GEOEssential Work Package 4  Workshop , 24-26 July 2018, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (BiK-F) Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

In July, the GEOEssential Work Package 4 (WP4) members met in Frankfurt to discuss progress, establish collaborations, and define next steps to be taken. The event was organized by Aidin Niamir, Ricarda Prinz, Marta Gómez Giménez, and Thomas Hickler (BiK-F). This WP is based on five pillars: i) mapping the data landscape and data determination of EVs for Biodiversity and Ecosystems (led by CREAF); ii) species distribution and biodiversity indicators (led by GFZ); iii) ecosystem functioning and EBV indicators resilience (led by CNR), iv) strategies for supporting biodiversity policy needs (directed by MfN); v) development of input and evaluation data sets for process-based models (led by BiK-F); and vi) transfer of biodiversity and ecosystem essential variables and indicators to the GEOEssential Dashboard (driven by UNIGE).

This workshop was useful to keep track of ongoing activities and define future steps to meet project requirements. In particular, the project leader, Anthony Lehmann, provided an overview of the current activities carried out in different WPs within GEOEssential. Ivette Serral Montoro (CREAF) presented her previous work related to improving the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Horizon 2020 project ConnectinGEO. Building on that, she will identify data gaps to monitor SDGs within the framework of GEOEssential. Carsten Neumann (GFZ) showed the work carried out on the NaTec-KRH project, and highlighted synergies to monitor globally EBVs. Saverio Vicario (CNR) introduced his work on ecosystem resilience and prepared the ground for collaborations with other task leaders to develop workflows. André Mascarenhas (MfN) provided an update on linkages between SDGs, IPBES indicators, and EBVs, and on the establishment of a “strategy group” for increasing stakeholders engagement. Marta Gómez Giménez (BiK-F) presented a paper that she co-authored on model inputs and evaluation datasets for process-based models. This paper has been recently submitted to the International Journal of Digital Earth. To conclude the workshop Aidin Niamir discussed the possibilities of linking the workflows developed in different WPs to a dashboard (WP7).

We finalized the workshop with a visit to the new exhibition on biodiversity at the Senckenberg Museum.

Fig. 1 Workshop participants, from left to right: Aidin Niamir, Saverio Vicario, Anthony Lehmann, Ivette Serral Montoro, Marta Gómez Giménez, Carsten Neumann, André Mascarenhas, Ricarda Prinz.