LIFEPLAN – A Planetary Inventory of Life, São Tomé (São Tomé and Príncipe)

Biodiversity is rapidly declining worldwide, yet much of it remains undiscovered, with an estimated 80% of species yet to be identified. São Tomé and Príncipe is recognized as global conservation priority particularly due to its high rates of endemism and the presence of some of the best-preserved forest ecosystems across Africa. Despite ongoing scientific efforts, the islands’ biodiversity continues to be inadequately sampled. 

The project LIFEPLAN, led by the University of Helsinki, aims to address this knowledge gap through a holistic effort involving worldwide species sampling, sample processing, data analysis, and publication. At its core, the project has the ambitious mission to create the most extensive systematically collected and standardized dataset on global biodiversity to date: 100 sites across the globe. This entails sampling across a broad range of taxonomic groups using modern sampling including: 1) cyclone sampling for fungal spores, 2) Malaise trapping for insects, 3) soil sampling for fungal DNA, 4) camera trapping for mostly mammals and birds, and 5) audio recording of bird and bat sounds. Beyond cataloging existing biodiversity, the project seeks to inform conservation efforts and policy-making to mitigate biodiversity loss. In addition, it focuses on developing bioinformatic and statistical tools tailored to maximize the utility of collected data. Big Ecological Data is interpreted by synthesizing expertise in community ecology, automated species recognition, and Bayesian statistics, transforming vast amounts of data into actionable insights. Collaborating with researchers and organizations worldwide, the project advances our understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, including the prediction of global biodiversity trends under future challenges. 

The implementation of LIFEPLAN in collaboration with the local partner CIAT - Centro de Investigação Agronómica e Tecnológica in São Tomé offers immense potential for enhancing biodiversity knowledge in this region while making substantial contributions to global documentation and conservation efforts.