1
|
Schmidt JH, Wilson TL, Thompson WL, Mangipane BA. Integrating distance sampling survey data with population indices to separate trends in abundance and temporary immigration. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua H. Schmidt
- U.S. National Park Service Central Alaska Network 4175 Geist Road Fairbanks 99709 AK USA
| | - Tammy L. Wilson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Environmental Conservation University of Massachusetts 160 Holdsworth Way Amherst 01003 MA USA
| | | | - Buck A. Mangipane
- U.S. National Park Service Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, General Delivery, Port Alsworth 99653 AK USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Johnston A, Matechou E, Dennis E. Outstanding challenges and future directions for biodiversity monitoring using citizen science data. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Johnston
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, Department of Maths and Statistics University of St Andrews St Andrews UK
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca NY USA
| | - Eleni Matechou
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Canterbury Kent UK
| | - Emily Dennis
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Canterbury Kent UK
- Butterfly Conservation, Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham Dorset UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lundberg P, Meierhofer MB, Vasko V, Suutari M, Ojala A, Vainio A, Lilley TM. Next‐generation ultrasonic recorders facilitate effective bat activity and distribution monitoring by citizen scientists. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Piia Lundberg
- BatLab Finland Zoology Unit Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Melissa B. Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland Zoology Unit Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Ville Vasko
- BatLab Finland Zoology Unit Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Miina Suutari
- BatLab Finland Zoology Unit Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Ann Ojala
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) Helsinki Finland
| | - Annukka Vainio
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Thomas M. Lilley
- BatLab Finland Zoology Unit Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Patel T, Stears K, Little IT, Shrader AM. Assessing the Performance of Oribi Antelope Populations at Multiple Scales: The Limitations of Citizen-Led Oribi Conservation. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3957/056.051.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamanna Patel
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, 3209 South Africa
| | - Keenan Stears
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, 3209 South Africa
| | - Ian T. Little
- Endangered Wildlife Trust, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adrian M. Shrader
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, 3209 South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Francis R, Bino G, Inman V, Brandis K, Kingsford R. The Okavango Delta’s waterbirds – Trends and threatening processes. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
|
6
|
Jäckel D, Mortega KG, Sturm U, Brockmeyer U, Khorramshahi O, Voigt-Heucke SL. Opportunities and limitations: A comparative analysis of citizen science and expert recordings for bioacoustic research. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253763. [PMID: 34181671 PMCID: PMC8238189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science is an approach that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Despite this growing popularity, there still is widespread scepticism in the academic world about the validity and quality of data from citizen science projects. And although there might be great potential, citizen science is a rarely used approach in the field of bioacoustics. To better understand the possibilities, but also the limitations, we here evaluated data generated in a citizen science project on nightingale song as a case study. We analysed the quantity and quality of song recordings made in a non-standardized way with a smartphone app by citizen scientists and the standardized recordings made with professional equipment by academic researchers. We made comparisons between the recordings of the two approaches and among the user types of the app to gain insights into the temporal recording patterns, the quantity and quality of the data. To compare the deviation of the acoustic parameters in the recordings with smartphones and professional devices from the original song recordings, we conducted a playback test. Our results showed that depending on the user group, citizen scientists produced many to a lot of recordings of valid quality for further bioacoustic research. Differences between the recordings provided by the citizen and the expert group were mainly caused by the technical quality of the devices used—and to a lesser extent by the citizen scientists themselves. Especially when differences in spectral parameters are to be investigated, our results demonstrate that the use of the same high-quality recording devices and calibrated external microphones would most likely improve data quality. We conclude that many bioacoustic research questions may be carried out with the recordings of citizen scientists. We want to encourage academic researchers to get more involved in participatory projects to harness the potential of citizen science—and to share scientific curiosity and discoveries more directly with society.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise Jäckel
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Life Sciences Faculty, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kim G Mortega
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Sturm
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Brockmeyer
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Omid Khorramshahi
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silke L Voigt-Heucke
- Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Animal Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gadsden GI, Malhotra R, Schell J, Carey T, Harris NC. Michigan ZoomIN: Validating Crowd‐Sourcing to Identify Mammals from Camera Surveys. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel I. Gadsden
- 1105 N. University Ave., Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Rumaan Malhotra
- Shapiro Design Lab University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Justin Schell
- Shapiro Design Lab University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Tiffany Carey
- 1105 N. University Ave., Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Nyeema C. Harris
- 1105 N. University Ave., Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hall MJ, Martin JM, Burns AL, Hochuli DF. Ecological insights into a charismatic bird using different citizen science approaches. AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Hall
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales 2006Australia
| | - John M. Martin
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales 2006Australia
- Institute of Science and Learning Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | - Alicia L. Burns
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales 2006Australia
- Institute of Science and Learning Taronga Conservation Society Australia Mosman New South Wales Australia
| | - Dieter F. Hochuli
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Camperdown New South Wales 2006Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bonnet P, Joly A, Faton J, Brown S, Kimiti D, Deneu B, Servajean M, Affouard A, Lombardo J, Mary L, Vignau C, Munoz F. How citizen scientists contribute to monitor protected areas thanks to automatic plant identification tools. ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE 2020; 1. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1002/2688-8319.12023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Bonnet
- CIRAD, UMR AMAP Montpellier Occitanie France
- AMAP, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD Montpellier Occitanie France
| | - Alexis Joly
- INRIA Sophia‐Antipolis ‐ ZENITH team LIRMM ‐ UMR 5506 ‐ CC 477 Montpellier Occitanie France
| | - Jean‐Michel Faton
- Réserve naturelle nationale des Ramières du Val de Drôme Allex France
| | | | | | - Benjamin Deneu
- AMAP, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD Montpellier Occitanie France
- INRIA Sophia‐Antipolis ‐ ZENITH team LIRMM ‐ UMR 5506 ‐ CC 477 Montpellier Occitanie France
| | - Maximilien Servajean
- LIRMM UMR 5506, CNRS, University of Montpellier Montpellier Occitanie France
- AMIS, Paule Valery University ‐ Montpellier 3 Montpellier Occitanie France
| | - Antoine Affouard
- AMAP, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD Montpellier Occitanie France
- INRIA Sophia‐Antipolis ‐ ZENITH team LIRMM ‐ UMR 5506 ‐ CC 477 Montpellier Occitanie France
| | | | - Laura Mary
- Tela Botanica Montpellier Occitanie France
| | | | - François Munoz
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine Université Grenoble Alpes Grenoble France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Henckel L, Bradter U, Jönsson M, Isaac NJB, Snäll T. Assessing the usefulness of citizen science data for habitat suitability modelling: Opportunistic reporting versus sampling based on a systematic protocol. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Henckel
- Swedish Species Information Centre (ArtDatabanken) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala Sweden
| | - Ute Bradter
- Swedish Species Information Centre (ArtDatabanken) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala Sweden
| | - Mari Jönsson
- Swedish Species Information Centre (ArtDatabanken) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala Sweden
| | | | - Tord Snäll
- Swedish Species Information Centre (ArtDatabanken) Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
El Bizri HR, Fa JE, Lemos LP, Campos‐Silva JV, Vasconcelos Neto CFA, Valsecchi J, Mayor P. Involving local communities for effective citizen science: Determining game species' reproductive status to assess hunting effects in tropical forests. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hani R. El Bizri
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute Tefé, Amazonas Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna) Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
- ComFauna Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en LatinoaméricaIquitos Peru
| | - Julia E. Fa
- Department of Natural Sciences Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Situ Gede Kota Bogor, Jawa Barat Indonesia
| | - Lísley P. Lemos
- Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute Tefé, Amazonas Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna) Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
| | - João V. Campos‐Silva
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna) Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
- Institute of Biological Sciences and Health Federal University of Alagoas Maceió Brazil
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås Norway
| | - Carlos F. A. Vasconcelos Neto
- Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute Tefé, Amazonas Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna) Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
| | - João Valsecchi
- Mamirauá Sustainable Development Institute Tefé, Amazonas Brazil
- Rede de Pesquisa para Estudos sobre Diversidade Conservação e Uso da Fauna na Amazônia (RedeFauna) Manaus, Amazonas Brazil
- ComFauna Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en LatinoaméricaIquitos Peru
| | - Pedro Mayor
- ComFauna Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en LatinoaméricaIquitos Peru
- Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas Iquitos, Loreto Peru
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Bellaterra, Barcelona Spain
