EcoMetric

Biodiversity and environmental responsibility are key concepts in the new EU taxonomy as well as in the vision of organic farming (IFOAM) when producing food while preserving natural resources for future generations. While the goal of transitioning production systems towards sustainability applies to agriculture in general, it is particularly important for organic farming systems to document their contributions to the EU's biodiversity objectives. This can be commercially utilized by the organic sector to enhance its credibility, highlighting its positive environmental and societal contributions.

Biodiversity is difficult to quantify and assess – it is complex, encompassing various groups of organisms, and operates on different spatial and temporal scales. Traditionally, species richness and abundance are included in biodiversity metrics, and the protection of pristine nature often focuses on species richness and rare species. Agro-ecosystems often support low species richness and few rare species. However, a high functional biodiversity may support ecosystem function and services, such as natural pest control and pollination, which are associated with the health, productivity, and stability of the systems. Indicators for terrestrial biodiversity should therefore reflect both taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as contextual dependencies. Moreover, a farmland biodiversity metric should align with decision-makers' and society's perspectives to maximize its utility as a tool, thus enhancing the impact of biodiversity measures and policies.

The purpose of EcoMetric

The EcoMetric project aims to establish a framework for the development of a scientifically grounded system for quantifying biodiversity in organic agricultural landscapes. Key stakeholders will be involved in the process, including authorities, retailers, investors, and green NGOs. The system will build upon the habitat mapping tool Field Ecospace tool currently used for farm advisory purposes, integrating it with ALMaSS (Animal, Landscape and Man Simulation System), which is a simulation system comprising landscapes, agricultural operations, and physical-chemical environments where animals and humans can be modeled.

The project step-by-step:

• Linking habitat quality to the response of indicator species for field biodiversity.
• Scaling up local biodiversity-enhancing measures at the farm level to influence populations of biodiversity indicator species at the landscape level.
• Incorporating spatial and temporal variation of landscapes in biodiversity measurement by modeling the population dynamics of indicator species.
• Involving and gaining acceptance from stakeholders in the development process.

EcoMetric will thus develop a proof-of-concept for a dynamic biodiversity metric aligned with farm advisory services, incorporating spatial and temporal dynamics locally and at the landscape scale, which can be used in regional planning to promote biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.