WORK PACKAGE 1 Project management, communication, and dissemination
The activities of the WP 1 aim to 1) ensure the effective technical coordination of the project, 2) facilitate the cooperation between the partners, 3) monitor the project progress and ensure the achievement of the objectives, 4) ensure the dissemination of the project outcomes. In this regard, dissemination activities will be addressed to both professionals (including school students) and non-specialist audience, realized also in national language to promote the share of knowledge and adoption of the related practices and/or policies.
WORK PACKAGE 2 Landscape functional diversity
Mapping of landscape heterogeneity and connectivity in a number of European sites as well as providing historical trends of landscape functional diversity indicators, by using satellite data, are the main goals of this WP. Yearly phenological time series of common vegetation indexes will be computed on remotely sensed imagery to provide functional phenological classes. The defined classes will represent the agricultural and ecological processes ongoing in the landscape of the selected sites (about 40 across four countries) where biodiversity is monitored. Landscape diversity indices will be merged to functional biodiversity data collected in the field (WP3 and WP4) and analysed to pinpoint relevant relationships to ecosystem services provisioning by the landscape structure.
WORK PACKAGE 3 Arthropod biodiversity and agroecosystem functioning in the landscape
An analysis of arthropod biodiversity and the connected ecosystem services is carried out in a range of European landscapes. Arthropod biodiversity will be measured with a focus on predatory mites, parasitoids, predators, and pollinators, using a variety of sampling methods (traps, sampling and remote sensing technology). A DNA-barcoding approach will also be developed for parasitoid and solitary bee identification. The results from all these activities will help to identify relationships among landscape parameters (WP2) and ecosystem services provisioning (e.g. yield).
WORK PACKAGE 4 Soil microbiome biodiversity and functioning
Biodiversity of the soil microbial functionalities and the soil microbial populations under the different European agricultural landscapes are studied in this WP and its results will be also used to investigate the relation between landscape complexity and soil microbiome diversity. The activities planned include the analysis of soil microbial diversity using next-generation sequencing approaches, but also using simple methods such as the Tea Bag Index.
WORK PACKAGE 5 Design and decision making tools for successful implementation
The knowledge about biodiversity and the effect of the landscape on it would be useless without developing and implementing an approach and decision-making tool that enables stakeholders to manage agrobiodiversity at different scales simultaneously (from soil to landscape level). A tool is planned to be developed to enable farmers to identify synergies and desirable and feasible measures and landscape features to strengthen biodiversity on their farms.