Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography

Aim: We assess whether and how datasets collected by the general public, so-called citizen science programmes, can improve biogeographical studies and contribute to large-scale conservation target-setting. Location: Worldwide. Methods: We first set a general framework highlighting the prerequisites...

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Main Authors: Devictor, V, Whittaker, R, Beltrame, C
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Subjects:
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author Devictor, V
Whittaker, R
Beltrame, C
author_facet Devictor, V
Whittaker, R
Beltrame, C
author_sort Devictor, V
collection OXFORD
description Aim: We assess whether and how datasets collected by the general public, so-called citizen science programmes, can improve biogeographical studies and contribute to large-scale conservation target-setting. Location: Worldwide. Methods: We first set a general framework highlighting the prerequisites of a relevant dataset for conservation biogeography. We then illustrate how many different citizen science programmes currently running in different countries can be place within this framework. Results: We highlight that citizen science is particularly useful to address issues spanning large temporal and spatial extents. We then show how datasets based on citizen science can be used to investigate major aspects of global change impacts on biodiversity. We further highlight why these programmes are also particularly valuable in developing the preventative and educational component of conservation biogeography. Main conclusions: Conservation biogeography requires considerable amounts of data collected over large spatial and/or temporal extents. Beyond increasing technical advances to collect and analyse these data, citizen science seems to be a highly valuable tool in many aspects. However, while citizen science programmes are now popular and increasingly used in several countries, they are lacking in many others. We argue that the development of citizen science programmes should be encouraged as they can both be highly valuable for conservation biogeography and promote the reconnection between people and nature and more generally between people and science.
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spelling oxford-uuid:7f68cf96-69f7-4cc6-9b5b-9991d53495932022-03-26T21:16:43ZBeyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeographyJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:7f68cf96-69f7-4cc6-9b5b-9991d5349593BiodiversityEnvironmentZoological sciencesEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetWiley-Blackwell2010Devictor, VWhittaker, RBeltrame, CAim: We assess whether and how datasets collected by the general public, so-called citizen science programmes, can improve biogeographical studies and contribute to large-scale conservation target-setting. Location: Worldwide. Methods: We first set a general framework highlighting the prerequisites of a relevant dataset for conservation biogeography. We then illustrate how many different citizen science programmes currently running in different countries can be place within this framework. Results: We highlight that citizen science is particularly useful to address issues spanning large temporal and spatial extents. We then show how datasets based on citizen science can be used to investigate major aspects of global change impacts on biodiversity. We further highlight why these programmes are also particularly valuable in developing the preventative and educational component of conservation biogeography. Main conclusions: Conservation biogeography requires considerable amounts of data collected over large spatial and/or temporal extents. Beyond increasing technical advances to collect and analyse these data, citizen science seems to be a highly valuable tool in many aspects. However, while citizen science programmes are now popular and increasingly used in several countries, they are lacking in many others. We argue that the development of citizen science programmes should be encouraged as they can both be highly valuable for conservation biogeography and promote the reconnection between people and nature and more generally between people and science.
spellingShingle Biodiversity
Environment
Zoological sciences
Devictor, V
Whittaker, R
Beltrame, C
Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title_full Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title_fullStr Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title_full_unstemmed Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title_short Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
title_sort beyond scarcity citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography
topic Biodiversity
Environment
Zoological sciences
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