In a new project, researchers at NMBU will develop new methods to identify the biodiversity in Norwegian forests. The result will be more efficient forest management and a reduced risk of losing species and important natural areas.
In Norway, habitat loss and changes are among the main reasons species are threatened, particularly in forests and agricultural areas. 41% of Norway's threatened species are associated with forest landscapes.
"To preserve biodiversity, we need to know where it is," says Professor Tone Birkemoe.
She is the project leader for a new project where researchers will use DNA analysis to identify species and link the findings to advanced mapping technology. Researchers will then create detailed maps of where biodiversity is located in the forest and develop models to make it easier to find it.
"The goal is to provide management and the forestry industry with better tools to manage our forests," she says.
This will lead to more efficient large-scale forest management and reduce the risk of losing species and important natural areas.
Connecting DNA and mapping technology
In the project, researchers will use DNA analysis to map the species groups with the highest number of species: insects and fungi. Together, these make up 64% of the known species in Norway. They are important contributors to key ecosystem functions such as pollination, decomposition of organic material, carbon sequestration, and nutrient transport to plants.
"The usual methods researchers use to map them are very time-consuming and capture only a fraction of the diversity," says Birkemoe.
In the new project, researchers will therefore use DNA analysis to map the species instead.
"This will be significantly more efficient."
Researchers will then link this knowledge to mapping data about the forest.
"We will find out if we can use digital forest data to find key habitats and so-called Nature in Norway (NiN) areas."
The latter is an important tool for nature mapping. In the project, researchers in ecology and forestry will work closely with the forestry industry, specifically Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk and NORSKOG, and several environmental organizations, SABIMA and WWF. Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk contributes with a demonstration area of 295 square kilometers in Hurdal.
Short facts:
Project name: Biodiversity mapping of forests from above (BioDivAbove)
Duration: 2023-2027
Scope: 14 MNOK
Funding: Norges forskningsråd
Program: Land-based food, the environment and bioresources
Coordinator: NMBU
Partners: UiO, MEV - Mathiesen Eidsvold Værk, NORSKOG, WWF, SABIMA