scholarly journals Use of Citizen Science Data for Characterizing Patterns and Drivers of Avian Altitudinal Migration

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Yu Tsai ◽  
Chie-Jen Ko ◽  
Ya-Jung Lu ◽  
Chia Hsieh ◽  
Mao-Ning Tuanmu
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migration Behavior ◽  
Mountain Regions ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Altitudinal Migration

Altitudinal migration, the seasonal and repeateing movement of animal individuals between breeding and non-breeding areas at different elevations, is a common and important but understudied behavior in birds. Difficulty in characterizing avian altitudinal migration has prevented a comprehensive understanding of both patterns and drivers of this behavior. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated altitudinal migration patterns and underlying mechanisms for a major proportion (~70%) of an entire resident bird community on a subtropical island with an almost 4000-m elevational gradient. We quantified migration tendency of individual bird species based on the seasonal shift in the elevational distribution of their occurrence records in the eBird database. We then built phylogeny-controlled regression models to examine the associations between the birds’ migration tendencies and their functional traits to test major hypotheses on the mechanisms of altitudinal migration. The results showed a common but variable altitudinal migration behavior among the 118 species examined, with 40 and 11 species conducting post-breeding downhill and uphill migration, respectively. The species that have a narrower thermal tolerance range, can tolerate lower temperatures, have a smaller body size, have a more diverse or invertebrate-rich diet, or use an open nest had a higher downhill migration tendency. In contrast, no traits examined showed consistent associations with the uphill migration tendency. This suggests that post-breeding downhill and uphill migrations are driven by different processes and current hypotheses can only explain the former, but not the latter. This relatively comprehensive study demonstrated the power of citizen science data to provide new insights into an old research question from a novel perspective. Using the same approach, we are investigating the behavior in mountain regions around the world. With the global analysis, we will be able to understand the general patterns and mechanisms of avian altitudinal migration and also investigate their variation among mountain regions in different climate zones. In the face of rapid environmental changes in mountain ecosystems, the approach used in this study may also provide essential information for the conservation of mountainous biodiversity.

scholarly journals Abundant Citizen Science Data Reveal That the Peacock Butterfly Aglais io Recently Became Bivoltine in Belgium

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 683
Author(s):  
Marc Herremans ◽  
Karin Gielen ◽  
Jos Van Kerckhoven ◽  
Pieter Vanormelingen ◽  
Wim Veraghtert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Science Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Portal ◽  
Spring Generation ◽  
Reproductive Cycles ◽  
New Generation

The peacock butterfly is abundant and widespread in Europe. It is generally believed to be univoltine (one generation per year): adults born in summer overwinter and reappear again in spring to reproduce. However, recent flight patterns in western Europe mostly show three peaks during the year: a first one in spring (overwintering butterflies), a second one in early summer (offspring of the spring generation), and a third one in autumn. It was thus far unclear whether this autumn flight peak was a second new generation or consisted of butterflies flying again in autumn after a summer rest (aestivation). The life cycle of one of Europe’s most common butterflies is therefore still surprisingly inadequately understood. We used hundreds of thousands of observations and thousands of pictures submitted by naturalists from the public to the online portal observation.orgin Belgium and analyzed relations between flight patterns, condition (wear), reproductive cycles, peak abundances, and phenology to clarify the current life history. We demonstrate that peacocks have shifted towards two new generations per year in recent decades. Mass citizen science data in online portals has become increasingly important in tracking the response of biodiversity to rapid environmental changes such as climate change.

scholarly journals Exotic parrots breeding in urban tree cavities: nesting requirements, geographic distribution, and potential impacts on cavity nesting birds in southeast Florida

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Diamond ◽  
Michael S. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Dade County ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Tree Cavities ◽  
Cavity Nesting

Abstract Background Exotic parrots have established breeding populations in southeast Florida, including several species that nest in tree cavities. We aimed to determine the species identity, nest site requirements, relative nest abundance, geographic distribution, and interactions of parrots with native cavity-nesting bird species. Methods We searched Miami-Dade County, Florida, and nearby areas for natural cavities and holes excavated by woodpeckers, recording attributes of potential nest trees. We inspected all cavities with an elevated video inspection system to determine occupancy by parrots or other birds. We mapped nearly 4000 citizen science observations of parrots in our study area corresponding to our study period, and used these to construct range maps, comparing them to our nesting observations. Results Not all parrots reported or observed in our study area were actively breeding. Some parrots were observed at tree cavities, which previous studies have suggested is evidence of reproduction, but our inspections with an elevated video inspection system suggest they never initiated nesting attempts. Several parrot species did successfully nest in tree cavities, Red-masked Parakeets (Psittacara erythrogenys) and Orange-winged Parrots (Amazona amazonica) being the most common (n = 7 and 6 nests, respectively). These two parrots had similar nesting requirements, but Orange-winged Parrots use nests with larger entrance holes, which they often enlarge. Geographic analysis of nests combined with citizen science data indicate that parrots are limited to developed areas. The most common parrots were less abundant cavity nesters than the native birds which persist in Miami’s urban areas, and far less abundant than the invasive European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Conclusions Exotic parrots breeding elsewhere in the world have harmed native cavity-nesting birds through interference competition, but competitive interference in southeast Florida is minimized by the urban affinities of parrots in this region. The relative abundance and geographic distribution suggest that these parrots are unlikely to invade adjacent wilderness areas.

