scholarly journals Species identification by conservation practitioners using online images: accuracy and agreement between experts

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail E. Austen ◽  
Markus Bindemann ◽  
Richard A. Griffiths ◽  
David L. Roberts

Emerging technologies have led to an increase in species observations being recorded via digital images. Such visual records are easily shared, and are often uploaded to online communities when help is required to identify or validate species. Although this is common practice, little is known about the accuracy of species identification from such images. Using online images of newts that are native and non-native to the UK, this study asked holders of great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) licences (issued by UK authorities to permit surveying for this species) to sort these images into groups, and to assign species names to those groups. All of these experts identified the native species, but agreement among these participants was low, with some being cautious in committing to definitive identifications. Individuals’ accuracy was also independent of both their experience and self-assessed ability. Furthermore, mean accuracy was not uniform across species (69–96%). These findings demonstrate the difficulty of accurate identification of newts from a single image, and that expert judgements are variable, even within the same knowledgeable community. We suggest that identification decisions should be made on multiple images and verified by more than one expert, which could improve the reliability of species data.

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Edial Rusli

AbstrakImaji visual fotografi merupakan media rekam visual yang objektif dan representatifkebenarannya dalam merekam suatu realitas. Revolusi teknologi menyebabkan perubahandari teknologi fotografi analog sebagai salah satu media yang menyatakan kebenaran ataubukti dan sebagai media yang representatif kebenarannya ke teknologi digital yang dapatmemungkinkan untuk merekayasa gambar digital melalui perangkat lunak. Teknologi digitaltelah menjadikan kebenaran dalam sebuah foto tidak lagi absolut. Akhirnya fotografi sebagaialat perekam imaji yang representatif kebenarannya semakin diragukan. Karena semakin sulituntuk membedakan foto asli atau palsu, bahkan sebuah foto asli bisa saja dikatakan sebagaihasil manipulasi. Penciptaan imajinasi visual fotografi ini dihasilkan dari suatu olah daya pikirmanusia. Dalam proses tersebut dibutuhkan suatu kreativitas dari penggabungan imaji-imajisebelumnya atau sekarang ini untuk diimajinasikan. Pemaknaan akan bergeser dari imaji visualfotografi menjadi imaji visual fotografi yang baru. Proses artistik imajinasi visual ini diciptakandengan didasarkan pada artistik yang berdasarkan imajinasi, artistik berdasarkan imajinasi danartistik didasarkan pada kombinasi antara kenyataan dan imajinasi. Penciptaan Imajinasi visualfotografi merupakan daya untuk mengonstruksi ataau menggabungkan kembali dari berbagaiimaji-imaji atau foto- secara imajinatif dan kreatif dengan persepsi yang menyertainya untukmenjadi imaji baru yang utuh, logis, dan mungkin terjadi dengan menggunakan teknik danefek fotografi. Proses mengonstruksi membutuhkan suatu kemampuan berimajinasi untukmenggabungkan dan menyatukannya untuk menjadi satu kesatuan (unity) yang utuh dalam satupermukaan gambar/imaji secara ekspresif dan imajinatif melalui proses estetis yang kreatifberdasarkan ciri personal penciptanya. Dengan demikian, hasil dari proses konstruksi tersebutsudah tidak tampak lagi imaji sebelumnya dan pemaknaannya sudah bergeser menjadi karyaimaji dengan pemaknaan baru.AbstractImage to Photography Visual Imagination. Visual image of photography is a visual recordingmedia which is objective and representative in revealing the truth when recording a reality. Thetechnology revolution led to the change in photography, from analog photographic technologyas one of the media for promoting truth or evidence and as media representing truth to thedigital technology which allow people to manipulate digital images through software. Digitaltechnology has made the truth in a photograph is no longer absolute. In the end, photographyas an images recording tool representing truth is doubted. It is getting harder and moredifficult to distinguish the original or fake photo, even an original photo can be said as aresult of manipulation.The creation of visual imagination photography is produced by thepower of human thought. The process requires a creativity of merging the previous or recentimages to imagine. The meanings will be shifted from visual image photography into a newvisual image photography. Visual imagination of the artistic process is created on the basisof artistic imagination, artistic imagination and artistic are based on a combination of realityand imagination.The creation of visual photography imagination is a power to construct orrecombine from multiple images or pictures imaginatively and creatively with the perceptionto be a whole new image, logical, and may occur with the use of techniques and photographiceffects. The process of constructing requires an ability of imagining to combine and unitethem into a single unit as a unity which is intact on s single surface of the picture/image,expressively and imaginatively through an aesthetic creative process based on the personalcharacteristics of the creator. By doing so, the construction process will no longer visible onthe former image and the meaning will shift into an image with a new meaning.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Fumio Nakazawa ◽  
Yoshihisa Suyama ◽  
Satoshi Imura ◽  
Hideaki Motoyama

