Partners from the University of Suceava show some of their monitoring practices within the BeonNAT project

At Universitatea „Ștefan cel Mare” din Suceava, our BeonNAT partners are pioneering new methods in both biomass and biodiversity monitoring. They have shared insights from their ongoing projects at the monitoring plots in Zamostea and Moara, where they utilize advanced techniques to gather critical data on plant growth and ground beetle communities.

Continuous Biomass Monitoring at Zamostea’s Plot

In this video, they demonstrate the process of continuous biomass monitoring at Zamostea’s plot. The focus is on measuring two key plant growth parameters:

  • Stem Diameter: Measured at 10 cm above the soil surface, this metric helps us assess the plant’s robustness and health.
  • Plant Height: This measurement extends from the soil surface to the highest tip of the plant, providing insights into growth patterns and biomass yield.

These precise measurements allow to monitor plant development over time, contributing to our understanding of sustainable biomass production.

Ground Beetle Monitoring Techniques

In another exciting development, their team has been actively monitoring ground beetles using various innovative techniques. Within the BeonNAT project, they have implemented Barber pitfall traps at their monitoring plots in Zamostea and Moara. These traps are instrumental in capturing ground beetles for further analysis.

  • Monitoring Techniques: They use pitfall trapping, RFID tags, and beer-baited pitfall traps to monitor ground beetles.
  • Species Analysis: After collecting the specimens, they perform detailed analyses to identify ground beetle species, their distribution, and behavior.

Long-term monitoring of these ground-dwelling beetle communities provides us with extensive data on their taxonomy, biomass, and interactions with the environment. This information is crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity conservation.