A major achievement has been the development of Scotland's first curated inventory of marine nematode species. Drawing together information from published research and previously inaccessible sources, including doctoral theses, the project has created the first comprehensive overview of marine nematode diversity around Scotland's coastline, with particular coverage of the Firths of Clyde, Forth and Tay. This valuable resource will be made openly available through collaboration with the National Biodiversity Network, improving access to an important but previously fragmented source of biodiversity information. 

The project is also enhancing the evidence available for national biodiversity reporting. Building on the publication of the State of Nature report, researchers have led the publication of terrestrial and freshwater animal trend datasets, supported by comprehensive metadata to enable wider reuse and analysis. New analytical approaches have been developed to combine long-term population trends with information on species traits and climate preferences, providing richer insights into how biodiversity is responding to environmental change. The project has also worked with NatureScot to support the future development of bryophyte-based Ecosystem Health Indicators, helping to strengthen the evidence available for monitoring Scotland's natural environment.

One of the project's most ambitious initiatives is Mountain Heights, Hidden Depths, a nationwide citizen science programme investigating the biodiversity of Scotland's mountain soils. With the support of more than 400 volunteers, soil samples have now been collected from 255 of Scotland's 270 Munros, creating one of the most comprehensive surveys of alpine soil biodiversity undertaken anywhere in the UK. Environmental DNA has been extracted and sequenced from all samples, alongside measurements of soil pH, carbon and nitrogen, while volunteer photographs have been used to characterise vegetation at each site. As analysis begins, the project is working with environmental NGOs, statutory agencies, landowners and the wider public to reveal the hidden biodiversity of Scotland's mountain ecosystems and improve understanding of how these unique environments are responding to environmental change.

The project is also developing practical approaches that make biodiversity monitoring more accessible to land managers. Existing NatureScot scorecards and biodiversity audit methods have been evaluated against long-term ecological monitoring data to assess their effectiveness for measuring arable biodiversity, including field margin plant diversity, hedgerow quality and earthworm abundance. Building on this work, researchers have produced a user-friendly biodiversity and soil monitoring handbook that enables farmers and other non-specialists to assess how changes in land management influence both environmental outcomes and agricultural production. These resources are being brought together within the Bio4Ag Toolbox, an open-access platform that will provide practical guidance, technical notes and sustainability modelling tools for farmers, agronomists, policymakers and other stakeholders across the UK and Europe. The toolbox is designed to improve understanding of how farming practices influence the ecological processes that underpin long-term sustainable agriculture.

Biodiversity data analysis: Using distribution data from the National Biodiversity Network (NBN), the team has completed initial comparisons and identified where more detailed modelling is possible. However, some datasets, particularly for fungi, are recorded at too coarse a scale to be useful for habitat-level modelling. Comparisons between NBN and specialist datasets are now complete for lichens and selected insect groups.

Improving biodiversity reporting: A paper has been submitted on the challenges of assigning species trends to habitats. The team contributed to Scotland’s State of Nature reports and is working closely with RSPB on their review and future reporting projects. The project is also now a partner in the Better Biodiversity Data initiative and a member of the Scottish Biodiversity Information Forum Advisory Committee.

Citizen science in the mountains: The Mountain Heights, Hidden Depths project has been launched to study soil biodiversity in Scotland’s alpine habitats. Volunteers are helping collect soil samples from Munros, building on a successful pilot with Plantlife in 2021. Public enthusiasm was huge, over 400 volunteers signed up in just two weeks, with all 215 Munros adopted. In summer 2023, samples were collected from 115 summits, bringing the total sampled to 170 so far. These samples are being analysed for DNA, soil chemistry, and vegetation, with the aim of reaching 270 Munros by summer 2024. Volunteers also submitted photos, adding valuable context to the data. Explore the project here.

Supporting farmers: A new interactive dashboard has been created using long-term data from the Centre for Sustainable Cropping. This tool will help farmers see how different crop management practices affect soil health and biodiversity, supporting more sustainable decision-making.

Biodiversity inventory: Work continues to update Scotland’s biodiversity inventory, identifying gaps by comparing current data with the last full inventory. Case studies on fungi, lichens, and insects are being used to fill in missing information. New analyses are underway combining fungal and lichen records with land use, woodland cover, climate, and nitrogen deposition data. A scientific paper comparing fungal diversity in Scotland and Scandinavia is nearing completion.

State of Nature collaboration: The team is working closely with the State of Nature community to improve biodiversity indicators. Current efforts include refining how species trends are calculated and exploring better ways of presenting data, such as dashboards that make key metrics accessible in both static and interactive formats.

Wildlife monitoring tools: DNA-based methods for monitoring mountain hares have been successfully validated using both tissue and pellet samples, improving the tools available for wildlife conservation.

Farmland biodiversity indicators: In partnership with NatureScot, a set of indicators has been created to measure how management practices affect farmland biodiversity. These include scorecards that help assess field margin biodiversity in arable systems, tested at the James Hutton Institute’s long-term Centre for Sustainable Cropping. Feedback is feeding into new plans for a wider biodiversity audit. A handbook for monitoring biodiversity and soil health has also been produced, forming the basis of a new toolkit and dashboard for farmers.