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Ogawa Y, Fukasawa K, Yoshioka A, Kumada N, Takenaka A, Ito T. Quiz-style online training tool helps to learn birdsong identification and support citizen science. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15387. [PMID: 37273535 PMCID: PMC10239230 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Citizen science is an important approach to monitoring for biodiversity conservation because it allows for data acquisition or analysis on a scale that is not possible for researchers alone. In citizen science projects, the use of online training is increasing to improve such skills. However, the effectiveness of quiz-style online training, assumed to be efficient to enhance participants' skills, has not been evaluated adequately on species identification for citizen science biodiversity monitoring projects. Memory mechanisms in adaptive learning were hypothesized to guide the development of quiz-based online training tools for learning birdsong identification and for improving interest in birds and natural environments. To examine the hypothesis, we developed a quiz-style online training tool called TORI-TORE. We experimentally applied TORI-TORE in Fukushima, Japan, and examined its effectiveness for bird identification training using test scores and questionnaires to determine participants' attitudes in a randomized control trial. We obtained the following key results: (1) TORI-TORE had positive effects on test scores and trainees' attitudes toward birds. (2) Adaptive training, in which questions focused preferentially on unmastered bird species based on the answer history of individual trainees inspired by adaptive learning, unexpectedly led to lower scores and satisfaction in TORI-TORE. (3) Focusing on species that are relatively easy to remember, short lag times between training and testing, and long question intervals positively affected scores. While there is room for improvement, we expect TORI-TORE to contribute to online capacity building and to increase interest in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yui Ogawa
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keita Fukasawa
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Yoshioka
- Fukushima Regional Collaborative Research Center, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Miharu, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Nao Kumada
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Taiichi Ito
- National Parks Awareness Center, Edogawa University, Nagareyama, Chiba, Japan
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2
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Shen FY, Ding TS, Tsai JS. Comparing avian species richness estimates from structured and semi-structured citizen science data. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1214. [PMID: 36681706 PMCID: PMC9867693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28064-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Citizen science, including structured and semi-structured forms, has become a powerful tool to collect biodiversity data. However, semi-structured citizen science data have been criticized for higher variability in quality, including less information to adjust for imperfect detection and uneven duration that bias the estimates of species richness. Species richness estimators may quantify bias in estimates. Here, we test the effectiveness of Chao1 estimator in eBird (semi-structured) by comparing it to averaged species richness in Breeding Bird Survey Taiwan, BBS (structured) and quantifying bias. We then fit a power function to compare bias while controlling for differences in count duration. The Chao1 estimator increased the species richness estimates of eBird data from 56 to 69% of the average observed BBS and from 47 to 59% of the average estimated BBS. Effects of incomplete short duration samples and variability in detectability skills of observers can lead to biased estimates. Using the Chao1 estimator improved estimates of species richness from semi-structured and structured data, but the strong effect of singleton species on bias, especially in short duration counts, should be evaluated in advance to reduce the uncertainty of estimation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yu Shen
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Oak Creek Lab of Biology, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Tzung-Su Ding
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, The Experimental Forest, National Taiwan University, Nantou County, Taiwan
| | - Jo-Szu Tsai
- Department of Biological Resources, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, Taiwan.
