Research

This project harnesses expertise and experience of EKLIPSE MEG members to develop best practice guidance for methods and bundles of methods to address a range of contemporary environmental challenges at the science policy interface. Building upon an established method typology (literature- or data-based; participatory; decision support; policy evaluation; futures and narrative), 10 selected tools will be identified through a combination of rapid evidence review, expert opinion, and AI-assisted analysis. Artificial intelligence will support the rapid review by identifying patterns, and extracting insights from large volumes of literature and policy documentation. Using an applied policy Delphi over 4 rounds the final methods will be prioritised, with AI-enabled data analysis used to support the synthesis of expert input and detect emerging consensus or divergence, from which best practice guidance will be drafted and validated. Recognizing that tools are rarely used in isolation, we will devise guidance on selecting combinations of tools and associated process pathways, with the help of AI-supported decision frameworks, to tackle diverse environmental challenges. The approved single and bundled guidance will then be tested using past and present EKLIPSE requests, together with one urgent request from BioAgora's Science Service for Biodiversity. The Delphi process will involve the creation of a methods knowledge exchange network from the outset, with an AI-powered platform envisioned to facilitate dynamic knowledge sharing forming a key component of the project legacy.

The research project in La Gamba, Costa Rica, aims to establish a long-term wildlife monitoring program with a focus on mammals and birds. Audio recording devices and camera traps will be used, among other methods, to collect data. The project will be conducted on the properties of the Tropical Field Station La Gamba, which is located at the edge of the "Rainforest of the Austrians" (Regenwald der Österreicher) and covers approximately 570 hectares within the Biological Corridor La Gamba (COBIGA). The Tropical Field Station La Gamba, a research and teaching facility of the University of Vienna, plays a central role in rainforest research and raises awareness about rainforest conservation. It provides access to its properties for research purposes upon prior consultation. The study areas encompass various habitat types, including primary rainforest, reforestation areas of different ages, open shrublands, and oil palm plantations. The project will contribute to a better understanding of the distribution and behavior of wildlife in these habitats, support conservation efforts, and enhance knowledge about tropical ecosystems.

The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) still inhabits a large range worldwide, but many populations in Western and Central Europe have already disappeared or declined significantly. As a result, the species is listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, granting it a special conservation status across Europe. Additionally, the capercaillie is classified as a "strictly protected species" under Germany's Federal Nature Conservation Act. In the Black Forest, located in southwestern Germany, the capercaillie population was first estimated in 1971 through comprehensive lek surveys. Since 1983, these surveys have been conducted annually, documenting a strongly negative population trend: the number of displaying males decreased from 570 in 1971 to just 97 in 2022, and the annual counts have remained at a low level since then. Genetic differentiation between subpopulations has already increased in the last survey, indicating a lack of connectivity and, consequently, a lack of genetic exchange. As part of the current research project, a new genetic survey is planned to assess the ongoing trend. The primary research questions are: (1) What is the current genetic diversity of the capercaillie population in the Black Forest? and (2) Is the negative trend in genetic differentiation continuing?