MYNZO | BIODIVERSITY MONITORING BRIEF
Version: 18 September 2026

Use this editable brief to prepare a discussion with your monitoring and ecology teams.
It is a planning aid, not a survey protocol, certification or regulatory assessment.
You can leave unknown items marked UNKNOWN. Do not invent baseline values.

1. PROJECT AND DECISION
Project name:
Organisation:
Country and location:
Approximate area and number of sites:
Habitat or ecosystem types:
Land use and management history:
Decision the monitoring must inform:
Person responsible for that decision:
Reporting purpose and review date:

2. BOUNDARY AND STARTING CONDITION
Boundary file, map reference and version:
Restoration start date, if applicable:
Baseline observation period:
Existing ecological surveys and their methods:
Available imagery and dates, if known:
Known disturbances, invasive species or other pressures:
Missing baseline information:
Reference ecosystem or model and its evidence:
Local ecological knowledge to include and agreed permissions:

3. METRIC RECORD (COPY FOR EACH PROPOSED METRIC)
Metric name:
Ecological question:
Definition and unit:
Species groups, habitats and area covered:
Exclusions:
Baseline value, date and evidence source:
Observed or modelled:
Field or remote observation method:
Sampling area, number of visits and effort per visit:
Season and proposed repeat schedule:
Person or team collecting the data:
Quality and identification checks:
Uncertainty and known limits:
Target, if justified, and evidence supporting it:
Finding that would trigger action:
Management action and owner:

4. COMPARABILITY AND REVIEW
Are boundaries, definitions and units consistent between periods?
Is survey effort comparable, and are seasonal differences recorded?
Are missing records separate from measured zero values?
Are non-detections labelled without assuming proven absence?
Are model estimates separate from direct observations?
Are native species and invasive species distinguishable in the results?
Are habitat extent and ecological condition reported separately?
Could weather, disturbance or method changes explain the result?
Who will review the ecological interpretation?

5. DELIVERY AND USE
Required maps, tables and supporting records:
Preferred file formats:
Data ownership and access arrangements:
Sensitive species locations or community information requiring restricted access:
Applicable reporting framework, jurisdiction and version, if any:
Specialist ecological work still required:
Open decisions before work starts:

No single metric in this brief establishes biodiversity gain or a nature-positive outcome.
Review the methods with the ecological team responsible for the project.

Guide: https://www.mynzocarbon.com/blog/biodiversity-metrics-for-restoration-projects
Project discussion: https://www.mynzocarbon.com/get-started?interest=biodiversity-monitoring&source=biodiversity-guide