days of biodiversity – ABOL – The Austrian Barcode of Life

ABOL BioBlitz in the National park Hohe Tauern

ABOL BioBlitz, Highlights, Meetings, Veranstaltungen

This year’s ABOL BioBlitz series was completed with the Day of Biodiversity in the Hohe Tauern National Park on the Deferegger sunny side in East Tyrol. As in previous years, the weather this weekend was rather bad. At least this year we had some sunny windows in which flying insects, especially bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies could be observed. The first evening was already dedicated to the light traps – nocturnal insects were attracted and mapped with light traps on the banks of the Schwarzach river and in the alpine area at Speikboden. Saturday was devoted entirely to searching for species in the study areas above St. Veit and St. Jakob, up to high alpine locations. In the evening, nets for catching bats were set up around the House of Water of the National Park, which served as a base, with which, together with echolocation, 5 species of bats could be detected. At the final event on Sunday, the first results and provisional species numbers were presented. Thanks to the voluntary and unpaid work of around 70 experts, the data situation in this area, which had been rather sparse until then, was significantly improved. We hope to get some more samples for the creation of DNA barcodes and to successfully complete the ABOL-BioBlitz collecting season.
We would like to thank the national park team for the perfect organization of accommodation, food and transport!

Impressions from the study area:

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Myricaria germanica on the Schwarzach river. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Species rich meadow. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Light trap. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Insects on Apiaceae inflorescence. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. Welcome. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggental. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

TdA NP Hohe Tauern, Defereggen valley. N. Szucsich at the closing event. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

2. August, 2023/by Michaela Sonnleitner

ABOL BioBlitzes – new publication!

ABOL BioBlitz, Citizen Science, Highlights, Publications

Dear ABOL community

We are pleased to announce that our first joint publication on the ABOL BioBlitzes has been published in Acta ZooBot (link). In this context, the DNA barcoding datasets from the BioBlitzes 2019 and 2020 were released in BOLD, the international DNA barcoding platform, and are now available to everyone (download: dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-ABOLBB19).

The concept of the ABOL BioBlitz combines the Days of Biodiversity with the generation of DNA barcode references from animals, especially insects, which are collected there anyway and identified by experts. In this way we make a significant contribution to the data basis for Austrian biodiversity, but above all valuable and often rarely available taxonomic expertise is digitized by storing the taxonomic determination together with the DNA sequence in a publicly accessible database.
Therefore, we would like to thank the experts who contributed their samples and expertise for their participation in the BioBlitzes and the unpaid efforts, and of course everyone who worked on the manuscript!

With your help, the BioBlitzes become a model example of citizen participation in social goals.

At the same time, we would like to motivate the experts to take part in the ABOL-BioBlitzes 2022 again. Information about this is available here: https://www.abol.ac.at/en/abol-bioblitz-2022/

Publication – Citation and Download:

Sonnleitner, M., Schoder, S., Macek, O., Leeb, C., Bräuchler, C., Haring, E., Dötterl, S., Eckelt, A., Fauster, R., Glatzhofer, E., Graf, W., Gros, P., Heimburg, H., Heiss, E., Hinterstoisser, W., Kirchweger, S., Koblmüller, S., Komposch, C., Link, A., Rabl, D., Rupp, T., Schlager, M., Streinzer, M., Strutzberg, H., Timaeus, L., Wagner, H.C., Wiesmair, B., Zimmermann, D., & Szucsich, N.U. (2022). Beitrag der ABOL-BioBlitze zur österreichischen Biodiversitäts-Erfassung: DNA-Barcodes aus 2019 und 2020. Acta ZooBot Austria, 158, 81–95. CITE DOWNLOAD

21. March, 2022/by Michaela Sonnleitner

Grundalm - BP Nockberge - Photo: Christian Komposch, ÖKOTEAM

ABOL-BioBlitz in the Biosphere Reserve Nockberge

ABOL BioBlitz, Highlights, Projects

Parallel to the Day of Biodiversity (Tag der Artenvielfalt) in the National Park Hohe Tauern, the 5^th GEO Nature Day was held in the Biosphere Reserve Nockberge on 17^th & 18^th June. Similar to the previous year, ABOL participated with the BioBlitz campaign to demonstrate the opportunities of DNA-barcoding to the taxonomic experts, and also to actively participate in collecting. Over 60 experts tried to find as many species as possible around the Grundalm within 24 hours. Some of the experts were also accompanied by their children, which not only increased the family atmosphere of the event, but also raised the number of collecting people.

