Cyprus Case Study

Aves Echo (Bird Sound Identification Tool)

The case study focused on the pilot implementation of acoustic monitoring of avifauna to test the feasibility of implementing the species audio identification algorithms, as a valuable supplement to the conventional ornithological monitoring approach based on human observations, which is the current practice in Cyprus bird monitoring. Four sensors were installed, in summer and autumn, to collect all sounds of the environment, covering the birds’ migration. For the purposes of the project, Naturalis Biodiversity Center implemented a bulk analysis of the passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) sound collections to investigate the patterns of occurrence of bird vocalisations. Some of the bird sounds identified had low confidence score due to the noise pollution coming from industrial activities. 127 recordings with high confidence score, resulted from the four sensors where this number refers to 54 unique bird species. This information was included in the Integrated GUARDEN System/Decision Support Application (DSA)  as part of the biodiversity observations.

Pl@ntNet

Pl@ntNet is a citizen science platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate the identification and inventory of plant species. It is one of the world’s largest biodiversity observatories, with several million contributors in over 200 countries. Within this case study, experts established a total of 60 plots (3 x 10-plot transects per habitat) and uploaded a photo per plot accompanied with species identification and additional information to help train the Pl@ntNet tool. A total of 57 taxa were included in the Pl@ntNet App. Pl@ntNet successfully identified alien (non-native), ornamental and planted species, invasive plants, as well as native species with wide distribution. Lower accuracy or no match was recorded for endemic taxa. All recordings regarding flora, using the described protocol, were included in the Integrated GUARDEN System/Decision Support Application (DSA) as part of the biodiversity observations.

The Dashboard, as part of the biodiversity observations, also included available plant species identified and photographed by citizens who made new entries from Vasilikos area through the Pl@ntNet platform.

GeoPl@ntNet

GeoPl@ntNet is an interactive web application designed to make Essential Biodiversity Variables accessible and understandable to all, through dynamic maps and fact sheets. In the Cyprus case study, stakeholders provided information to allow the creation of high-resolution, AI-generated maps of predictions in plant species distribution and habitats, as well as biodiversity indicators at the area of study. The indicators and maps were included in the  DSA.

Ecosystem Services Mapping and Future Trajectories

An integrated approach toward defining the future trajectories of biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) was designed to assess and visualize the current and potential future states of biodiversity and ES. The stakeholders provided the information needed for the development of maps which illustrated how development plans may influence habitat quality, particularly in and around areas where new infrastructure was planned. The InVEST Habitat Quality Model (HQM) was used to assess current and future habitat quality. The future scenarios assessed included: (a) Business-As-Usual Scenario for current activities within the wider zone of Vasilikos area of economic growth and (b) Development Scenario for the extent and intensity of the areas impacted in terms of biodiversity and ES, during the implementation of the Master Plan and the full operation of the energy centre, as the area surrounding the core infrastructure was severely affected. The results were included in the DSA.

Landscape Dynamics

The tool focused on detecting and monitoring land use and land cover (LULC) changes, as well as vegetation dynamics over time, through the integration of satellite imagery, remote sensing techniques, and machine learning methodologies. The stakeholders provided the information needed for the development of maps and the results were included in the DSA.

Integrated GUARDEN System – Decision Support Application

The GUARDEN Integrated Decision Support Application (DSA) is a comprehensive platform designed to support environmental monitoring and decision-making. The results of all tools used for the Cyprus case study were presented in this Application and are available for use by end-users.