Demonstration sites are central to achieving MAMBO's objectives, serving as the environments where the project's innovations are tested, validated, and showcased. The EU-funded project MAMBO (Modern Approaches to the Monitoring of Biodiversity) has established a network of 12 demonstration sites across six European countries, where innovative monitoring technologies are being deployed under diverse ecological conditions.

From coastal lagoons in France to rewilding sites in the United Kingdom, and from agricultural landscapes in Germany to Mediterranean habitats in Malta, these sites represent the ecological diversity of Europe and provide crucial testing grounds for next-generation biodiversity monitoring tools. By evaluating technologies across different ecosystems and management contexts, MAMBO is developing solutions that can be deployed widely across Europe.

The demonstration network strategically balances conservation-focused sites with working agricultural landscapes. In France, Bagnas Nature Reserve features coastal lagoons, marshes, reedbeds, and dunes, while Parpalhon organic farm in Beaulieu tests technologies in active agricultural settings. In the United Kingdom, Strawberry Hill in Bedfordshire represents a 150-hectare rewilding success story, transformed from arable fields to flower-rich grassland over 25 years. The German Friedeburg LTER site spans 16 km² of heterogeneous agricultural landscape with high-value semi-natural grasslands protected under Natura 2000.

Denmark's Mols Bjerge National Park contains a biodiversity hotspot where over 4,000 species have been recorded—more than 10% of all species observed in Denmark. The Netherlands features Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen coastal dune nature reserve and Oostvaardersplassen, a 5,400-hectare wetland and rewilding site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Malta contributes three Mediterranean sites: Majjistral National Park, Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park, and Il-Magħluq ta' Marsaskala, one of only two extant wetlands in southern Malta.

At Friedeburg, camera traps and acoustic systems demonstrate fully autonomous monitoring of pollinators and birds within typical Central European agricultural landscapes. At Parpalhon organic farm, technologies are assessed under real farm conditions, exploring how monitoring can integrate with routine agricultural practices. The integration of field sampling with remote sensing represents a key innovation. At Strawberry Hill, the UK team combined ground-based demonstrations with remote sensing to develop models for estimating shrub biomass and carbon content.

The demonstration sites play a crucial role in MAMBO's contribution to European biodiversity monitoring infrastructure. By testing technologies across diverse ecosystems and management contexts, the project is developing tools that can integrate with existing research infrastructures and enhance current databases with images and sounds to improve machine-learning models.

For more information on MAMBO’s demonstration sites, please access the project’s website.

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This project receives funding from the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action programme under Grant agreement No. 101060639.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the EU nor the EC can be held responsible for them.