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3
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A data-integration approach to correct sampling bias in species distribution models using multiple datasets of breeding birds in the Swiss Alps. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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4
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Species profiles support recommendations for quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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5
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Kirschke S, Bennett C, Bigham Ghazani A, Franke C, Kirschke D, Lee Y, Loghmani Khouzani ST, Nath S. Citizen science projects in freshwater monitoring. From individual design to clusters? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 309:114714. [PMID: 35189514 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Citizen science projects spring up in freshwater monitoring, with an increasing number of projects in river, lake, and groundwater monitoring around the globe. Citizen science scholars assume that these projects have different designs, including diverse characteristics of citizens, institutions, and forms of interactions, potentially affecting the outcomes of these projects. Given the strong focus on case studies or reviews in the field, there is, however, little comparative evidence of the different types of citizen science projects in freshwater monitoring. Based on a global survey, this study provides a systematic comparative analysis of the design of 85 citizen science projects in the field of freshwater monitoring. Descriptive statistics reveal how projects differ along 45 literature-based design variables raised in the survey. Factor analysis based on 31 of these variables yields ten key design factors, and cluster analysis, based on these design factors, allows to identify seven distinguished clusters of citizen science projects. While these clusters are rather heterogeneous, they reveal differences between groups of projects regarding institutional motivation, citizen characteristics, and interaction forms. These results significantly add to a systematic comparison of citizen science projects in freshwater monitoring and enable a more effective involvement of citizens in environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Kirschke
- United Nations University - Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Dresden, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | - Yeongju Lee
- United Nations University - Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Dresden, Germany
| | - Seyed Taha Loghmani Khouzani
- United Nations University - Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Dresden, Germany
| | - Shuvojit Nath
- United Nations University - Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Dresden, Germany
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6
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Peeters ETHM, Gerritsen AAM, Seelen LMS, Begheyn M, Rienks F, Teurlincx S. Monitoring biological water quality by volunteers complements professional assessments. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263899. [PMID: 35213583 PMCID: PMC8880917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressively more community initiatives have been undertaken over last decades to monitor water quality. Biological data collected by volunteers has been used for biodiversity and water quality studies. Despite the many citizen science projects collecting and using macroinvertebrates, the number of scientific peer-reviewed publications that use this data, remains limited. In 2018, a citizen science project on biological water quality assessment was launched in the Netherlands. In this project, volunteers collect macroinvertebrates from a nearby waterbody, identify and count the number of specimens, and register the catch through a web portal to instantaneously receive a water quality score based on their data. Water quality monitoring in the Netherlands is traditionally the field of professionals working at water authorities. Here, we compare the data from the citizen science project with the data gathered by professionals. We evaluate information regarding type and distribution of sampled waterbodies and sampling period, and compare general patterns in both datasets with respect to collected animals and calculated water quality scores. The results show that volunteers and professionals seldomly sample the same waterbody, that there is some overlap in sampling period, and that volunteers more frequently sampled urban waters and smaller waterbodies. The citizen science project is thus yielding data about understudied waters and this spatial and temporal complementarity is useful. The character and thoroughness of the assessments by volunteers and professionals are likely to differentiate. Volunteers collected significantly lower numbers of animals per sample and fewer animals from soft sediments like worms and more mobile individuals from the open water column such as boatsmen and beetles. Due to the lack of simultaneous observations at various locations by volunteers and professionals, a direct comparison of water quality scores is impossible. However, the obtained patterns from both datasets show that the water quality scores between volunteers and professionals are dissimilar for the different water types. To bridge these differences, new tools and processes need to be further developed to increase the value of monitoring biological water quality by volunteers for professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin T. H. M. Peeters
- Chairgroup Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Laura M. S. Seelen
- Department of Planning and Monitoring, Regional Water Authority Brabantse Delta, Breda, The Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Begheyn
- Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Froukje Rienks
- Section Public Relations & Science Communication, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sven Teurlincx
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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7
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Suzuki-Ohno Y, Westfechtel T, Yokoyama J, Ohno K, Nakashizuka T, Kawata M, Okatani T. Deep learning increases the availability of organism photographs taken by citizens in citizen science programs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1210. [PMID: 35075168 PMCID: PMC8786926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science programs using organism photographs have become popular, but there are two problems related to photographs. One problem is the low quality of photographs. It is laborious to identify species in photographs taken outdoors because they are out of focus, partially invisible, or under different lighting conditions. The other is difficulty for non-experts to identify species. Organisms usually have interspecific similarity and intraspecific variation, which hinder species identification by non-experts. Deep learning solves these problems and increases the availability of organism photographs. We trained a deep convolutional neural network, Xception, to identify bee species using various quality of bee photographs that were taken by citizens. These bees belonged to two honey bee species and 10 bumble bee species with interspecific similarity and intraspecific variation. We investigated the accuracy of species identification by biologists and deep learning. The accuracy of species identification by Xception (83.4%) was much higher than that of biologists (53.7%). When we grouped bee photographs by different colors resulting from intraspecific variation in addition to species, the accuracy of species identification by Xception increased to 84.7%. The collaboration with deep learning and experts will increase the reliability of species identification and their use for scientific researches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Suzuki-Ohno
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Thomas Westfechtel
- Department of System Information Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan. .,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan.
