Fostering close encounters of the entomological kind

Deguines, Nicolas; Flores, Mathieu de; Loïs, Grégoire; Julliard, Romain; Fontaine, Colin

doi:10.1002/fee.1795

Cited by 27 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Citizen science is, by definition, highly participatory and engaging [17,19]. Biodiversity citizen science therefore has the potential to create a more conservation-literate society [20,21].…”

Section: Biodiversity Citizen Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review

2019

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Citizen science is becoming increasingly popular as a format in environmental and sustainability education. Citizen science not only allows researchers to gather large amounts of biodiversity-related data, it also has the potential to engage the public in biodiversity research. Numerous citizen science projects have emerged that assume that participation in the project affects participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. We investigated what evidence really exists about the outcomes of biodiversity citizen science projects on the side of the individual participants. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed research articles published up to and including 2017. We found evidence for various individual participant outcomes. The outcome reported most often was a gain in knowledge. Other outcomes, found in several articles, referred to changes in behavior or attitudes. Outcomes reported less often were new skills, increased self-efficacy and interest, and a variety of other personal outcomes. We discuss the research design and methods used in the reviewed studies und formulate specific recommendations for future research. We conclude that citizen science is a promising option for environmental and sustainability education focusing on biodiversity. Partnerships between natural and social scientists in the design and evaluation of projects would allow future biodiversity citizen science projects to utilize their full educational potential.

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Section: Biodiversity Citizen Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review

2019

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“…From the researchers' point of view, the organization of the Spipoll is more efficient, as only a validation by experts is required prior to data analyses: Participants carried out the time-consuming tasks of selecting the best picture of each insect recorded by session, and provided a first identification that was often correct, thanks to the online identification tool. For these observers, insect identification was a motivation to participate, bringing opportunities to learn more about pollinators and to improve their entomological skills (Deguines et al 2018). Providing appropriate materials (e.g., online identification tools) to assist observers in insect identification, although challenging for pollinators, appears essential.…”

Section: Pre-sorting Of Data and Insect Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This approach can substantially help scientists to address large scale or global biodiversity issues (Chandler et al 2016;Thornhill et al 2016), through (1) monitoring the state of biodiversity by bringing a large amount of data needed in macro-ecology analysis (Devictor, Whittaker, and Beltrame 2010;Deguines et al 2012;Muratet and Fontaine 2015;Olivier et al 2016) and (2) the creation of indicators providing relevant informa-tion about the state of biodiversity and public concern and action (Couvet et al 2008;Jiguet et al 2012, French Biodiversity Observatory 2018. The development of citizen science is an opportunity for the general public to familiarize with scientific thinking (Trumbull et al 2000) and to improve their knowledge on specific subjects (Bonney et al 2009;Deguines et al 2018), which has been highlighted as one of the main motivations of participation (Bruyere and Rappe 2007;Domroese and Johnson 2017;Curtis 2018). More specifically, citizen science is also a way to raise societal awareness about the stakes of biodiversity conservation (Lewandowski and Oberhauser 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, engaged participants may contribute more observations and be more involved in the long-term: Collectively, overall quality of the dataset gathered thus increases and allows investigation of more complex (including temporal) questions. Second, as a citizen scientist continues to participate in a monitoring program, skills and knowledge may improve and resulting quality of individual data may be heightened (Deguines et al 2018). Successfully engaging people in citizen science programs thus represent a critical challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Data Quality and Participant Engagement in Citizen Science: Comparing Two Approaches for Monitoring Pollinators in France and South Korea

Serret

Deguines

Jang

et al. 2019

CSTP

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Citizen science has become a mainstream approach for collecting data on biodiversity. However, not all biodiversity monitoring programs achieve the goal of collecting datasets that can be used in robust scientific inquiries. Data quality and the capacity to engage participants in the long-term are the most challenging issues. We compared two methodologies of citizen science programs dedicated to pollinators monitoring in France (Spipoll) and South Korea (K-Spipoll). These programs aimed to launch long-term monitoring at a community-level to better understand environmental effects on the composition and stability of pollinator communities. We assessed, through different metrics, how the two approaches influenced (1) data quality (assessed by "Accuracy in data collection," "Consistency in protocol relative to volume of sessions contributed by an individual," "Spatial representation of data," and "Sample size"), and (2) participant engagement (assessed by "the number of connected days," "the number of active days," "the proportion of participant contributing a single session," "the average number of sessions per participant," and "the distribution of numbers of contributions per participant in each program."). On one hand, participants in the Spipoll program abided by the standard protocol more often and provided identification for the photographed insects, leading to efficient ecological analyses. On the other hand, the K-Spipoll program provided more sessions per participant and a lower rate of single participation, with a full session demanding less effort in terms of data input, providing critical data where baseline data have otherwise been unavailable. These differences have emerged through methodology choices: For the Spipoll, the dedicated website favored the emergence of a social network that facilitated identification and increased data quality; for the K-Spipoll, the development of a cell phone application facilitated participation, and regular on-field education sessions motivated participants. We conclude by providing suggestions for the implementations of future citizen science programs to improve both data quality and participant engagement.

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“…Participating in CS programs may also increase the biodiversity knowledge of volunteers (Deguines et al, 2018;Silvertown et al, 2015), and these programs are further hoped to commit volunteers into heightened pro-environmental behaviors (Chase and Levine, 2018;Toomey and Domroese, 2013). To date, however, evidence on whether pro-environmental behaviors are adopted by volunteers is scarce and based on qualitative information from a limited number of volunteers and/or a short period of time (Cosquer et al, 2012;Crall et al, 2013;Jordan et al, 2011;Lewandowski and Oberhauser, 2017;Sharma et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the emergence of pro-biodiversity practices in citizen scientists of a backyard butterfly survey

Deguines

Princé

Prévot

et al. 2020

Science of The Total Environment

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By monitoring biodiversity through citizen science programs, volunteers help scientists gather data at unprecedented temporal and geographical scales, and increase their knowledge and awareness of the surrounding biodiversity. While scientific outcomes of such programs may in the long run improve the state of biodiversity by informing environmental policies, direct benefits to biodiversity could arise locally if such experience of nature lead to biodiversity-friendly behaviors in volunteers. However, whether engagement into naturebased CS programs promotes individual behavioral changes remains poorly known. Here, we explored whether sustained participation in a nature-based citizen science program, called the French Butterfly citizen science project, is associated with changes in individual gardening practices. Specifically, using information provided by volunteers (n = 2362, from 2006 to 2013), we quantified gardening practices that directly affect butterflies, through two different indices: provision of nectar resources, and pesticide use. We found quantitative evidence that individual gardening practices shifted with multiyear participation, towards increased provision of nectar resources and decreased use of pesticides. However, the reduction in pesticide use was weakened if the backyard was used to grow fruits or vegetables. Other variables such as the size of the backyard affected gardening practices. This study reveals that participation in a nature-based citizen science program can prompt biodiversity-friendly behaviors, and highlights citizen science not only as a way to collect ecologically sound data but also as a direct conservation tool. Yet, future interdisciplinary research remains critical to overcome factors limiting firm adoption of probiodiversity behaviors.

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Fostering close encounters of the entomological kind

Cited by 27 publications

References 13 publications

Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review

Participant Outcomes of Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects: A Systematic Literature Review

Data Quality and Participant Engagement in Citizen Science: Comparing Two Approaches for Monitoring Pollinators in France and South Korea

Assessing the emergence of pro-biodiversity practices in citizen scientists of a backyard butterfly survey

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