Maintaining robust terrestrial ecological monitoring amid technological advancements

Abstract

Long-term terrestrial biodiversity monitoring is crucial for understanding species and ecosystem responses to global change, yet it requires significant investment. Technological advancements offer opportunities for more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective monitoring, but transitioning to new methods presents significant risks to data integrity. Guidance for researchers and practitioners to manage these transitions, therefore, is critical. We present a novel seven-step framework and decision-making tool to guide the integration of new methods into established monitoring programs. The framework includes compatibility assessment, concurrent method cross-validation, and ongoing review, balancing the benefits of new technologies with the need to maintain dataset integrity. Our framework can help to ensure that new methods enhance the value and robustness of long-term biodiversity datasets while maintaining monitoring continuity.

Keywords: concurrent transition; conventional methods; cross-validation; ecological monitoring; emerging technologies; long-term data.