| | - Jun Yokoyama
- Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Yamagata, 990-8560, Japan
| | - Kazunori Ohno
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-0845, Japan
| | - Tohru Nakashizuka
- Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kamigamo-Motoyama 457-4, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan.,Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Takayuki Okatani
- Department of System Information Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8579, Japan
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8
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Alientoma, a Dynamic Database for Alien Insects in Greece and Its Use by Citizen Scientists in Mapping Alien Species. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121101. [PMID: 34940189 PMCID: PMC8704008 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Invasive alien species have been increasingly acknowledged as a major threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem services, while their adverse impacts expand to human health, society and the economy on a global scale. Insects represent one of the most numerous alien organismic groups, accounting for about one fifth of their total number. In Greece, a large number of alien insects have been identified, currently reaching 469 species. In recent decades, the contribution of citizen science towards detecting and mapping the distribution of alien insects has been steeply increasing. Addressing the need for up-to-date information on alien species as well as encouraging public participation in scientific research, the Alientoma website-derived from "alien" and the Greek word "entoma", meaning insects, is presented. The website aims towards providing updated information on alien species of insects to the public as well as the scientific community, raising awareness about biological invasions and addressing their distribution and impacts inter alia. By maintaining a dynamic online database alongside a strong social media presence since its launch, Alientoma has attracted individuals mainly from Greece and Cyprus, interacting with the website through a total of 1512 sessions. Alientoma intends to establish a constantly increasing network of citizen scientists and to supplement early detection, monitoring and management efforts to mitigate the adverse impacts of alien insects in Greece.
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9
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Steven R, Van Helden BE, Tulloch AI, Barnes M, Close PG, Fuller RA. Exploring the ability of urban householders to correctly identify nocturnal mammals. Urban Ecosyst 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01118-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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10
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Abstract
Parrots have been transported and traded by humans for at least the last 2000 years and this trade continues unabated today. This transport of species has involved the majority of recognized parrot species (300+ of 382 species). Inevitably, some alien species either escape captivity or are released and may establish breeding populations in the novel area. With respect to parrots, established but alien populations are becoming common in many parts of the world. In this review, we attempt to estimate the total number of parrot species introduced into the wild in non-native areas and assess how many of these have self-sustaining breeding populations. Based the public databases GAVIA, eBird, and iNaturalist, 166 species of Psittaciformes have been introduced (seen in the wild) into 120 countries or territories outside of the native range. Of these, 60 species are naturalized, and an additional 11 species are breeding in at least one country outside of their native range (86 countries or territories total). The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) are the most widely distributed and successful of the introduced parrots, being naturalized in 47 and 26 countries or territories, respectively. Far and away, the United States and its territories support the greatest number of naturalized parrots, with 28 different species found in either the continental US, or Hawaii or Puerto Rico. Naturalized species as well as urbanized native species of parrots are likely to continue increasing in numbers and geographical range, and detailed studies are needed to both confirm species richness in each area as well mitigate potential ecological impacts and conflicts with humans.
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11
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Data Reliability in a Citizen Science Protocol for Monitoring Stingless Bees Flight Activity. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12090766. [PMID: 34564206 PMCID: PMC8467663 DOI: 10.3390/insects12090766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary This work aims to validate a citizen science protocol for monitoring the flight activity of stingless bees. The count of flight activity (entrance, exit, and entrance carrying pollen) filmed in 30 s videos was compared among three different groups: “original” citizen scientists (group that filmed and performed the count in their own videos), “replicator” citizen scientists (group of citizen scientists who performed flight activity counts on videos shot by other citizen scientists), and experts (researchers who work with bees and who performed the counts on videos shot by citizen scientists). The analysis was divided into two levels: perception (detection of activity in videos) and counting. The results of this analysis revealed that citizen scientists and experts have similar perception and count of bee entrance and exit activity, as no statistical differences were found in these two items. However, replicator citizen scientists noticed more bees carrying pollen than original citizen scientists and experts. Despite this, considering only the videos in which the groups agreed on the presence of pollen, the count was similar for both. These results enabled the validation of the protocol and indicated high quality of data produced by individuals who participate in scientific practices following a citizen science approach. Abstract Although the quality of citizen science (CS) data is often a concern, evidence for high-quality CS data increases in the scientific literature. This study aimed to assess the data reliability of a structured CS protocol for monitoring stingless bees’ flight activity. We tested (1) data accuracy for replication among volunteers and for expert validation and (2) precision, comparing dispersion between citizen scientists and expert data. Two distinct activity dimensions were considered: (a) perception of flight activity and (b) flight activity counts (entrances, exits, and pollen load). No significant differences were found among groups regarding entrances and exits. However, replicator citizen scientists presented a higher chance of perceiving pollen than original data collectors and experts, likely a false positive. For those videos in which there was an agreement about pollen presence, the effective pollen counts were similar (with higher dispersion for citizen scientists), indicating the reliability of CS-collected data. The quality of the videos, a potential source of variance, did not influence the results. Increasing practical training could be an alternative to improve pollen data quality. Our study shows that CS provides reliable data for monitoring bee activity and highlights the relevance of a multi-dimensional approach for assessing CS data quality.
