The first alpha release of the WEED Toolbox, a major step forward in development, took place in Vienna from 18–20 June 2025. Built on k.LAB, the semantic modelling platform behind all ARIES applications, the Toolbox offers a flexible, open-source solution for mapping the extent and change of terrestrial, freshwater and coastal ecosystems. It provides real-time insights to support conservation and policy-making around the world.
The World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics (WEED) Toolbox is being developed under the WEED project, led by the European Space Agency (ESA), VITO Remote Sensing, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3). As a flagship product of the Group on Earth Observations – Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), the Toolbox supports biodiversity monitoring under the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The ARIES team is responsible for delivering key modeling technology, including the project’s integration engine that orchestrates the various components of all running models.
The alpha launch brought together developers and champion users from six countries (Colombia, Norway, South Africa, Czech Republic, Greece, and Vietnam) for a first round of live testing. Hosted at IIASA, the three-day workshop allowed participants to explore the early features of the Toolbox, test core functions and generate preliminary ecosystem extent maps using rule-based and machine learning methods. Early results across diverse regions were promising and helped shape work in key areas for further development.
Feedback from these technical experts and early adopters is central to the project’s progress. Their insight is helping to improve the usability, accuracy and scope of the Toolbox. The mood during the event was collaborative and enthusiastic, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing global ecosystem monitoring.
Development will continue throughout 2025, with new iterations of the Toolbox and further collaboration across expert and user communities. Stay tuned for more updates!