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA) Belém, Pará Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kays R, McShea WJ, Wikelski M. Born‐digital biodiversity data: Millions and billions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Radolfzell Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cox TE, Ramsey DSL, Sawyers E, Campbell S, Matthews J, Elsworth P. The impact of RHDV-K5 on rabbit populations in Australia: an evaluation of citizen science surveys to monitor rabbit abundance. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15229. [PMID: 31645713 PMCID: PMC6811621 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51847-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing popularity of citizen science in ecological research has created opportunities for data collection from large teams of observers that are widely dispersed. We established a citizen science program to complement the release of a new variant of the rabbit biological control agent, rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), known colloquially as K5, across Australia. We evaluated the impact of K5 on the national rabbit population and compared citizen science and professionally-collected spotlight count data. Of the citizen science sites (n = 219), 93% indicated a decrease in rabbit abundance following the release of K5. The overall finite monthly growth rate in rabbit abundance was estimated as 0.66 (95%CI, 0.26, 1.03), averaging a monthly reduction of 34% at the citizen science sites one month after the release. No such declines were observed at the professionally monitored sites (n = 22). The citizen science data submissions may have been unconsciously biased or the number of professional sites may have been insufficient to detect a change. Citizen science participation also declined by 56% over the post-release period. Future programs should ensure the use of blinded trials to check for unconscious bias and consider how incentives and/or the good will of the participants can be maintained throughout the program.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarnya E Cox
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, 1447 Forest Road Orange, New South Wales, 2800, Australia.
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Building 22, University of Canberra, University Drive South, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, 2617, Australia.
| | - David S L Ramsey
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, PO Box 137, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Building 22, University of Canberra, University Drive South, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, 2617, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Life Sciences Building, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Emma Sawyers
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, 1447 Forest Road Orange, New South Wales, 2800, Australia
- Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Building 22, University of Canberra, University Drive South, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, 2617, Australia
| | - Susan Campbell
- Biosecurity and Sustainability, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 444 Albany Hwy, Albany, Western Australia, 6330, Australia
| | - John Matthews
- Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 147 Bahgallah Road, Casterton, Victoria, 3311, Australia
| | - Peter Elsworth
- Pest Animal Research Centre, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, PO Box 102, Toowoomba, Queensland, 4350, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Steen VA, Elphick CS, Tingley MW. An evaluation of stringent filtering to improve species distribution models from citizen science data. DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A. Steen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
| | - Chris S. Elphick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
| | - Morgan W. Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rafiq K, Bryce CM, Rich LN, Coco C, Miller DAW, Meloro C, Wich SA, McNutt JW, Hayward MW. Tourist photographs as a scalable framework for wildlife monitoring in protected areas. Curr Biol 2019; 29:R681-R682. [PMID: 31336082 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Protected areas are critical to conservation efforts in the face of rapid biodiversity declines [1]. Yet the resources for conservation are often limited and shared amongst many competing priorities [2]. As a consequence, even basic monitoring surveys are absent within most protected areas [3]. Although a range of wildlife monitoring methods exist, considerable focused survey effort is often required to yield accurate and precise estimates [4]. This makes monitoring difficult to sustain or replicate, limiting access to the data required for evidence-based conservation decisions. Citizen-scientists have been proposed as an important complement to the finite resources available for basic monitoring within protected areas [5]; however, the full potential of this approach has yet to be realised. Wildlife tourists and guides are especially focussed on encountering and photographing fauna and flora, yet the data collected in these efforts is rarely harnessed for conservation monitoring within protected areas. A detailed understanding of photographic tourism's potential role in wildlife monitoring has been lacking, but is essential for the development of new tools to harness the data being collected through tourism. Here, we demonstrate that tourist-contributed data can aid wildlife monitoring in protected areas by providing population estimates of large carnivores comparable to those from traditional survey methods. Our approach could capitalize upon the immense number of wildlife photographs being taken daily as part of the global > 30-billion USD, wildlife-based tourism industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kasim Rafiq
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK; Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana.