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12
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The Native Bees of Texas: Evaluating the Benefits of a Public Engagement Course. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12080702. [PMID: 34442267 PMCID: PMC8396608 DOI: 10.3390/insects12080702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary As concerns over bee population declines have entered the public consciousness worldwide, people are eager to learn about bees, the roles they play in our world, and how to conserve them. However, the public’s growing enthusiasm and efforts to conserve bees in North America are not always matched by their scientific knowledge of native bees. To satisfy a growing regional demand for knowledge about native bees, we have developed a public engagement program that aims to provide basic information about the native bees of Texas and their conservation guidelines based on science. At the University of Texas, Austin, we designed an outreach course with the objectives of teaching basic identification, diversity, ecology, and conservation of native bees and we implemented it on university botanical garden grounds. To gauge the course’s impact and quality, we integrated assessment tools into the course design. Evaluation results indicated that the course had a positive impact on participants who acquired specific topic knowledge and skills. The outreach course helped educate the public on native bees and benefitted participants, such as landowners and citizen scientists, who intended to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to specific conservation projects. It is relevant and timely to offer such courses, especially in regions that represent biodiversity hotspots for native bees and whose habitat is being fragmented and altered by rapid urbanization. Abstract Declines in native bee communities due to forces of global change have become an increasing public concern. Despite this heightened interest, there are few publicly available courses on native bees, and little understanding of how participants might benefit from such courses. In October of 2018 and 2019, we taught the ‘Native Bees of Texas’ course to the public at The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center botanical gardens in an active learning environment with slide-based presentations, printed photo-illustrated resources, and direct insect observations. In this study, we evaluated course efficacy and learning outcomes with a pre/post-course test, a survey, and open-ended feedback, focused on quality improvement findings. Overall, participants’ test scores increased significantly, from 60% to 87% correct answers in 2018 and from 64% to 87% in 2019, with greater post-course differences in ecological knowledge than in identification skills. Post-course, the mean of participants’ bee knowledge self-ratings was 4.56 on a five-point scale. The mean of participants’ ratings of the degree to which they attained the course learning objectives was 4.43 on a five-point scale. Assessment results provided evidence that the course enriched participants’ knowledge of native bee ecology and conservation and gave participants a basic foundation in bee identification. This highlights the utility of systematic course evaluations in public engagement efforts related to biodiversity conservation.
