InsectCare

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Integrated insect monitoring for the restoration of cultural landscapes

InsectCare develops, tests and validates methods for monitoring pollinators, ground beetles and water-associated insects. In two living labs – the UNESCO Drömling Biosphere Reserve and Welski Landscape Park – conventional field surveys, sensor technologies and AI-assisted analysis are applied in parallel and systematically compared. The aim is to develop transferable, affordable and reliable monitoring methods to support implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

Insect surveying in the field, photo: Beata Bak

Project period

04/2026 – expected 03/2029

Living labs

one in Germany (Drömling) and one in Poland (Wel Park)

Focus

Pollinators, ground beetles, water-associated insects

Coordination

Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences

Full project title

Integrated insect monitoring and restoration for sustainable pollinator and water protection in biosphere reserves – practical guidance for implementing the EU Nature Restoration Regulation

Nature restoration with deadlines and evidence requirements

The Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on nature restoration entered into force on 18 August 2024. By 2030, restoration measures are to cover at least 20% of the EU's land area and 20% of its sea area; by 2050, all ecosystems in need of restoration are to be addressed. For habitat types listed in Annex I that are not in good condition, phased targets apply: by 2030, restoration measures are to be put in place on at least 30% of their total area, by 2040 on at least 60%, and by 2050 on at least 90% of the area of each affected habitat group. Article 9 explicitly includes rivers and floodplains: By 2030, at least 25,000 kilometres of rivers across the EU are to be restored to free-flowing condition.

Article 10 is specifically dedicated to pollinators. The decline in pollinator populations must be reversed by 2030 at the latest. Thereafter, an increasing trend must be demonstrated, with progress measured at least every six years from 2030 onwards. The monitoring method has now also been defined: on 19 September 2025, the Commission adopted a scientifically based method for monitoring pollinator diversity as a delegated regulation, which has applied since 16 December 2025. It requires standardised data to be collected annually from an adequate number of sites so that the results are representative. Member States are also expected to promote citizen science in data collection where appropriate.

This shifts the technical challenge from implementing restoration measures to demonstrating their effects. Anyone expanding riparian zones, introducing more extensive grassland management or establishing flower-rich areas must be able to demonstrate their effects over several years – in a way that is comparable across regions and feasible in terms of staffing requirements. Conventional field surveys alone can provide this only to a limited extent: they are precise, but labour-intensive, weather-dependent and therefore leave temporal gaps. InsectCare addresses this gap.

Key deadlines – and the InsectCare project period

  1. 2024

    EU Nature Restoration Regulation enters into force.

  2. 2025

    Method for pollinator monitoring is established.

  3. Project contribution · one component InsectCare 2026 - 2029

    Testing conventional and technology-assisted monitoring approaches in two living labs.

  4. 2030

    Key targets:

    • The decline in pollinator populations is to be reversed.
    • Restoration measures are to cover at least 20% of the EU's land area and 20% of its sea area.
    • Restoration measures are to be put in place on at least 30% of the total area of the affected habitat types listed in Annex I.
    • At least 25,000 km of rivers are to be restored to free-flowing condition.
  5. 2040

    Restoration measures are to be put in place on at least 60% of the area of each affected habitat group listed in Annex I.

  6. 2050

    Restoration measures are to be put in place on at least 90% of the area of each affected habitat group listed in Annex I; at the same time, all ecosystems in need of restoration are to be addressed.

Three groups provide the evidence base

The insect fauna of both areas is surveyed across a broad taxonomic range. Three groups serve as test cases for the new methods: they can be identified reliably, respond sensitively to changes in habitat conditions, and can be surveyed using both conventional and technology-assisted approaches. For each group, parallel datasets are generated using both survey approaches.

Wild bees and other pollinators

Focus: wild bees (Anthophila)

A key group addressed by Article 10 of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. Population size and species composition depend directly on two factors that can be actively managed: a continuous supply of floral resources throughout the growing season and accessible nesting opportunities. Both can be modified at site level – and their effects can be measured.

Wild bee visiting a flower

Wild bee visiting a flower

Conventional survey

Net sampling at fixed locations, repeated several times per season. Each specimen is catalogued and photographed; species that are difficult to identify are determined in the laboratories of the partner universities.

Analysis

Species composition, detection frequency and occupancy of nesting aids are compared with floral resources, site conditions and data obtained from the technology-assisted monitoring systems.

Two monitoring approaches on the same plots

In both living labs, control and intervention plots are designated and repeatedly surveyed over a period of three years. Conventional and technology-assisted monitoring are carried out in parallel and synchronised in time – only this direct comparison makes it possible to quantify how reliably automated methods detect, count and identify insects.

Reference data based on established standards

Conventional field surveys provide the reference against which every new monitoring method must be evaluated. The approach follows the methodology of Germany's nationwide insect monitoring programme coordinated by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, as well as the sampling requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive for aquatic life stages.

Conventional insect monitoring in the field

Fieldwork by the Polish team in the Drömling.

  • Net sampling at fixed locations, with cataloguing and photographic documentation of the specimens recorded
  • Pitfall traps arranged in a standardised sampling grid for surveying ground beetles
  • Net sampling of aquatic larval stages and trapping methods for adult insects
  • Parallel recording of habitat structure, weather conditions and soil parameters
  • Repeated survey campaigns to distinguish seasonal variation from interannual dynamics
  • Taxonomic identification of difficult species in the laboratory

Continuous, non-invasive monitoring

Sensor systems continue collecting data where continuous human observation is not feasible: at night, over periods of several weeks and underwater. They do not require the removal of specimens and therefore reduce disturbance to habitats. Data are analysed using AI models trained on the KITT AI infrastructure at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences.

