Changes in Earth’s biodiversity can be tracked from space

Life on Earth is complex and ever-changing. Scientists have long relied on ground-based methods to study biodiversity, but these approaches have limits. Observing ecosystems from space provides a new way to monitor biodiversity across vast landscapes and oceans.

Thanks to advances in satellite technology and aerial imaging, researchers can track changes in biodiversity with greater precision.

A multinational team of scientists, led by UC Merced civil and environmental engineering Professor Erin Hestir, has taken a major step forward in this field. With funding from NASA, the team launched BioSCape, an ambitious research project designed to measure biodiversity from the sky.

The goal is to test new techniques for tracking life on land and in water, using data collected from aircraft and satellites.

Space technology to study biodiversity

The BioSCape project brought together experts from different disciplines and countries.

Hestir led the effort alongside University of Buffalo geography Professor Adam Wilson and Professor Jasper Slingsby from the University of Cape Town.

Over six weeks in late 2024, the team gathered critical data in South Africa’s Greater Cape Floristic Region, one of the most ecologically diverse places on Earth.

“Over just six weeks, more than 160 scientists from around the world came together to collect and analyze data across terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots,” said Wilson.

The team’s work was not limited to a single approach. They combined data from multiple sources, using both aircraft and on-the-ground research to create a detailed picture of the region’s ecosystems.

Their efforts have provided new insights into how different species interact, how landscapes change over time, and how environmental factors influence biodiversity.

Capturing life from the air

Three aircraft played a crucial role in the BioSCape project. Two NASA planes and one South African aircraft flew over the Greater Cape Floristic Region, capturing a variety of images.

These included ultraviolet, visual, and thermal data, which allowed researchers to detect patterns that would be impossible to see from the ground.

“This was NASA’s first ever biodiversity-focused campaign,” Hestir said. “We successfully hit all our measurement targets, and the data collected are contributing to novel techniques and methods to be able to monitor biodiversity from space across the globe. It’s a lot of exciting science.”

By using advanced imaging techniques, the experts gained a new perspective on ecosystems. They could see how plant communities were arranged, how species moved across different environments, and how climate changes affected biodiversity.

This method of data collection provided a powerful tool for studying ecosystems on a large scale.

Importance of airborne studies

Before investing in a new satellite, scientists must be certain that their instruments will work as expected. Airborne studies allow researchers to test their methods before committing to expensive space missions.

The BioSCape team used this approach to ensure that their biodiversity monitoring techniques could eventually be adapted for satellite use in space.

“It’s very expensive to launch a satellite into space,” Slingsby said. “You have to be certain it will achieve its mission before taking that step.“

“That’s why we begin with airborne studies – they serve as a critical proving ground. If we can successfully gather data from a plane, it brings us one step closer to understanding how to achieve the same from space.”

The data collected during BioSCape showed that these techniques could work. Scientists now have a roadmap for expanding their research beyond South Africa. If these methods prove successful on a larger scale, future satellites could monitor biodiversity across the entire planet.

Developing strategies to protect biodiversity

The team chose the Greater Cape Floristic Region as it is known for its extraordinary levels of biodiversity, but it also faces significant conservation challenges. Climate change, habitat destruction, and human activity have put many species at risk.

In addition to its ecological importance, the region has a well-developed research community focused on biodiversity conservation.

By working in this area, the BioSCape team could collaborate with local scientists and build on existing knowledge. The project also contributed valuable data that will support future conservation efforts.

Their findings helped researchers examine changes in species distribution, ecosystem resilience, and the ways in which nature supports human communities. This information is essential for developing effective strategies to protect biodiversity in a rapidly changing world.

Expanding access to scientific data

One of the most important aspects of BioSCape is its commitment to sharing information. The team made their data freely available to scientists and the public, ensuring that their findings can be used to support biodiversity research using space-based technology worldwide.

Addressing biodiversity loss requires accurate, up-to-date information. By making their data open-access, the researchers hope to advance conservation efforts and inspire new scientific discoveries.

The team’s methods could lead to better tools for tracking biodiversity, which would help governments, conservation organizations, and communities make informed decisions about protecting the environment.

Space missions to improve biodiversity tracking

BioSCape has already led to new insights, but the team believes this is only the beginning. Their work is building scientific capacity in South Africa and beyond, equipping researchers with the tools needed to monitor biodiversity more effectively.

“BioSCape is building technical capacity in South Africa and we hope to prepare the community to take advantage of NASA’s advanced and freely available satellite imagery to improve conservation,” noted Anabelle Cardoso, the science team manager.

“In a year from now we will have new findings and better insights, advancing cutting-edge technology so we can measure life on Earth from space,” said Hestir.

The ability to track biodiversity from space could transform the way scientists study ecosystems. By refining these techniques, researchers can improve conservation efforts, detect environmental changes more quickly, and gain a deeper understanding of how life on Earth functions.

With the success of BioSCape, the next steps are clear. Expanding these efforts globally could lead to a new era of biodiversity research – one where space-based observations provide crucial data for protecting life on our planet.

The study is published in the journal npj Biodiversity.

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