Session Description
Biodiversity impact assessment (BIA) is evolving rapidly in response to advances in ecological science, emerging technologies, and increasing expectations for measurable biodiversity outcomes. Traditional approaches focused primarily on species inventories, diversity metrics, and habitat mapping are giving way to more integrated assessments that consider ecosystem function, ecological connectivity, resilience, ecosystem services, cumulative effects, and biodiversity outcomes such as No Net Loss and Net Gain. Emerging technologies, including remote sensing, environmental DNA (eDNA), habitat modeling, artificial intelligence, and autonomous monitoring systems, are transforming how biodiversity is characterized, monitored, and incorporated into environmental decision-making across both terrestrial and marine environments. This session will explore how these scientific, technological, and policy developments are advancing BIA while examining practical challenges, lessons learned, and future opportunities for integrating ecosystem-based approaches, adaptive management, and long-term biodiversity outcomes into impact assessment practice.
Session Summary
This session will provide a forum for discussion on the evolution of biodiversity impact assessment (BIA), including how integrated approaches that consider ecosystem function, connectivity, resilience, ecosystem services, cumulative effects, and biodiversity outcomes are changing the future direction of BIA.
Session Chair
John Tiggelaar II
CSA Ocean Sciences Inc.
United States