title: Scientific contributions of extensive biodiversity monitoring.
abstract: To develop a complete and informative biodiversity observation system, it is necessary to compare the strengths and limits of various monitoring schemes. In this article, we examine the various advantages of extensively monitoring fine-grained spatial variations of biodiversity, where the prominent traits of many species within a community (abundance, phenology, etc.) are regularly recorded at numerous sites over a large territory, usually via human observation networks. Linking these variations with environmental factors sheds lights on the major mechanisms leading to changes in biodiversity, thus increasing our knowledge of macroecology and community ecology. This extensive monitoring allows us to assess diffuse effects, contributing to the sound use of the precautionary principle. Combined with site-focused monitoring, information gathered from extensive monitoring provides the raw material necessary to build biodiversity scenarios.
authors.affiliation: UMR7204, MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, 55, rue Buffon, CP51, 75005 Paris, France. couvet@mnhn.fr
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Couvet
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Devictor
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jiguet
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Julliard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013045:Species Specificity