The Butterfly effect - Biodiversity monitoring

The butterfly effect: Preserving Danish nature with the power of 5G

Real-time biodiversity insights to support nature restoration

Together with TDC NET, we developed an AI- and 5G-powered solution to remotely monitor butterfly populations and measure the impact of nature restoration over time.

Case

#biodiversity

Nature restoration is about more than restoring landscapes. It's about understanding whether those efforts are making a measurable difference.

Reliable biodiversity data is becoming increasingly important as organizations seek better ways to understand and demonstrate the impact of nature restoration. We partnered with TDC NET to combine AI, cameras and 5G connectivity to help monitor endangered butterfly species in a new way, generating the continuous insights needed to help restore nature.

Innovation meets impact: AI and 5G technology transform butterfly monitoring from labor-intensive manual surveys into real-time, continuous biodiversity tracking — delivering data to measure restoration success.
Collaboration as catalyst: By combining Ericsson's connectivity expertise with TDC NET's ecological knowledge, we've created a scalable model that proves technology can solve real environmental challenges.
From goals to metrics: Continuous biodiversity data turns abstract sustainability targets into concrete evidence, helping organizations demonstrate measurable progress toward the 2030 global conservation goal to preserve 30% of land, waters and seas.

“What I really love about this project is that we’re able to bring technology innovation and nature restoration together.”

Ann Kathrine Kruuse Thomsen,
Sustainability Manager, TDC NET

Polyommatus icarus - The butterfly effect

Understanding biodiversity through butterflies

Nature recovery begins by understanding what's changing. More than simple insects, butterflies are indicators of ecosystem health. Their presence, or absence, helps us understand whether habitats are recovering and whether restoration efforts are having the intended effect.

For TDC NET, monitoring butterfly populations is an important part of understanding the impact of its heathland restoration program in Skamlebæk, North-West Zealand in Denmark. Traditionally, specialists manually surveyed the site, making it difficult to gather continuous, reliable data over time.

But working alongside ecological experts, we developed a new way to monitor biodiversity while reducing the need for time-intensive field surveys.

“Butterflies tell us a lot about what’s going on in the land. Their absence of butterflies should make alarm bells ring.”

Jakob Arnholtz
Community butterfly expert

Jonas Wigander in his scientific research

Connecting technology with ecological expertise

Working closely with TDC NET, we developed an innovative monitoring solution that combines solar-powered field units, AI and 5G connectivity to protect the setup from unexpected power loss.

Cameras continuously capture images while AI determines whether a butterfly is present before a second model identifies the species. The information is securely transmitted over our 5G network to a cloud dashboard where we can then review observations, validate species, and monitor biodiversity over time.

The project demonstrates how technologies we already use every day can be applied in new ways. Allowing us to leverage technology to fill existing gaps surrounding measurable case studies in nature conservation in order to drive meaningful environmental impact and sustainability.

“Innovation is making use of technologies we already have in new ways to solve new problems”

Jonas Wigander
Program Manager, Innovation support R&D Stockholm, Ericsson

Supporting better environmental decisions

This project shows that connectivity is a powerful tool for environmental stewardship. By combining AI, 5G and ecological expertise, we've created a practical system that transforms how organizations can measure nature restoration success.

Continuous and reliable biodiversity data helps to replace guesswork. The goal is to track species patterns year-on-year, get concrete metrics, and make informed decisions about conservation efforts — moving environmental goals from aspirational to measurable.

Developed for butterfly monitoring, the solution has far broader potential. It's a replicable model for scaling biodiversity monitoring across multiple ecosystems and geographies. As connectivity continues to evolve, so too will our ability to protect nature and help people reconnect with the natural world.

This pilot marks an important step in that journey, creating a foundation for the solution to be further developed and improved in the years ahead.