Technology-assisted monitoring station in the living lab

Prototype at HTW Berlin, summer 2026

  • Bioacoustics and wingbeat signatures for detecting and identifying flying insects
  • Video-based in-situ systems at nesting aids, flowers and emergence sites, including underwater applications
  • Miniaturised telemetry to investigate space use, resting-site selection and barrier effects
  • Environmental sensors at the monitoring stations to link insect activity with microclimatic conditions
  • Energy-autonomous, long-term field operation using low-power technologies
  • Standardised data storage with metadata and open interfaces

Methodological core: The simultaneous comparison of both approaches on the same plots shows how reliably automated monitoring methods perform and where they can meaningfully complement conventional field surveys.

What a monitoring station could look like

Each station combines insect monitoring with the recording of environmental conditions. Without this environmental reference, capture numbers are difficult to interpret: activity, flight periods and emergence are directly influenced by weather and microclimatic conditions. Pollinators are selectively attracted using colour and light cues to which they respond.

Transfer to the project database 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
  1. 1 Weather and climate sensors on the mast
  2. 2 Solar panel for off-grid operation
  3. 3 Camera monitoring the trap
  4. 4 Microphone for acoustic recordings
  5. 5 Colour and light cues for attracting insects
  6. 6 Trap for conventional reference sampling
  7. 7 Pitfall trap and soil sensors
  8. 8 Data logger and data transmission

Schematic representation illustrating the operating principle. The project will determine which components are ultimately used, how they are arranged and how many units are required, followed by testing under field conditions.

Two living labs as model regions

Both areas are strongly shaped by water and are protected, but they differ in topography, land use and landscape history. These differences are methodologically valuable: monitoring approaches that perform reliably in both areas are more likely to be transferable to other protected areas.

GERMANY POLAND Baltic Sea approx. 600 km straight-line distance Magdeburg Berlin Warsaw Olsztyn Drömling Wel Park
Schematic location of the two living labs: the Drömling in Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony, Germany, and Wel Park in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland.
Landscape in the UNESCO Drömling Biosphere Reserve

Landscape impression from the Drömling

UNESCO Drömling Biosphere Reserve

Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony, Germany

One of Germany's most important fen landscapes, recognised by UNESCO since June 2023. The area is characterised by a dense network of drainage ditches, standing waters, wet meadows, fens and floodplain forests; flooding dynamics and groundwater levels determine habitat quality and species composition. The traditional ridge-and-ditch peatland cultivation system known as Moordammkultur, covering around 2,500 hectares, is considered unique within UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Area 45,220 ha
Drainage ditch network approx. 2,200 km
Fens and shallow peat soils approx. 16,800 ha

Biosphere Reserve website · UNESCO nomination dossier (PDF)

Expected project outputs

The project outputs are designed to remain usable beyond the project period – for protected-area administrations, water authorities, municipalities, land managers and users, and higher education.

Reference datasets on insect fauna Species inventories and population dynamics for both study areas, provided as citable open datasets in accordance with scientific standards.
Validated monitoring methods Robust assessments of the accuracy, temporal resolution and limitations of bioacoustic, video-based and biotelemetry methods.
Indicators of restoration success Metrics derived from field and sensor data that can be integrated with existing planning and environmental monitoring tools.
Tested habitat measures Nesting aids with integrated monitoring technology, flower strips and riparian structures – each with documented ecological effectiveness.
Open data models and software Database structures, interfaces and analysis software will be published so that additional monitoring stations and study areas can be integrated.
Insect Knowledge Hub The project's digital teaching and learning platform brings together methodological knowledge, data and educational materials.

Three project years

2026
Selection and ecological characterisation of control and intervention plots
Establishment of the living labs and harmonisation of survey standards
Start of conventional monitoring in both study areas
Development of the data model, database and interfaces
2027
First field campaigns using the new monitoring prototypes
Synchronised surveys alongside conventional monitoring for validation
Training and testing of AI-assisted analysis
Implementation of habitat measures and nesting aids
2028
Optimisation of monitoring technology and expansion of intervention areas
Development and validation of indicators
Publications and scientific conferences in Germany and Poland
Recommendations for practice, knowledge transfer and long-term uptake

A partnership built on previous cooperation

The project builds on an existing cooperation agreement between the environmental ministry of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, represented by the Drömling Biosphere Reserve, and the Polish partner institutions. Joint scientific field camps for insect surveys have developed into a multi-year research project bringing together ecology, entomology, engineering and AI development.

German and Polish project team
The German-Polish project team during the cooperation visit in October 2025.

Germany

Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences Project coordination, Institute for Water Management and Ecotechnology
Ecological Engineering Research Group
Aquatic and Restoration Ecology Research Group
BEE / AI-Tech Research Group
UNESCO Drömling Biosphere Reserve Living lab and protected-area administration

Poland

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Department of Poultry Science and Apiculture
Department of Entomology and Phytopathology
Poznań University of Life Sciences
Laboratory of Apidology , Department of Zoology
Wel Park – Welski Park Krajobrazowy Living lab and park administration

Students and doctoral researchers from both Polish universities participate in the fieldwork.

Associated partners

Unterhaltungsverband Obere Ohre
Unterhaltungsverband Aller
Unterhaltungsverband Jeetze
BWK Saxony-Anhalt e. V.

 

The InsectCare project is supported with funding from the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.