Biodiversity Monitoring Center of Mediterranean Mountains

In 2016 the Biodiversity Monitoring Center of Mediterranean Mountains (Centre de Monitoratge de la Biodiversitat de Muntanyes Mediterrànies, CMBMM) was created in the Sant Llorenç del Munt i serra del Obac Natural Park, promoted by the Diputació de Barcelona and the Universitat de Barcelona (Equip de Biologia de la Conservació del Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals and IRBio). It is an innovative initiative in Catalonia and Spain, providing ideas and knowledge about the various initiatives of institutions, organizations and researchers that monitor biodiversity in Catalonia. The Centre is also inspired by three centres and/or monitoring systems: the Kluane Community Ecological Monitoring Program (CEMP) promoted by Dr. Charles Krebs of the University of British Columbia in Canada; the Mulligans Flat – Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment, in Australia, promoted by the Australian government and the Australian National University; the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, in New Hampshire (United States).

The main objective of the Centre is to carry out and promote long-term monitoring of biodiversity as a tool for understanding the status of species, habitats and ecological processes within the framework of local and global change. The knowledge obtained should be useful in detecting variations and trends in biodiversity, anticipating management and conservation actions to reverse, if necessary, negative trends in biodiversity, as well as being able to establish adaptive management.

The Centre’s initial working area is the Sant Llorenç del Munt Natural Park, a representative area of Mediterranean ecosystems, but at the same time with particularities that give it relevance (like endemisms, threatened species, specific trophic networks and conservation problems) and a suitable context in which to establish representative indicators of species, habitats, ecological processes and factors of change.

It is also intended to create synergies, promote and integrate monitoring of different areas (protected areas) by unite efforts with different administrations, researchers, professionals, NGOs that carry out monitoring, with the intention that monitoring networks can be established on a wider scale, and above all to provide support and information on monitoring protocols and also on results to public and private managers of biodiversity and professionals, as well as to disseminate knowledge to the general public.