1
|
Cruickshank M, Moles A, Debono S, Xirocostas Z. COVERater-A Free Application for Training Researchers to Accurately Estimate Species Cover in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70447. [PMID: 39421332 PMCID: PMC11483595 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2024] [Accepted: 10/01/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Visual estimates of cover are widely used among ecologists, from describing vegetation communities to tracking and monitoring species' abundance. However, despite the known bias associated with visual estimates, no standardised training is available to improve these measurements. We developed a free online training tool, the COVERater, that effectively teaches users to visually estimate the percent cover of species in a variety of ecosystems (including alpine heath, arid lands, coral reefs, temperate reefs and wetlands). Prior to training, users with prior professional experience estimated species cover to an average inaccuracy of 5.2%, while users with no experience estimated cover to an average inaccuracy of 7.6%. COVERater training took an average of 31 min and 68 images, and reduced the estimate inaccuracy of users with no prior experience to 5.2%. There was no significant loss of estimate accuracy over 100 days following training. The COVERater can be used anywhere in the world, by data collectors of all experience levels, for projects spanning all spatial scales. By providing researchers with standardised training, our application can reduce variation in cover estimates that arise from human biases, allowing for comparable estimates across global collaborative projects and data syntheses. We encourage all relevant scientists to include COVERater training in their protocols to quantify cover with greater accuracy, improve the veracity of their results and make better inferences about our biosphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madelon M. Cruickshank
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Angela T. Moles
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Samuel A. Debono
- Pegleg Software (Peglegsoftware.com.au)SydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Zoe A. Xirocostas
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUNSW SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Probert AF, Wegmann D, Volery L, Adriaens T, Bakiu R, Bertolino S, Essl F, Gervasini E, Groom Q, Latombe G, Marisavljevic D, Mumford J, Pergl J, Preda C, Roy HE, Scalera R, Teixeira H, Tricarico E, Vanderhoeven S, Bacher S. Identifying, reducing, and communicating uncertainty in community science: a focus on alien species. Biol Invasions 2022; 24:3395-3421. [PMID: 36277057 PMCID: PMC9579088 DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02858-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Community science (also often referred to as citizen science) provides a unique opportunity to address questions beyond the scope of other research methods whilst simultaneously engaging communities in the scientific process. This leads to broad educational benefits, empowers people, and can increase public awareness of societally relevant issues such as the biodiversity crisis. As such, community science has become a favourable framework for researching alien species where data on the presence, absence, abundance, phenology, and impact of species is important in informing management decisions. However, uncertainties arising at different stages can limit the interpretation of data and lead to projects failing to achieve their intended outcomes. Focusing on alien species centered community science projects, we identified key research questions and the relevant uncertainties that arise during the process of developing the study design, for example, when collecting the data and during the statistical analyses. Additionally, we assessed uncertainties from a linguistic perspective, and how the communication stages among project coordinators, participants and other stakeholders can alter the way in which information may be interpreted. We discuss existing methods for reducing uncertainty and suggest further solutions to improve data reliability. Further, we make suggestions to reduce the uncertainties that emerge at each project step and provide guidance and recommendations that can be readily applied in practice. Reducing uncertainties is essential and necessary to strengthen the scientific and community outcomes of community science, which is of particular importance to ensure the success of projects aimed at detecting novel alien species and monitoring their dynamics across space and time. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10530-022-02858-8.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna F. Probert
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 15, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Wegmann
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 15, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Lara Volery
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 15, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Tim Adriaens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Herman Teirlinckgebouw, Havenlaan 88 bus 73, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rigers Bakiu
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Agricultural University of Tirana, Koder-Kamez, Tirane, Albania
| | - Sandro Bertolino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Franz Essl
- Global Change, Macroecology-Group, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | | | | | - Guillaume Latombe
- Global Change, Macroecology-Group, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, University Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT UK
| | | | - John Mumford
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, SL5 7PY UK
| | - Jan Pergl
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, 252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Preda
- Ovidius University of Constanta, Al. Universitatii nr.1, Corp B, 900470 Constanta, Romania
| | - Helen E. Roy
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8BB UK
