots at the global scale. Methods: Using available Essential Biodiversity Variables, we present and test a framework to assess and monitor forest ecosystem integrity at the global scale. We first defined the theoretical framework used to develop the workflow. We then measured ecosystem integrity across 333 forest plots of 5 km2. We classified the plots across the globe using two main categories of ecosystem integrity (Top and Down) defined using different Essential Biodiversity Variables. Results and discussion: We found that ecosystem integrity was significantly higher in forest plots located in more intact areas than in forest plots with higher disturbance. On average, intact forests had an Ecosystem Integrity Index score of 5.88 (CI: 5.53–6.23), whereas higher disturbance lowered the average to 4.97 (CI: 4.67–5.26). Knowing the state and changes in forest ecosystem integrity may help to deliver funding to priority areas that would benefit from mitigation strategies targeting climate change and biodiversity loss. This study may further provide decision- and policymakers with relevant information about the effectiveness of forest management and policies concerning forests. Our proposed method provides a flexible and scalable solution that facilitates the integration of essential biodiversity variables to monitor forest ecosystems.