| | - Caleb M Bryce
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
| | - Lindsey N Rich
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Carli Coco
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Carlo Meloro
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Serge A Wich
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - John W McNutt
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
| | - Matthew W Hayward
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia; Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Brown ED, Williams BK. The potential for citizen science to produce reliable and useful information in ecology. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2019; 33:561-569. [PMID: 30242907 PMCID: PMC7754136 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We examined features of citizen science that influence data quality, inferential power, and usefulness in ecology. As background context for our examination, we considered topics such as ecological sampling (probability based, purposive, opportunistic), linkage between sampling technique and statistical inference (design based, model based), and scientific paradigms (confirmatory, exploratory). We distinguished several types of citizen science investigations, from intensive research with rigorous protocols targeting clearly articulated questions to mass-participation internet-based projects with opportunistic data collection lacking sampling design, and examined overarching objectives, design, analysis, volunteer training, and performance. We identified key features that influence data quality: project objectives, design and analysis, and volunteer training and performance. Projects with good designs, trained volunteers, and professional oversight can meet statistical criteria to produce high-quality data with strong inferential power and therefore are well suited for ecological research objectives. Projects with opportunistic data collection, little or no sampling design, and minimal volunteer training are better suited for general objectives related to public education or data exploration because reliable statistical estimation can be difficult or impossible. In some cases, statistically robust analytical methods, external data, or both may increase the inferential power of certain opportunistically collected data. Ecological management, especially by government agencies, frequently requires data suitable for reliable inference. With standardized protocols, state-of-the-art analytical methods, and well-supervised programs, citizen science can make valuable contributions to conservation by increasing the scope of species monitoring efforts. Data quality can be improved by adhering to basic principles of data collection and analysis, designing studies to provide the data quality required, and including suitable statistical expertise, thereby strengthening the science aspect of citizen science and enhancing acceptance by the scientific community and decision makers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor D. Brown
- Science and Decisions CenterU.S. Geological Survey12201 Sunrise Valley DriveRestonVA20192U.S.A.
| | - Byron K. Williams
- The Wildlife Society5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 200BethesdaMD20814U.S.A.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Soroye P, Ahmed N, Kerr JT. Opportunistic citizen science data transform understanding of species distributions, phenology, and diversity gradients for global change research. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5281-5291. [PMID: 29920854 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Opportunistic citizen science (CS) programs allow volunteers to report species observations from anywhere, at any time, and can assemble large volumes of historic and current data at faster rates than more coordinated programs with standardized data collection. This can quickly provide large amounts of species distributional data, but whether this focus on participation comes at a cost in data quality is not clear. Although automated and expert vetting can increase data reliability, there is no guarantee that opportunistic data will do anything more than confirm information from professional surveys. Here, we use eButterfly, an opportunistic CS program, and a comparable dataset of professionally collected observations, to measure the amount of new distributional species information that opportunistic CS generates. We also test how well opportunistic CS can estimate regional species richness for a large group of taxa (>300 butterfly species) across a broad area. We find that eButterfly contributes new distributional information for >80% of species, and that opportunistically submitting observations allowed volunteers to spot species ~35 days earlier than professionals. Although eButterfly did a relatively poor job at predicting regional species richness by itself (detecting only about 35-57% of species per region), it significantly contributed to regional species richness when used with the professional dataset (adding ~3 species that had gone undetected in professional surveys per region). Overall, we find that the opportunistic CS model can provide substantial complementary species information when used alongside professional survey data. Our results suggest that data from opportunistic CS programs in conjunction with professional datasets can strongly increase the capacity of researchers to estimate species richness, and provide unique information on species distributions and phenologies that are relevant to the detection of the biological consequences of global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Soroye
- Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Najeeba Ahmed
- Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jeremy T Kerr
- Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Viljugrein H, Hopp P, Benestad SL, Nilsen EB, Våge J, Tavornpanich S, Rolandsen CM, Strand O, Mysterud A. A method that accounts for differential detectability in mixed samples of long‐term infections with applications to the case of chronic wasting disease in cervids. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jørn Våge
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute Oslo Norway
| | | | | | - Olav Strand
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) Trondheim Norway
| | - Atle Mysterud
- Department of BiosciencesCentre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| |
Collapse
|