| | | | - Heliana Teixeira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Elena Tricarico
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, FI Italy
| | - Sonia Vanderhoeven
- Belgian Biodiversity Platform - Département du Milieu Naturel et Agricole - Service Public de Wallonie, Avenue Maréchal Juin 23, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Sven Bacher
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 15, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Perkins-Taylor IE, Frey JK. Remote Cameras Versus Visual and Auditory Methods for Surveying the Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus). WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian E. Perkins-Taylor
- New Mexico State University, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, 2980 S. Espina Street, Knox Hall 132, Box 30003, MSC 4901, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003
| | - Jennifer K. Frey
- New Mexico State University, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, 2980 S. Espina Street, Knox Hall 132, Box 30003, MSC 4901, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Detto M, Visser MD, Wright SJ, Pacala SW. Bias in the detection of negative density dependence in plant communities. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1923-1939. [PMID: 31523913 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Regression dilution is a statistical inference bias that causes underestimation of the strength of dependency between two variables when the predictors are error-prone proxies (EPPs). EPPs are widely used in plant community studies focused on negative density-dependence (NDD) to quantify competitive interactions. Because of the nature of the bias, conspecific NDD is often overestimated in recruitment analyses, and in some cases, can be erroneously detected when absent. In contrast, for survival analyses, EPPs typically cause NDD to be underestimated, but underestimation is more severe for abundant species and for heterospecific effects, thereby generating spurious negative relationships between the strength of NDD and the abundances of con- and heterospecifics. This can explain why many studies observed rare species to suffer more severely from conspecific NDD, and heterospecific effects to be disproportionally smaller than conspecific effects. In general, such species-dependent bias is often related to traits associated with likely mechanisms of NDD, which creates false patterns and complicates the ecological interpretation of the analyses. Classic examples taken from literature and simulations demonstrate that this bias has been pervasive, which calls into question the emerging paradigm that intraspecific competition has been demonstrated by direct field measurements to be generally stronger than interspecific competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Detto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
| | - Marco D Visser
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Stephen W Pacala
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pescott OL, Walker KJ, Harris F, New H, Cheffings CM, Newton N, Jitlal M, Redhead J, Smart SM, Roy DB. The design, launch and assessment of a new volunteer-based plant monitoring scheme for the United Kingdom. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215891. [PMID: 31026278 PMCID: PMC6485706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Volunteer-based plant monitoring in the UK has focused mainly on distribution mapping; there has been less emphasis on the collection of data on plant communities and habitats. Abundance data provide different insights into ecological pattern and allow for more powerful inference when considering environmental change. Abundance monitoring for other groups of organisms is well-established in the UK, e.g. for birds and butterflies, and conservation agencies have long desired comparable schemes for plants. We describe a new citizen science scheme for the UK (the ‘National Plant Monitoring Scheme’; NPMS), with the primary aim of monitoring the abundance of plants at small scales. Scheme development emphasised volunteer flexibility through scheme co-creation and feedback, whilst retaining a rigorous approach to design. Sampling frameworks, target habitats and species, field methods and power are all described. We also evaluate several outcomes of the scheme design process, including: (i) landscape-context bias in the first two years of the scheme; (ii) the ability of different sets of indicator species to capture the main ecological gradients of UK vegetation; and, (iii) species richness bias in returns relative to a professional survey. Survey rates have been promising (over 60% of squares released have been surveyed), although upland squares are under-represented. Ecological gradients present in an ordination of an independent, unbiased, national survey were well-represented by NPMS indicator species, although further filtering to an entry-level set of easily identifiable species degraded signal in an ordination axis representing succession and disturbance. Comparison with another professional survey indicated that different biases might be present at different levels of participation within the scheme. Understanding the strengths and limitations of the NPMS will guide development, increase trust in outputs, and direct efforts for maintaining volunteer interest, as well as providing a set of ideas for other countries to experiment with.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver L Pescott
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin J Walker
- Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, Harrogate, United Kingdom
| | | | - Hayley New
- Plantlife, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | | | - Niki Newton
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Jitlal
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - John Redhead
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Simon M Smart
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, United Kingdom
| | - David B Roy
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|