Estimating conservation metrics from atlas data: the case of southern African endemic birds

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN T. K. LEE ◽  
RES ALTWEGG ◽  
PHOEBE BARNARD
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Atlas Data ◽  
Endemic Birds ◽  
Change Metrics ◽  
Threatened Status

SummaryThe robust assessment of conservation status increasingly requires population metrics for species that may be little-researched, with no prospect of immediate improvement, but for which citizen science atlas data may exist. We explore the potential for bird atlas data to generate population metrics of use in red data assessment, using the endemic and near-endemic birds of southern Africa. This region, defined here as South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, is home to a large number of endemic bird species and an active atlas project. The Southern African Bird Atlas Projects (SABAP) 1 and 2 are large-scale citizen science data sets, consisting of hundreds of thousands of bird checklists and > 10 million bird occurrence records on a grid across the subcontinent. These data contain detailed information on species’ distributions and population change. For conservationists, metrics that guide decisions on the conservation status of a species for red listing can be obtained from SABAP, including range size, range change, population change, and range connectivity (fragmentation). We present a range of conservation metrics for these bird species, focusing on population change metrics together with an associated statistical confidence metric. Population change metrics correlate with change metrics calculated from dynamic occupancy modelling for a set of 191 common species. We identify four species with neither international nor local threatened status, yet for which bird atlas data suggest alarming declines, and two species with threatened status for which our metrics suggest could be reconsidered. A standardised approach to deciding the conservation status of a species is useful so that charismatic or flagship species do not receive disproportionate attention, although ultimately conservation status of any species must always be a consultative process.

scholarly journals USING GEO GEO-TAGGED FLICKR IMAGES TO EXPLORE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN LAND COVER CLASSES AND THE LOCATION OF BIRD OBSERVATIONS

2021 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B4-2021 ◽  
pp. 189-194
Author(s):  
M. Lotfian ◽  
J. Ingensand
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Social Media Data ◽  
Photo Sharing ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Media Data ◽  
Flickr Images

Abstract. Social media data are becoming potential sources of passive VGI (Volunteered Geographic Information) and citizen science, in particular with regard to location-based environmental monitoring. Flickr, as one of the largest photo-sharing platforms, has been used in various environmental analyses from natural disaster prediction to wildlife monitoring. In this article, we have used bird photos from Flickr to illustrate the spatial distribution of bird species in Switzerland, and most importantly to see the correlation between the location of bird species and land cover types. A chi-square test of independence has been applied to illustrate the association between bird species and land cover classes and results illustrated a statistically significant association between the two variables. Furthermore, species distributions in Flickr were compared to eBird data, and the results demonstrated that Flickr can be a possible complementary source to citizen science data.

scholarly journals GIS Mapping and Distribution of Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) in India by Using Citizen Science Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumar Adesh ◽  
Sinha Ankit ◽  
Kanaujia Amita
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Habitat Modeling ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Pavo Cristatus ◽  
The Status

The Indian peacock or Blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus.), the largest of the pheasants commonly called Mor or Mayur, is a bird species recognized for its beauty. Pavo cristatus (Indian peafowl) has been justifiably declared as the National Bird of India in 1963. In India, it is given the ultimate protection by its inclusion in the Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The main objective is to encourage citizen participation in generating baseline information using sight records and enable long-term monitoring of Indian peafowl in India. The present study deals with the status and distribution of Indian peafowl in India and the data used is taken from the citizen science database of eBird. The complete dataset of Indian peafowl from 2001-2017 was used to prepare the distribution maps in different years as well as to obtain information on the species' location, and the number of a social group in India. Some potential reported sites were verified during 2013–2017 by visiting the distinct locations. From 2001 to 2017 we found 71,632 records from 15,151 contributors across 26 states/union territories of India. Percentage of individuals observed was 38% (in 2017), 27% (in 2016) and 16% (in 2015) whereas 0% was recorded in 2002, 2006 and 2007. The citizen science data obtained thus has the potential for increasing our understanding of current peafowl distribution patterns, and for categorizing important sites for conservation/protections and to perform occupancy and habitat modeling of Indian peafowl species in India.

scholarly journals Using citizen science to measure recolonisation of birds after the Australian 2019-20 mega-fires

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua S Lee ◽  
Corey Thomas Callaghan ◽  
William Kirkham Cornwell
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Fire Environment ◽  
Fire Planning

