Between 2021 and 2023, the Khaos Research Group at the University of Malaga led the ‘EnBic2Lab’ project, the Environment, Biodiversity, and Climate Change Laboratory, funded by the European LifeWatch ERIC program. One of the project’s outcomes was the generation of the first map of Mediterranean forest species generated with Artificial Intelligence and satellite images. The developed computer system allows maps to be created annually, with a level of accuracy suitable for supporting management and decision-making in the design of European forest conservation and restoration strategies.

The innovative nature of the project lies in its ability to produce maps more quickly and accurately, avoiding human error and saving costs. The system allows for a reliability of almost 80%, being able to identify more than 90 forest species, and without the need for human input in photointerpretation. The project involved 23 scientists from 16 research centers or universities in 11 Mediterranean countries, who collaborated by donating their forest inventory data. The project also organized a summer course and training activities for students from 16 countries, participated in four international conferences, and produced two scientific publications.