ORCHAMP: an observation network for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across space and time in mountainous regions
Recent climate and land use change, and pollution have led to concerning alterations in biodiversity and ecosystem functions, jeopardizing nature’s contributions to people. Mountainous regions are not immune to these threats, experiencing the impacts of global warming, increased recreational activities, and changes in agricultural practices. Leveraging the natural elevational gradients of mountain environments, the ORCHAMP program was established in 2016 as a comprehensive initiative to monitor, understand, and predict the repercussions of environmental changes on biodiversity and associated ecosystem functions in the French Alps and Pyrenees. Beyond its monitoring role, ORCHAMP has catalyzed the development of tools for data integration, statistical analyses, visualization, and AI-based automated data processing and predictions. Through a combination of traditional sampling methods (e.g., botanical surveys) and cutting-edge technologies (remote-sensing, environmental DNA, video, and acoustic sensors), the program offers a holistic approach to understanding how biodiversity faces environmental changes. By showcasing examples and key results, this paper provides an overview of ORCHAMP’s advancements and outlines potential future directions. The broad inclusion of diverse monitoring techniques and data treatments positions ORCHAMP as a pioneering effort, paving the way for long-term insights into biodiversity dynamics—a crucial step toward effective conservation strategies.
Authors
- Irene Calderón‐Sanou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4608-1187)
- Carole Birck
- Frédéric Guiter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0044-2426)
- Léa Bizard
- Éric Hustache
- Lenka Brousset (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9657-5793)
- Yoan Paillet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7232-7844)
- Arthur Bayle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3442-0789)
- Vincent Augé
- Vincent Mièle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7584-0088)
- Camille Desjonquères (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6150-3264)
- Ludovic Gielly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5164-6512)
- Nicolas Le Guillarme (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4559-7579)
- Amélie Saillard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7777-8211)
- Julien Renaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5991-4657)
- Sylvain Abdulhak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3498-1404)
- Jérôme Poulenard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0810-0308)
- Maxime Rome (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2937-735X)
- Camille Martinez‐Almoyna (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3624-7932)
- Philippe Choler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9062-2721)
- Jérôme Murienne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1474-7829)
- Wilfried Thuiller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5388-5274)
- Jean-Gabriel Valay
- Gabrielle Martin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9192-4924)
- Cédric Dentant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4187-5642)
- Mickaël Hedde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6733-3622)
- Georges Künstler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2544-1940)
- Anne Delestrade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0249-2494)
- Maya Guéguen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1045-2997)
- Richard Bonet
- Nicolas Bonfanti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2390-6078)
- Bertrand Liénard
- Lise Marchal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7012-7398)
- Marie-France Leccia
- Norine Kedhim
- Pierre Lapenu
- Chloé Mahieu
Institutions
- Aix-Marseille Université (FR)
- Ecologie fonctionnelle & biogéochimie des sols & des agro-systèmes (FR)
- BP (France) (FR)
- Laboratoire d'Écologie Alpine (FR)
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale (FR)
- Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles (FR)
- CREA Mont-Blanc
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (FR)
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc (FR)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Comptes Rendus Biologies
- Published
- 2024-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5802/crbiol.165
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 6.44