Germany – Rural areas mapping services – ÖFS Brutvogelkartierung 2027

The ÖFS is part of the biodiversity monitoring of the state of NRW, which has been carried out on annually changing sample plots since 1997. In NRW, there are a total of 220 ÖFS plots, each 100 hectares in size, of which 191 are randomly distributed throughout the state. The remaining 29 are reference plots in nature conservation priority areas. The survey results of the 191 sample plots are extrapolated for the entire state of NRW and used as statistically representative state values for EU, federal, and state reporting. The 29 reference plots are compared with the sample plots in state-wide assessments and evaluations. In 2027, ornithological surveys on 37 investigation areas of the Ecological Sample Plot Survey (ÖFS) are to be awarded to external contractors.