Abstract ID: 3.13141 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Under the ongoing global change scenario, the functioning, vulnerability, and resilience of mountain ecosystems must be comprehensively studied and monitored using essential variables to develop integrated management strategies that mitigate emerging threats. The EVEREST project brings together scientists and managers in the co-design, co-production, and validation of a standardized methodological framework to provide meaningful remote-sensing essential biodiversity variables. These variables will support the development of management strategies according to requirements of the European directives: conservation status of species and habitats (Habitats Directive), monitoring of water quality (Water Framework Directive), and recovery and resilience of ecosystems after disturbance and restoration (Nature Restoration Regulation). EVEREST study areas will be across different mountain environmental contexts, i.e. a set of Mountain National Parks (7 Spanish and 1 Portuguese), covering four biogeographical regions. The specific objectives of the EVEREST project are: 1) Establish a science-management network to foster collaboration among scientists, managers, and decision-makers, ensuring that project outcomes align with real-world needs. 2) Identify and implement essential remote sensing variables and metrics relevant for EU reporting requirements. 3) Analyze baseline conditions, spatial variability, and temporal dynamics of these variables to assess the functioning and resilience of mountain ecosystems across environmental gradients. 4) Validate the ecological relevance of these variables in collaboration with local scientists and managers, integrating expert knowledge, public datasets, and field observations from each national park. 5) Develop MonitorEO, an online tool providing near real-time of biodiversity essential variables to support scientists and managers with decision-making, management strategies, and public awareness initiatives. Final results will be disseminated through scientific publications, conferences, training activities and nationally and internationally recognized public platforms, such as OAPN, GEOBON and LifeWatch-ERIC.