A framework for the detection and attribution of biodiversity change

The causes of biodiversity change are of great scientific interest and central to policy efforts aimed at meeting biodiversity targets. Changes in species diversity and high rates of compositional turnover have been reported worldwide. In many cases, trends in biodiversity are detected, but these trends are rarely causally attributed to possible drivers. A formal framework and guidelines for the detection and attribution of biodiversity change is needed. We propose an inferential framework to guide detection and attribution analyses, which identifies five steps-causal modelling, observation, estimation, detection and attribution-for robust attribution. This workflow provides evidence of biodiversity change in relation to hypothesized impacts of multiple potential drivers and can eliminate putative drivers from contention. The framework encourages a formal and reproducible statement of confidence about the role of drivers after robust methods for trend detection and attribution have been deployed. Confidence in trend attribution requires that data and analyses used in all steps of the framework follow best practices reducing uncertainty at each step. We illustrate these steps with examples. This framework could strengthen the bridge between biodiversity science and policy and support effective actions to halt biodiversity loss and the impacts this has on ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions'.

Analysis and Evaluation of Ecological Environment Monitoring Based on PIE Remote Sensing Image Processing Software

With the continuous improvement of people’s demand for ecological environment quality, the research on ecological environment monitoring, analysis and evaluation had been paid more and more attention by relevant departments and personnel. Because the images collected by remote sensing technology were many and multi-source, the features extracted from remote sensing images using traditional methods had been difficult to meet the needs of related industry applications. Therefore, this paper made use of the advantages of PIE remote sensing image processing software in data analysis and processing, and put forward the research on ecological environment monitoring, analysis and evaluation methods. Firstly, on the basis of summarizing the concepts and related problems of ecological environment, this paper analyzed the processing methods of remote sensing data sources of ecological environment, and explained the evaluation standards and common methods of ecological environment. Secondly, the composition of PIE remote sensing image processing technology system and its application advantages were described, the common indicators and analysis methods of ecological environment monitoring were given, and the index system and model of ecological environment comprehensive evaluation were established. Finally, through the analysis of experimental cases, the results showed that the ecological environment monitoring analysis and evaluation method proposed in this paper was feasible. Compared with the traditional methods, the method proposed in this paper could objectively evaluate the ecological environment. This paper can not only provide support for the analysis and processing of remote sensing image data, but also provide an important reference for the application of remote sensing technology in the field of ecological environment.

Conceptualizing ecosystem services using social-ecological networks

Social-ecological networks (SENs) represent the complex relationships between ecological and social systems and are a useful tool for analyzing and managing ecosystem services. However, mainstreaming the application of SENs in ecosystem service research has been hindered by a lack of clarity about how to match research questions to ecosystem service conceptualizations in SEN (i.e., as nodes, links, attributes, or emergent properties). Building from different disciplines, we propose a typology to represent ecosystem service in SENs and identify opportunities and challenges of using SENs in ecosystem service research. Our typology provides guidance for this growing field to improve research design and increase the breadth of questions that can be addressed with SEN to understand human-nature interdependencies in a changing world.