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13
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Santos‐Fernandez E, Mengersen K. Understanding the reliability of citizen science observational data using item response models. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Santos‐Fernandez
- School of Mathematical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - Kerrie Mengersen
- School of Mathematical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) Parkville Vic. Australia
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14
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Dolezal AJ, Esch EH, MacDougall AS. Restored marginal farmland benefits arthropod diversity at multiple scales. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra J. Dolezal
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Ellen H. Esch
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Andrew S. MacDougall
- University of Guelph, Department of Integrative Biology, 50 Stone Road East Guelph Ontario Canada N1G 2W1
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15
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Klütsch CFC, Aspholm PE, Polikarpova N, Veisblium O, Bjørn T, Wikan A, Gonzalez V, Hagen SB. Studying phenological phenomena in subarctic biomes with international school pupils as citizen scientists. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3501-3515. [PMID: 33898006 PMCID: PMC8057335 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science can facilitate in-depth learning for pupils and students, contribute to scientific research, and permit civic participation. Here, we describe the development of the transnational school-based citizen science project Phenology of the North Calotte. Its primary goal is to introduce pupils (age 12-15; grades 7-10) in northern Norway, Russia, and Finland to the local and global challenges of climate change resulting in life cycle changes at different trophic and ecosystem levels in their backyards. Partnerships between regional scientists and staff from NIBIO Svanhovd, State nature reserves, national parks, and teachers and pupils from regional schools aim to engage pupils in project-based learning. The project uses standardized protocols, translated into the different languages of participating schools. The phenological observations are centered around documenting clearly defined life cycle phases (e.g., first appearance of species, flowering, ripening, leaf yellowing, snow fall, and melt). The observations are collected either on paper and are subsequently submitted manually to an open-source online database or submitted directly via a newly developed mobile app. In the long term, the database is anticipated to contribute to research studying changes in phenology at different trophic levels. In principle, guided school-based citizen science projects have the potential to contribute to increased environmental awareness and education and thereby to transformative learning at the societal level while contributing to scientific progress of understudied biomes, like the northern taiga and (sub)arctic tundra. However, differences in school systems and funding insecurity for some schools have been major prohibiting factors for long-term retention of pupils/schools in the program. Project-based and multidisciplinary learning, although pedagogically desired, has been partially difficult to implement in participating schools, pointing to the need of structural changes in national school curricula and funding schemes as well as continuous offers for training and networking for teachers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelya F. C. Klütsch
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Paul Eric Aspholm
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Forest and Forest ResourcesÅsNorway
| | | | | | - Tor‐Arne Bjørn
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Forest and Forest ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Anne Wikan
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Victoria Gonzalez
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
| | - Snorre B. Hagen
- Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy ResearchNIBIO – Division of Environment and Natural ResourcesÅsNorway
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16
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Louvet A, Machon N, Mihoub J, Robert A. Detecting seed bank influence on plant metapopulation dynamics. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Apolline Louvet
- Centre de Mathématiques Appliquées (CMAP) Ecole PolytechniqueCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueInstitut Polytechnique de Paris Palaiseau Cedex France
| | - Nathalie Machon
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueSorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Mihoub
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueSorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Alexandre Robert
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO) Muséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCentre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueSorbonne Université Paris France
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17
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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
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18
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Breeze TD, Bailey AP, Balcombe KG, Brereton T, Comont R, Edwards M, Garratt MP, Harvey M, Hawes C, Isaac N, Jitlal M, Jones CM, Kunin WE, Lee P, Morris RKA, Musgrove A, O'Connor RS, Peyton J, Potts SG, Roberts SPM, Roy DB, Roy HE, Tang CQ, Vanbergen AJ, Carvell C. Pollinator monitoring more than pays for itself. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom D. Breeze
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Alison P. Bailey
- Department Land Management and Systems Lincoln University Lincoln New Zealand
| | - Kelvin G. Balcombe
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
| | | | | | - Mike Edwards
- Edwards Ecological and Data Services Ltd Wallingford UK
| | - Michael P. Garratt
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Martin Harvey
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences The Open University Milton Keynes UK
| | | | - Nick Isaac
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Wallingford UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rory S. O'Connor
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
- Department of Biology Leeds University Leeds UK
| | | | - Simon G. Potts
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
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19
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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
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20
