This symposium aims to understand the role of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) in directing and informing conservation efforts for biodiversity and ecosystems across various scales, particularly focusing on terrestrial ecosystems. In introducing the symposium, we begin by outlining the history and concept of EBVs as proposed by GEO BON, and their progress and recent direction within the realms of global and national biodiversity monitoring. EBVs are emphasized as tools and/or metrics in tracking biodiversity trends and serving as a framework to evaluate the effectiveness of the KM-GBF goals. It is crucial to consider the alignment of EBVs with societal objectives, like fostering a nature-positive society, and methodological challenges such as data accessibility and the need for standardized methodologies to bridge data collection and interpretation gaps.
The symposium also demonstrates the previous and current research related on EBVs at the national level, showcasing examples from Finland and Japan. It will also discuss advanced monitoring technologies and the necessity for a stratified approach that spans from local to broader spatial scales, to capture change in biodiversity due to human influence and climate change. Additionally, the symposium will provide perspectives and discussion on future research directions and policy formulation, endorsing a holistic global biodiversity observation system that consolidates monitoring initiatives and translates findings from a global to a local framework. This strategy aims to bolster the integrity and applicability of biodiversity metrics in devising conservation tactics and achieving international biodiversity standards.