Pollen taxa in sediment samples can be identified based on morphology. However, closely related species do not differ substantially in pollen morphology, and accurate identification is generally limited to genera or families. Because many pollen grains in glaciers contain protoplasm, genetic information obtained from pollen grains should enable the identification of plant taxa at the species level. In the present study, species identification of Pinus pollen grains was attempted using whole-genome amplification (WGA). We used pollen grains extracted from surface snow (depth, 1.8–1.9 m) from the Belukha glacier in the summer of 2003. WGA was performed using a single pollen grain. Some regions of the chloroplast genome were amplified by PCR, and the DNA products were sequenced to identify the pollen grain. Pinus includes approximately 111 recognized species in two subgenera, four sections, and 11 subsections. The tree species Pinus sibirica and P. sylvestris are currently found at the periphery of the glacier. We identified the pollen grains from the Belukha glacier to the level of section or subsection to which P. sibirica and P. sylvestris belong. Moreover, we specifically identified two pollen grains as P. sibirica or P. cembra. Fifteen species, including P. sibirica, were candidates for the remaining pollen grain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4434
Author(s):  
Chunhui Zhao ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Yiming Yan ◽  
Nan Su

A novel framework for 3D reconstruction of buildings based on a single off-nadir satellite image is proposed in this paper. Compared with the traditional methods of reconstruction using multiple images in remote sensing, recovering 3D information that utilizes the single image can reduce the demands of reconstruction tasks from the perspective of input data. It solves the problem that multiple images suitable for traditional reconstruction methods cannot be acquired in some regions, where remote sensing resources are scarce. However, it is difficult to reconstruct a 3D model containing a complete shape and accurate scale from a single image. The geometric constraints are not sufficient as the view-angle, size of buildings, and spatial resolution of images are different among remote sensing images. To solve this problem, the reconstruction framework proposed consists of two convolutional neural networks: Scale-Occupancy-Network (Scale-ONet) and model scale optimization network (Optim-Net). Through reconstruction using the single off-nadir satellite image, Scale-Onet can generate water-tight mesh models with the exact shape and rough scale of buildings. Meanwhile, the Optim-Net can reduce the error of scale for these mesh models. Finally, the complete reconstructed scene is recovered by Model-Image matching. Profiting from well-designed networks, our framework has good robustness for different input images, with different view-angle, size of buildings, and spatial resolution. Experimental results show that an ideal reconstruction accuracy can be obtained both on the model shape and scale of buildings.


2015 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Briony A. Norton ◽  
Linda J. Thomson ◽  
Michael A. Nash

The composition and ecology of the millipede fauna of Victoria remain poorly understood. We collected millipedes as part of a series of ecological arthropod surveys across south-eastern Australia, focusing mainly on Victoria. These samples almost exclusively contained millipedes from the introduced order Julida. We pursued species identification of the julids when it became apparent there were species other than the well-recorded Ommatoiulus moreleti (Lucas, 1860) (Portuguese millipede) in the samples. The majority of specimens were O. moreleti, but we also detected at least one species of Cylindroiulus Verhoeff, 1894, as well as an Ophyiulus Berlese, 1884, species, specimens of which have been identified as Ophyiulus cf. targionii. These are the first Ophyiulus records for Victoria to our knowledge. We present preliminary data on the abundance through the year of Ophyiulus. This is the first study to examine this species in Victoria and little is currently known about its likely impact on agriculture or on native species. Monitoring and research of the species in the future is therefore warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 001
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Milosavljević ◽  
Đurađ Milošević ◽  
Bratislav Predić

Aquatic insects and other benthic macroinvertebrates are mostly used as bioindicators of the ecological status of freshwaters. However, an expensive and time-consuming process of species identification represents one of the key obstacles for reliable biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, we proposed a deep learning (DL) based method for species identification that we evaluated on several available public datasets (FIN-Benthic, STONEFLY9, and EPT29) along with our Chironomidae dataset (CHIRO10). The proposed method relies on three DL techniques used to improve robustness when training is done on a relatively small dataset: transfer learning, data augmentation, and feature dropout. We applied transfer learning by employing ResNet-50 deep convolutional neural network (CNN) pretrained on ImageNet 2012 dataset. The results show significant improvement compared to original contributions and confirms that there is a considerable gain when there are multiple images per specimen.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 346-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon L Hill ◽  
Michael Dunn ◽  
Céline Cano ◽  
Suzannah J Harnor ◽  
Ian R Hardcastle ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND The emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), particularly synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRA), has involved hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals in a highly dynamic international market challenging users', clinicians', and regulators' understanding of what circulating substances are causing harm. We describe a toxicovigilance system for NPS that predicted the UK emergence and identified the clinical toxicity caused by novel indole and indazole carboxylate SCRA. METHODS To assist early accurate identification, we synthesized 5 examples of commercially unavailable indole and indazole carboxylate SCRA (FUB-NPB-22, 5F-NPB-22, 5F-SDB-005, FUB-PB-22, NM-2201). We analyzed plasma and urine samples from 160 patients presenting to emergency departments with severe toxicity after suspected NPS use during 2015 to 2016 for these and other NPS using data-independent LC-MS/MS. RESULTS We successfully synthesized 5 carboxylate SCRAs using established synthetic and analytical chemistry methodologies. We identified at least 1 SCRA in samples from 49 patients, including an indole or indazole carboxylate SCRA in 17 (35%), specifically 5F-PB-22 (14%), FUB PB-22 (6%), BB-22 (2%), 5F NPB-22 (20%), FUB NPB-22 (2%), and 5F-SDB-005 (4%). In these 17 patients, there was analytical evidence of other substances in 16. Clinical features included agitation and aggression (82%), reduced consciousness (76%), acidosis (47%), hallucinations and paranoid features (41%), tachycardia (35%), hypertension (29%), raised creatine kinase (24%), and seizures (12%). CONCLUSIONS This toxicovigilance system predicted the emergence of misuse of indole and indazole carboxylate SCRA, documented associated clinical harms, and notified relevant agencies. Toxicity appears consistent with other SCRA, including mental state disturbances and reduced consciousness.


