Participatory biodiversity mapping using AI-based and traditional ecological methods (CoBi)
How diverse are our local landscapes? Which places are particularly valuable for biodiversity? And how can the knowledge and observations of citizens be combined with scientific data? These are the key questions addressed by our project CoBi – Participatory Biodiversity Assessment Using AI-Based and Traditional Ecological Methods.Together with actos from agriculture, nature conservation, public administration, and civil society, we aim to make the diversity of our landscapes more visible. Both scientific data and the experiences and perceptions of local people play an important role in this process. At the heart of the project is an interactive digital map on which participants can mark locations, upload photos and audio recordings, and describe which areas they perceive as particularly valuable or where they see potential for enhancing biodiversity.
The project is based on citizen forums and joint field surveys. In the citizen forums, participants exchange knowledge and experiences related to biodiversity in the surrounding landscapes, while the field surveys provide insights into the actual ecological conditions on site. The project takes place in the municipalities of Katlenburg-Lindau and Uslar in the district of Northeim in southern Lower Saxony, Germany.
The project focuses on the following research questions:
- How can observations from citizens – such as mapped locations, photos, descriptions, or audio recordings – be used to identify and assess particularly valuable areas for biodiversity (“Bright Spots”) as well as areas with development potential (“Dark Spots”)?
- To what extent do the Bright and Dark Spots identified by citizens correspond with scientific biodiversity indicators and ecological data?
- Can perceptions, experiences, and local knowledge from citizens complement the professional data basis used in municipal landscape and nature conservation planning?
The project CoBi: Participatory biodiversity mapping using AI-based and traditional ecological methods is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space as part of the Participation Booster funding initiative from 2026 to 2027.