The Minimum Viable Scheme protocol is part of the Strengthening Pollinator Recovery through INdicators and monitorinG (SPRING) project, funded by the European Commission.
The Minimum Viable Scheme (MVS) protocol described here comprises pan trapping and transect walks, coupled with simple habitat and flower assessments, and should ideally be conducted on repeated sampling visits to each site each year. The number and timing of visits will be different in different parts of the EU. It has been designed to be undertaken by one or two people in a single day, and aims to collect data needed to detect long-term changes in pollinating insects across the EU. The protocol has also been designed to be implemented by either professional field staff or volunteer non-experts and as such does not require a high degree of expertise in pollinator identification or survey techniques.
The full protocol (including recording forms) can be downloaded here.
Recording forms can be downloaded for:
Transects - Bees and Hoverflies