Author(s):  
Ana Adi ◽  
Christina Gasser Scotte

With technological innovation and social media infiltrating every field of activity, it was only a matter of time until universities and faculty would need to embrace the technological challenge. This chapter offers three case studies of social media training delivery in universities and researcher centres in the UK, USA, and Bahrain. These case studies cover the use of emerging technologies in higher education research, teaching and policy, and associated first- and second-order barriers to their implementation. Results and impact of the training sessions, including questions asked and feedback provided by participants are also discussed. The chapter emphasizes the increasing interest in training in emerging technologies for educators and affiliated university staff, but also highlights the challenges faced when promoting tools and platforms not supported by either the IT infrastructure of the universities or the policies in place.


1999 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.W. Arntzen ◽  
Graham P. Wallis

Within the newt genus Triturus, the large-bodied species in the T. cristatus (crested newt) superspecies show an unusual degree of variation in relative trunk length as a result of among-taxon variation in interlimb vertebral count. Here we examine the systematic value of this feature as assessed by both exterior measurement (Wolterstorff Index) and direct radiographic count of rib-bearing vertebrae, with particular reference to a number of confounding factors (sex differences, hybridisation, geographic variation, allometry, preservation effects). Using our mtDNA haplotype data, which are largely concordant with geographic distribution of species, we find that direct count ofthe rib-bearing vertebrae performs more reliably (14% misclassification) than external measurement (31% misclassification) as a species identifier. We therefore recommend this feature as a taxonomic tool, although (like external measurement) it breaks down near hybrid zones. To account for the observed biogeographicalpattern and phenotype-genotype discrepancies, a scenario is presented that combines the movement of the contact zone between taxa with asymmetric hybridisation. This scenario applies to species interactions in eastern Yugoslavia and western France.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Anice Mureb Sallum ◽  
Ranulfo González Obando ◽  
Nancy Carrejo ◽  
Richard C. Wilkerson

Abstract Background Accurate identification of the species of Anopheles Meigen, 1818 requires careful examination of all life stages. However, morphological characters, especially those of the females and fourth-instar larvae, show some degree of polymorphism and overlap among members of species complexes, and sometimes even within progenies. Characters of the male genitalia are structural and allow accurate identification of the majority of species, excluding only those in the Albitarsis Complex. In this key, based on the morphology of the male genitalia, traditionally used important characters are exploited together with additional characters that allow robust identification of male Anopheles mosquitoes in South America. Methods Morphological characters of the male genitalia of South American species of the genus Anopheles were examined and employed to construct a comprehensive, illustrated identification key. For those species for which specimens were not available, illustrations were based on published illustrations. Photographs of key characters of the genitalia were obtained using a digital Canon Eos T3i attached to a light Diaplan Leitz microscope. The program Helicon Focus was used to build single in-focus images by stacking multiple images of the same structure. Results An illustrated key to South American species of Anopheles based on the morphology of the male genitalia is presented, together with a glossary of morphological terms. The male genitalia of type-specimens of previously poorly documented species were also examined and included in the key, e.g. Anopheles (Anopheles) tibiamaculatus (Neiva, 1906) which has a unique quadrangular-shaped aedeagus with an apical opening. Conclusions Male genitalia of South American species of Anopheles possess robust characters that can be exploited for accurate species identification. Distortion that can occur during the dissection and mounting process can obstruct accurate identification; this is most evident with inadvertent damage or destruction of unique features and interferes with correctly assigning shapes of the features of the ventral claspette. In some species, the shape, and anatomical details of the aedeagus also need to be examined for species identification. For members of the Myzorhynchella Series, both ventral and dorsal claspettes possess multiple characteristics that are herein used as reliable characters for species identification.


1978 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camillo Vellano ◽  
Giovanni Pons ◽  
Alberto Peyrot

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