Large and severe fires (“mega-fires”) are increasing in frequency across the globe, often pushing into ecosystems that have previously had very long fire return intervals. The 2019-20 Australian bushfire season was one of the most catastrophic fire events on record. Almost 19 million hectares were burnt across the continent displacing and killing unprecedented numbers of native fauna, including bird species. Some bird species are known to thrive in post-fire environments, while others may be absent for an extended period from the firegrounds until there is sufficient ecosystem recovery. To test for systematic patterns in species use of the post-fire environment, we combined citizen science data from eBird with data on sedentism, body size, and the specialisation of diet and habitat. Using generalised additive models, we modelled the response of 76 bird species in SE Australia to the 2019-20 mega-fires. Twenty-two species decreased in occurrence after the fire; thirty species increased; and no significant effect was found for the remaining twenty-four species. Furthermore, diet specialism was associated with reduced recolonisation after fire, with diet specialists less likely to be found in burned areas after the fire event compared to before, a result which generates testable hypotheses for recovery from other mega-fires across the globe. Being displaced from the firegrounds for an event of this geographic magnitude may have severe consequences for population dynamics and thus warrant considerable conservation attention in pre-fire planning and in the post-fire aftermath.

scholarly journals Visualising reporting patterns of Citizen Science observations and their importance for the interpretation of data and visualisations: the example of ornithological observations

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Jana Moser ◽  
Johannes Wahl ◽  
Stephan Schwan ◽  
Julia Moritz ◽  
Tom Hoyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Data Transfer ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Data Collections

Abstract. Every day, nature enthusiasts collect valuable information about local animal and plant populations. This has resulted in approximately 50 million data sets until now for the bird observations at ornitho.de alone, with the observation numbers having risen sharply during the last three years. Such data may not always meet all scientific criteria, but due to their quantity they allow statements to be made, e.g. about regional distribution patterns or local occurrences. However, the citizens involved in the survey and the interested public are still unable to use these data, or can only use them in very low resolution or at great effort. According to the current Citizen Science Guidelines, data collecting citizens and other interested parties should be able to use such data and, for example, discover the ornithological diversity on their own doorstep. For this reason, the “Experiencing biodiversity” project has developed web maps, which, by the way, should inspire even more people to record biodiversity.The presentation will firstly address the visualization and interpretation of citizen science data collections. In order to create awareness that numerous animal and plant species are in danger and need special protection, an overview of the current species inventory is necessary. The aim of the project is to provide this overview by visual means to the participating citizen scientists but also to the interested public. The maps should be easy to understand and take into account the varying degrees of citizen science participation in different regions. Thus, in addition to the occurrence of a bird species, the reporting activity is important and therefore displayed on the map. This is unique and shows how many reports are available for all bird species recorded. Thus, it is possible to estimate the amount and distribution of the available data and to compare them with the reported occurrence of a single bird species. As a result, data gaps or changes over time become visible and support the interpretation of the data. As there are no negative reports, only this additional level allows an interpretation at all whether a bird species is "not present" or whether it was just "not reported" in certain areas. At the same time, the project wants to contribute to a better understanding of the visualizations, but also of the underlying data basis.Secondly, the presentation will also address the sometimes contradictory relationship between visualization – i.e. making visible – and the most diverse interests of protection – i.e. avoiding making visible. And thirdly, challenges in the visualization of mass data in the sense of a performant presentation of such data to a broad public will be discussed. A special challenge with regard to performance issues are rapidly increasing data volumes and questions of data protection, data transfer to the visualization but also permanent costs for the provision of data which should not be underestimated.Due to the ongoing status of the project, interim results are presented and mirrored with currently ongoing scientific studies on the use of the maps by Citizen Scientists and the influence of the visualisations on the motivation of ornithologists. Advantages and disadvantages of this visualisation will be discussed with regard to its transferability to other projects.

scholarly journals The Use of Citizen Science to Achieve Multivariate Management Goals on Public Lands

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 293
Author(s):  
Sara Souther ◽  
Vincent Randall ◽  
Nanebah Lyndon
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Public Land ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Public Land Management ◽  
Federal Land ◽  
Botanical Research ◽  
Federal Land Management

Federal land management agencies in the US are tasked with maintaining the ecological integrity of over 2 million km2 of land for myriad public uses. Citizen science, operating at the nexus of science, education, and outreach, offers unique benefits to address socio-ecological questions and problems, and thus may offer novel opportunities to support the complex mission of public land managers. Here, we use a case study of an iNaturalist program, the Tribal Nations Botanical Research Collaborative (TNBRC), to examine the use of citizen science programs in public land management. The TNBRC collected 2030 observations of 34 plant species across the project area, while offering learning opportunities for participants. Using occurrence data, we examined observational trends through time and identified five species with 50 or fewer digital observations to investigate as species of possible conservation concern. We compared predictive outcomes of habitat suitability models built using citizen science data and Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. Models exhibited high agreement, identifying the same underlying predictors of species occurrence and, 95% of the time, identifying the same pixels as suitable habitat. Actions such as staff training on data use and interpretation could enhance integration of citizen science in Federal land management.

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