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Rudko SP, Reimink RL, Peter B, White J, Hanington PC. Democratizing water monitoring: Implementation of a community-based qPCR monitoring program for recreational water hazards. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229701. [PMID: 32401786 PMCID: PMC7219769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recreational water monitoring can be challenging due to the highly variable nature of pathogens and indicator concentrations, the myriad of potential biological hazards to measure for, and numerous access points, both official and unofficial, that are used for recreation. The aim of this study was to develop, deploy, and assess the effectiveness of a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) community-based monitoring (CBM) program for the assessment of bacterial and parasitic hazards in recreational water. This study developed methodologies for performing qPCR ‘in the field,’ then engaged with water management and monitoring groups and tested the method in a real-world implementation study to evaluate the accuracy of CBM using qPCR both quantitatively and qualitatively. This study found high reproducibility between qPCR results performed by non-expert field users and expert laboratory results, suggesting that qPCR as a methodology could be amenable to a CBM program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney P. Rudko
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ronald L. Reimink
- Office of Campus Ministries, Hope College, Holland, Michigan, United States of America
- Freshwater Solutions, LLC, Traverse City, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Bradley Peter
- Alberta Lake Management Society, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jay White
- Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Patrick C. Hanington
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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21
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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
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22
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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
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23
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Pusceddu M, Floris I, Mannu R, Cocco A, Satta A. Using verified citizen science as a tool for monitoring the European hornet (Vespa crabro) in the island of Sardinia (Italy). NEOBIOTA 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.50.37587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The European hornet, Vespa crabro L. (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), is a eusocial insect native to Eurasia that was accidentally introduced in the island of Sardinia (Italy) in 2010. This alien generalist predator could impact on native insect species through predation or competition by modifying interspecific relations in sensitive island ecosystems. As part of the Interreg project ALIEM, the present work regarded the first monitoring activity of the European hornet conducted in Sardinia by means of verified citizen science. The main goals of this study were to define the distribution area of the wasp in 2018 and evaluate the profile and the performance of citizen scientists. Our results showed that V. crabro is mainly located in north-eastern Sardinia and that the hotspot was probably the commercial port of Olbia. Furthermore, data provided by contributors were very accurate and none of the parameters considered to define the participants (age, gender, education level, job category) was a true predictor of a volunteer’s ability to recognise the wasp. In conclusion, this small-scale study suggests that citizen scientists could be a valuable aid to monitor already-established alien species and could be part of a surveillance network for early detection of other potentially invasive alien species not yet introduced in Sardinia, such as the yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, which is already present in northern Italy.
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24
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Falk S, Foster G, Comont R, Conroy J, Bostock H, Salisbury A, Kilbey D, Bennett J, Smith B. Evaluating the ability of citizen scientists to identify bumblebee (Bombus) species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218614. [PMID: 31233521 PMCID: PMC6590798 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science is an increasingly popular way of engaging volunteers in the collection of scientific data. Despite this, data quality remains a concern and there is little published evidence about the accuracy of records generated by citizen scientists. Here we compare data generated by two British citizen science projects, Blooms for Bees and BeeWatch, to determine the ability of volunteer recorders to identify bumblebee (Bombus) species. We assessed recorders' identification ability in two ways-as recorder accuracy (the proportion of expert-verified records correctly identified by recorders) and recorder success (the proportion of recorder-submitted identifications confirmed correct by verifiers). Recorder identification ability was low (<50% accuracy; <60% success), despite access to project specific bumblebee identification materials. Identification ability varied significantly depending on bumblebee species, with recorders most able to correctly identify species with distinct appearances. Blooms for Bees recorders (largely recruited from the gardening community) were markedly less able to identify bumblebees than BeeWatch recorders (largely individuals with a more specific interest in bumblebees). Within both projects, recorders demonstrated an improvement in identification ability over time. Here we demonstrate and quantify the essential role of expert verification within citizen science projects, and highlight where resources could be strengthened to improve recorder ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Falk
- The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Foster
- The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard Comont
- The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Eastleigh, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Conroy
- The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Bostock
- The Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - James Bennett
- The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Smith
- The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
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25
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Cruickshank SS, Bühler C, Schmidt BR. Quantifying data quality in a citizen science monitoring program: False negatives, false positives and occupancy trends. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sam S. Cruickshank
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Zurich Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Benedikt R. Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Zurich Zürich Switzerland
- info fauna karch, UniMail Neuchâtel Switzerland
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26
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Nelson DM, Nagel J, Trott R, Campbell CJ, Pruitt L, Good RE, Iskali G, Gugger PF. Carcass age and searcher identity affect morphological assessment of sex of bats. J Wildl Manage 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David M. Nelson
