Biodiversity Building Blocks for policy (B3)

Decision makers on biodiversity need uptodate information from which to evaluate policy options. Only by leveraging large volumes of data, advanced modelling techniques and powerful computing tools can we hope to synthesise these data within timescales that are relevant to policy. Data on biodiversity come from a diverse range of sources, but integrating these data is a major, but necessary challenge, if we are to create dependable information on biodiversity change. B3 will use the concept of data cubes to simplify and standardise access to biodiversity data. These cubes will be used, in conjunction with other environmental data, as the basis for models and indicators of past, current and future biodiversity. The overarching goal of the project is to provide easy access to tools in a cloud computing environment, in real-time and on-demand, with state of the art prediction models of biodiversity, that will output models and indicators of biodiversity status and change. The project envisages a future where primary biodiversity data are seamlessly integrated into monitoring and forecasting such that policy and management can proactively respond to problems while at the same time reduce the costs of monitoring and management, and the negative impacts of biodiversity change.