Understanding how and why biodiversity is changing depends on the strength of the evidence that is available. A new report, 'Towards a UK Biodiversity Observation Network', funded by the NC-UK Stakeholder Engagement Fund, explores how well the UK’s current biodiversity monitoring network is working and what is needed to create a more integrated, future-proof approach. UKCEH ecological modeller, Dr Francesca Mancini, explains more.
The UK is one of the best monitored countries in the world, with decades of data collected across taxa, much of it driven by citizen science. But this richness comes with a challenge: the monitoring landscape is highly fragmented. Many schemes operate in isolation, with gaps, duplication, and inconsistent standards limiting the full potential of the data.
To better understand these issues, the project engaged a wide range of stakeholders, from researchers and NGOs to local authorities and Local Environmental Records Centres, through interviews and a workshop at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting.
Their message was clear: while there is no shortage of biodiversity data, accessing, sharing, and integrating it remains difficult. Barriers include unclear data flows, technical and licensing constraints, limited capacity, and a lack of alignment between local and national monitoring efforts.
There is strong enthusiasm for a more coordinated approach among the biodiversity monitoring community. The report highlights the potential for a UK Biodiversity Observation Network (UK BON) to act as the “connective tissue” of the monitoring system: linking existing schemes, improving data standards, and enabling evidence to flow more effectively between regional and national scales to enable rapid policy responses. Importantly, the vision for UK BON is not to replace existing initiatives, but to add value, supporting the many organisations and networks already contributing to biodiversity monitoring across the UK.
Looking ahead, UK BON has the potential to become a key part of the UK’s environmental monitoring infrastructure: fostering collaboration, strengthening the evidence base, and ensuring that biodiversity data can better inform decisions at local and national levels. UK BON offers a pathway towards a more integrated, and impactful monitoring system that will bring the UK into the Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS), strengthening its contribution to international biodiversity monitoring and aligning national efforts with global targets.