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Laboratory; Frostburg MD 21532 USA
| | - Juliet Nagel
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Laboratory; Frostburg MD 21532 USA
| | - Regina Trott
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Laboratory; Frostburg MD 21532 USA
| | - Caitlin J. Campbell
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Laboratory; Frostburg MD 21532 USA
| | - Lori Pruitt
- US Fish and Wildlife Service; Bloomington IN 47403 USA
| | - Rhett E. Good
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.; Bloomington IN 47404 USA
| | - Goniela Iskali
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc.; Bloomington IN 47404 USA
| | - Paul F. Gugger
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; Appalachian Laboratory; Frostburg MD 21532 USA
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27
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Feldman RE, Žemaitė I, Miller-Rushing AJ. How training citizen scientists affects the accuracy and precision of phenological data. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2018; 62:1421-1435. [PMID: 29732472 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-018-1540-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring plant and animal phenology is a critical step to anticipating and predicting changes in species interactions and biodiversity. Because phenology necessarily involves frequent and repeated observations over time, citizen scientists have become a vital part of collecting phenological data. However, there is still concern over the accuracy and precision of citizen science data. It is possible that training citizen scientists can improve data quality though there are few comparisons of trained and untrained citizen scientists in the ability of each to accurately and precisely measure phenology. We assessed how three types of observers-experts, trained citizen scientists that make repeated observations, and untrained citizen scientists making once-per-year observations-differ in quantifying temporal change in flower and fruit abundance of American mountain ash trees (Sorbus americana Marsh.) and arthropods in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. We found that trained more so than untrained citizen science observers over- or under-estimated abundances leading to precise but inaccurate characterizations of phenological patterns. Our results suggest a new type of bias induced by repeated observations: A type of learning takes place that reduces the independence of observations taken on different trees or different dates. Thus, in this and many other cases, having individuals make one-off observations of marked plants may produce data as good if not better than individuals making repeated observations. For citizen science programs related to phenology, our results underscore the importance of (a) attracting the most number of observers possible even if they only make one observation, (b) producing easy-to-use and informative data sheets, and
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Feldman
- Unidad de Recursos Naturales, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Calle 43 #130 x 32 y 34. Col. Chuburná de Hidalgo, 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
- Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor, ME, 04693, USA.
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, 160 Holdsworth Hall, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Irma Žemaitė
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileika St. 8, 44404, Kaunas, Lithuania
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28
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Identifying Reliable Opportunistic Data for Species Distribution Modeling: A Benchmark Data Optimization Approach. ENVIRONMENTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/environments4040081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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29
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Suzuki-Ohno Y, Yokoyama J, Nakashizuka T, Kawata M. Utilization of photographs taken by citizens for estimating bumblebee distributions. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11215. [PMID: 28894157 PMCID: PMC5594003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10581-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science is a powerful tool for collecting large volumes of observational data on various species. These data are used to estimate distributions using environmental factors with Species Distribution Models (SDM). However, if citizens are inexperienced in recognizing organisms, they may report different species as the subject species. Here we show nation-wide bumblebee distributions using photographs taken by citizens in our project, and estimated distributions for six bumblebee species using land use, climate, and altitude data with SDM. We identified species from photographic images, and took their locations from GPS data of photographs or the text in e-mails. When we compared our data with conventional data for specimens in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), we found that the volume and the number of species were larger, and the bias of spatial range was lower, than those of GBIF. Our estimated distributions were more consistent with bumblebee distributions reported in previous studies than with those of GBIF. Our method was effective for collecting distribution data, and estimating distributions with SDM. The estimated SDM allows us to predict the previous and future species distributions, and to develop conservation policies taking account of future city planning and/or global climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Suzuki-Ohno
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.
| | - Jun Yokoyama
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata, 990-8560, Japan.,Institute of Regional Innovation, Yamagata University, Yujiri 19-5, Kanakame, Kaminoyama, Yamagata, 999-3101, Japan
| | - Tohru Nakashizuka
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.,Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kamigamo-Motoyama 457-4, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan
| | - Masakado Kawata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aoba, Aramaki-aza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.
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30
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Campanaro A, Hardersen S, Redolfi De Zan L, Antonini G, Bardiani M, Maura M, Maurizi E, Mosconi F, Zauli A, Bologna MA, Roversi PF, Sabbatini Peverieri G, Mason F. Analyses of occurrence data of protected insect species collected by citizens in Italy. NATURE CONSERVATION 2017. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.20.12704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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31
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Waetjen DP, Shilling FM. Large Extent Volunteer Roadkill and Wildlife Observation Systems as Sources of Reliable Data. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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