The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) participated in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2025 in Vienna, presenting recent advancements in drone-based habitat monitoring and shrub biomass estimation under the EU-funded MAMBO project.
А poster "Shrub species, cover and biomass from affordable UAV observations.pdf" was presented in the Remote sensing of biosphere processes and biodiversity session. It showcased a workflow using low-cost UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology combined with deep learning to map shrub biomass in rewilded and semi-natural habitats. Using a case study from a rewilded farm in Bedfordshire, UK, researchers demonstrated that U-Net deep learning models are highly effective at identifying hawthorn shrubs within complex vegetation matrices. Furthermore, structure-from-motion photogrammetry was successfully employed to derive shrub height and, when integrated with allometric modelling, provided an accurate and affordable method for mapping above-ground biomass.
A second MAMBO-derived research, "Biomass allometry for shrubs at a UK rewilding site.pdf", was presented in the session Improving the representation of ecological and microclimatic processes and their responses in ecosystem models. This work addressed a critical data gap: the lack of allometric equations for shrubs compared to trees, despite the increasing relevance of shrubs in carbon accounting and rewilding initiatives. By collecting field measurements and employing Bayesian inference through a Maximum Entropy allometric model, the team developed a new equation for estimating the above-ground biomass of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). These efforts aim to enable broader spatial estimates of biomass via integration with satellite and drone data.
Throughout the conference, UKCEH researchers engaged with a steady stream of interested attendees, raising awareness of MAMBO’s goals and methods. The posters were manned by team members, including Douglas Kelley, who facilitated technical discussions and knowledge exchange.
Participation in EGU 2025 led to meaningful outcomes and future collaborations:
UKCEH established a new collaboration with the EU-funded ICAERUS project. As part of this partnership, MAMBO’s drone processing scripts, developed by UKCEH, will be shared via the ICAERUS platform to support broader uptake and interoperability across EU initiatives.
A new supervisory relationship was established with a PhD student from Morocco, who is working on developing allometric relationships for woody vegetation in formerly mined areas. This collaboration supports the application of drone and satellite remote sensing for restoration monitoring.
UKCEH’s contributions at EGU 2025 demonstrated the value of drone-based monitoring and allometric modelling in ecological research, leading to new collaborations and reinforcing the impact of the MAMBO project across Europe.
