Europe is currently facing an alarming decline in insect biodiversity, a trend that threatens both plant reproduction and essential ecosystem functions. The project BLOSSOM focuses on ground beetles, which serve as keystone species for controlling agricultural pests and act as indicators of overall ecosystem health. While climate change drives global biodiversity loss, intensive agriculture poses a particularly severe and direct threat to ground beetles. Numerous strategies are being developed to bolster biodiversity within agricultural systems, and their true effectiveness can only be assessed by monitoring insect biodiversity over time. Insect monitoring data allow us to determine the effectiveness of the management strategies we implement and how to best direct conservation efforts across different functional groups.
To meet this need, the multidisciplinary BLOSSOM project utilises cutting-edge technology to simplify biodiversity monitoring through non-lethal, time-efficient, and cost-effective methods. Developing reliable and inexpensive monitoring tools is critical for protecting ground beetle populations. BLOSSOM explores modern technologies to track ground beetle diversity and evaluate which specific management strategies, such as different forms of flower habitats, are most effective at promoting insect life within cherry orchards.
Project Manager
