Conference Agenda

The demand for large-scale research in ecology and conservation has given rise to extensive citizen science projects, aiming to harness collective efforts for wildlife monitoring. Despite the integration of intuitive technologies, challenges persist in terms of capacity, standardization, and replicable protocols. Aerial drones have gained popularity as cost-effective tools for surveys, yet the manual processing of drone footage remains time-consuming and labour-intensive. Although automated systems exist, they often struggle with accuracy when processing against complex habitats such as marine environments and may diminish the interactive involvement of citizen scientists. Here, we introduce Dronespot, a semi-automated software designed to streamline the processing of drone footage (videos) with a simple click, emphasising data collection by citizen scientists. Our results reveal that Dronespot outperforms manual methods in detecting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in terms of speed, precision, and recall. Notably, participant experience in video processing made no difference in turtle detections across tests. Dronespot emerges as a potent tool for engaging citizen scientists in drone wildlife monitoring projects, serving as an efficient database generator. By providing an accessible and semi-automated solution for marine wildlife monitoring, Dronespot is positioned to strengthen the link between citizen scientists and the development of effective conservation policies.

After a series of successful reintroductions, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is expanding its range throughout Europe. Timely monitoring can contribute to early detection of environmental impacts and aid in mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and other threats. The signs of beaver presence are difficult to detect in some environments e.g. densely vegetated river banks or when water levels vary considerably. In these cases, new technologies can offer opportunities for easier and faster monitoring. In the current study, we tested the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect species’ presence and observe population expansion through the Danube ecosystem in Northern Bulgaria. We found that UAVs may be less effective in detecting frequencies of occurrence, but can reliably detect the overall presence of beavers, particularly in winter and autumn when vegetation, such as dense tree crowns, does not obscure visibility. UAVs were also more effective in smaller tributaries than in the Danube River. We further discuss other factors that may affect detection and provide tips on piloting. When also considering the time efficiency (approx. 5 min per 300 m transect), using UAVs might be an effective method for monitoring current beaver population distribution and recolonisation patterns.

The degradation of climate and biodiversity are two major crises humans are facing and for which rapid action is needed. Scenarios of changes were developed for both facets. Nowadays it’s essential to find efficient strategies to protect key areas for biodiversity and Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs). Studies at various scales have already been proposed to identify the most suitable areas for combining NCPs and biodiversity as a trade-off, yet was is still lacking is evaluating how change in species distributions could affect NCPs. Based on the establishment of relationships between more than 2,000 species and 17 NCPs, we proposed a novel approach combining species and NCPs interactions to map NCPs for 5 time-scenarios based on the SDM predictions. Thus we finally create synergies between these two components. In our case study, in a large mountain region of the Swiss Alps, this relationship permits to better understand and highlight how the loss of biodiversity can directly impact the loss of NCPs. It’s an opportunity to aware citizens with the evolution of their potential well-being linked to species evolution, but above all this new instrument is an opening for decision-makers and policies to act efficiently with full knowledge of the facts.

In recent years, wild vertebrate populations have suffered severe declines. Monitoring many species is challenging due to their small size, elusiveness, and arboreal nature. Innovative techniques are necessary to complement traditional methods for biodiversity monitoring. One promising tool is iDNA metabarcoding which uses DNA from vertebrates that invertebrates feed on and allows for characterization of vertebrate community. One source of iDNA are scavengers, including carrion flies that are baited using rotten meat or dung in a habitat that needs to be monitored. DNA is usually extracted from the gut contents of insects and amplicon obtained using vertebrate specific primers are sequenced. Recently, a faster, scalable and cheaper approach was described where dissolved fly feces and/or regurgitates can be directly used as template for PCRs. In this study, we focused on Diptera community collected by different baits in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. Based on barcoding of ~1700 flies, we assessed the impact of using different baits (rotten fish, and dung from herbivorous and carnivorous mammals) in different habitats (forests vs pastures) on the fly community captured. We furthermore examined the iDNA using metabarcoding of fly feces/regurgitates These findings are discussed in terms of their implications on vertebrate monitoring.

The current rate of biodiversity loss calls for immediate actions to assess the response of natural communities to increasing anthropogenic pressures, and support the implementation of effective conservation measures. In this context, recent advancements in portable sequencing technologies and the commercialisation of miniaturised laboratory equipment open to possibility utilise DNA metabarcoding analysis for the identification of species in field-laboratory conditions.

Here, we present a portable and cost-effective laboratory system to monitor terrestrial arthropod communities shifts in response to increasing anthropogenic pressures on the remote islands of the Aeolian archipelago (Southern Italy). This is based on the analysis of the COI region of the mitochondrial genome via Oxford Nanopore Technology plc (ONT) MinION™ sequencing for in situ arthropod identification. This approach allows to reduce costs and time of sequencing, while also enabling researchers to establish on-site programmes for the monitoring of animal species in remote and biodiverse areas of the world.