Due to the sensational number of participants, the targeted species number was quickly set – more participants than last year should result in more species detected, therefore the goal was more than 2,000 species! It was clear to everyone that this not entirely serious goal would be difficult to achieve, due to the high altitude of the study area (1600 and 2300 m above sea level). The rainy weather also dampened theses overly ambitious expectations. In the end, not a single dragonfly could be found, despite the intensive search by several odonatologists. Light traps set up at night also failed to meet expectations due to the weather. Under normal conditions, dozens of insect species with hundreds of individuals would be recorded. This year, only a handful of arthropods were detected with the light traps. Nevertheless, with about 850 species a sensational result was achieved and the number will even increase due to re-determinations and the analysis of e.g. sediment samples. It is especially nice that many species typical for these altitudes could be found, such as the brown discus snail (Discus ruderatus), the Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) or the Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra). Fortunately, several species relevant for the BioBlitz campaign were collected too, for which DNA barcodes will soon be created and made available on BOLD.

The excellent organization of the event should also be mentioned. From accommodation to the offer of a shuttle service to the study area, to a great catering including an excellent cake buffet from local farmers and the distribution of Biosphere Reserve Nockberge tube scarves, everything was perfect. The latter were in times of Corona very useful as mouth and nose protection, but also as headgear at temperatures below 10°C. The final commitment of the organizers for further GEO Biodiversity Days can only be topped with the appropriate hours of sunshine…

A few pictures from the 5^th GEO Nature Day in the Biosphere Reserve Nockberge (photos: N. Szucsich, C. Leeb, V. Pail, title photo: C. Komposch – ÖKOTEAM):

Grundalm - BP Nockberge - Photo: N. Szucsich

Grundalm - BP Nockberge - Photo: V. Pail

Grundalm - BP Nockberge - Photo: C. Leeb

11. August, 2020/by Christoph Leeb

ABOL BioBlitz in the National Park Hohe Tauern

ABOL BioBlitz, Highlights, Meetings

Like last year, ABOL again participated with a BioBlitz campaign in the day of biodiversity (Tag der Artenvielfalt) in the National Park Hohe Tauern. The experts met from 17^th to 19^th July in the Tyrolean part of the Hohe Tauern, in the Umbaltal – a vallay with lonely side valleys and a wide range of habitats up to the glacier region. After registration in Prägraten, where also general information was given, the 66 participants swarmed out to the different investigation areas in search of various animal groups, plants and fungi. A cell phone app made data acquisition easier. When darkness fell, nocturnal insects were attracted by means of light traps at different altitudes and the calls of bats were recorded using a batcorder. Despite poor weather conditions, interesting observations could be made, and many montane to alpine species were identified. We are very happy about the great interest in genetic recording of biodiversity using DNA barcodes, especially among the numerous young participants. Many thanks on behalf of the ABOL team! Thanks also to the organization team for the smooth running, the booking of accommodations – in the Virgental or in the Clarahütte at approximately 2000 m, for the shuttle options to the starting points, as well as for the fine regional meals.

A few pictures from the study area (photos: C. Lettner, M. Sonnleitner; title photo: NPHT Hechenblaikner):

Ranunculus glacialis. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Leontopodium alpinum. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Allium victorialis. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Hybrid between Nigritella rhellicani & Gymnadenia conopsea. Umbaltal. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Clara hut, Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Dracocephalum ruyschiana. A rare species. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Lilium martagon. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Saxifraga oppositifolia. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Closing Event. Prägraten. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Alpine pasture. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Spider. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Fieldwork with rain. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Draba aizoides. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Astragalus alpinus. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Moth. Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

Saxifraga aizoides - Umbal valley. Photo: M. Sonnleitner

3. August, 2020/by Michaela Sonnleitner

ABOL BioBlitz 2020 & City Nature Challenge

ABOL BioBlitz, Highlights, Meetings

Dear ABOL community, dear colleagues,

Knowledge about biodiversity is more important than ever, not only in the scientific community, but also among the general public. The Days of Biodiversity have been significantly contributing to our knowledge on biodiversity for many years. ABOL will this year again participate in Days of Biodiversity with ABOL BioBlitz actions in order to make the knowledge, provided by experts, available for the society. As last year, experts are invited to provide samples of determined organisms for DNA barcoding. Last year we were able to sample around 1.900 animals in this way and substantially contributed to Austrian reference data. More information and dates can be found -> here. This page is continuously updated.

In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the City Nature Challenge 2020, in which Austria will take part for the first time in Vienna, Graz and Wachau. The challenge takes place from 24th to 27th April. The observation data of plants, animals and fungi are recorded via the iNaturalist platform. Anyone can use e.g. cell phones to photograph organisms and upload photos, which are then determined by experts. The aim of the City Nature Challenge is to document the biodiversity in cities in a global competition. An exact knowledge of the species is not necessary, because the observations are, as far as possible, determined via crowdsourcing (i.e. from other iNaturalist users). Everyone can participate as a notifier and as a determining expert. This challenge is also well suited as a school project.

To this end, Lorin Timaeus holds lectures and a workshop for teachers. All dates can be found at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-wien/journal; Registration until March 11th at cncwien@gmail.com. Instructions for the iNaturalist app can be found at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2020-wien?tab=about

10. February, 2020/by Michaela Sonnleitner