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The biodiversity survey of the Cape (BioSCape), integrating remote sensing with biodiversity science

Published Article

South Africa

Publication date: February 3, 2025

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Global biodiversity monitoring requires accessible, scalable remote‑sensing products. The BioSCape project addresses this need by integrating field, airborne and satellite observations across 45,000 km² of South Africa. Over six weeks, ~150 scientists collected in situ data on plants, animals, estuaries, kelp and plankton using traditional surveys, eDNA and acoustic methods. These were paired with unprecedented airborne imaging spectroscopy and lidar acquisitions. This synthesis highlights how BioSCape’s multi‑platform approach advances the ability to measure biodiversity structure, function and change at landscape scales, demonstrating the central role of remote sensing in future conservation and ecological forecasting.

Subject Tags

  • Biodiversity
  • Conservation Technology
  • Life Sciences

Abstract

There are repeated calls for remote sensing observations to produce accessible data products that improve our understanding and conservation of biodiversity. The Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape) addresses this need by integrating field, airborne, satellite, and modeling datasets to advance the limits of global remote sensing of biodiversity. Over six weeks, an international team of ~150 scientists collected data across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems in South Africa. In situ biodiversity observations of plant and animal communities, estuaries, kelp and plankton were made using traditional field methods as well as novel approaches like environmental DNA and acoustic surveys. Biodiversity observations were accompanied by an unprecedented combination of airborne imaging spectroscopy and lidar measurements acquired across 45,000 km2. Here, we review how the approaches applied in BioSCape will help us measure and monitor biodiversity at scale and the role of remote sensing in accomplishing this.

Citation

Cardoso, A. W., Hestir, E. L., Slingsby, J. A., Forbes, C. J., Moncrieff, G. R., Turner, W., ... & Wilson, A. M. (2025). The biodiversity survey of the Cape (BioSCape), integrating remote sensing with biodiversity science. npj Biodiversity, 4(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-024-00071-5

TNC Authors