The iNaturalist platform as a source of data to study amphibians in Brazil

Abstract

Based on debilitating recent budget cuts for science, Brazilian researchers had to find alternative ways to continue scientific production. Here we provide a perspective for the use of citizen-science data deposited in the iNaturalist platform as an alternative source of data to support biodiversity research. Observations contributed by volunteers can be analyzed at large spatial and temporal scales and can respond to questions in behavioral and population ecology. We analyzed this potential through the example of Brazilian amphibians, a group that is less studied worldwide than birds. In fact, to our knowledge, only two studies have been published that are based on citizen-science data for Brazilian amphibians. At the time of writing, the iNaturalist platform has over 14,800 research grade observations from Brazil, representing 698 species, a number increasing daily. Compared to other species-rich countries, volunteer-collected datasets from Brazil cover a relatively high taxonomic diversity (61%), providing a plethora of valuable data. Despite this potential, there are large spatial gaps in sampling in Brazil.Here we encourage established and budding herpetologists not only to use the platform to retrieve data, but also to contribute to iNaturalist actively, with new observations, as well as by identifying species in existing records.

First record of Amphisbaena anomala (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae) in lowland Caatinga based on citizen science, with an updated distribution map

“…It is undeniable that citizen science has brought benefits for data collection and by bringing people closer to nature (Forti & Szabo, 2023; O'Neill et al, 2023). However, at least in Brazil, citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist have also been used to share images of species recorded during environmental impact assessments, often without voucher specimens deposited in natural history collections, as the register of A. anomala presented here.…”

The implications of estimating rarity in Brazilian reptiles from GBIF data based on contributions from citizen science versus research institutions

“…On the other hand, in Brazil, the integration of citizen science into biodiversity research is still relatively nascent. Despite this, certain taxonomic groups, particularly birds and amphibians, have been receiving disproportionately high interest (Forti & Szabo, 2023). Citizen science has notably advanced our understanding of reptile distribution in Brazil, discovering previously unknown areas of occurrence (Oliveira et al, 2023).…”

Bromeliad-Dwelling Frogs Revealed by Citizen Scientists

“…Citizen science online platforms offer a promising solution to these sampling gaps by compiling broad-scale biodiversity data from the public, who upload geo-located photographs of observed wildlife [7][8][9]. Indeed, citizen science data have already contributed to a wide range of studies on birds [10], corals [11], sharks [12], bees [13], and frogs [14,15].…”