GeMonA+

Efficient and informative biodiversity monitoring for the early detection of changes in species diversity is essential in order to counteract the progressive decline of species and to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities carried out.

Traditional monitoring is very labour- and time-intensive and requires the participation of numerous experts. Therefore, the GeMonA+ project is developing an efficient and scalable monitoring concept based on molecular genetic methods.

The GeMonA+ project, funded by the Austrian Biodiversity Fund, addresses two fields:

(1) Metabarcoding of insects from trap catches

(2) Identification of flower/plant visitors via eDNA

GeMonA+ is intended to make a significant contribution to the standardization of biodiversity surveys in Austria and beyond by developing a monitoring module that is based on molecular genetic methods and can be used in different habitats. In the project, this monitoring module will be applied over two seasons at 7 selected locations of different habitat types. Additionally a proof of concept will be carried out.

In a preliminary project, samples were collected at the selected locations in 2023, which means that data from two seasons can be included in the project despite its short duration.

The project is carried out by a consortium of ABOL partners from 6 Austrian universities (Univ. Graz (Lead), Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, BOKU and Vetmed) and the Natural History Museum Vienna (ABOL); other institutions are also involved.