State-of-the-Art of iNaturalist as a Source of Data on Ukrainian Fungi
- Author:
- Prylutskyi O. & Kapets N.
- Year:
- 2024
- Journal:
- Citizen Science: Theory and Practice
- Pages:
- 9(1): 25 [13 p.]
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.717
This study evaluates the utility of iNaturalist, a citizen science platform, for mycological
research in Ukraine. With over 69,000 fungal observations documented since its adoption,
iNaturalist presents significant potential for supplementing professional mycological
surveys. This work is novel in critically analyzing the spatial distribution, taxonomic
coverage, and identification accuracy of iNaturalist fungal data, focusing on social
processes underlying citizen scientists’ activity in Ukraine over the past five years. We
explored observers’ activity and compared iNaturalist records with curated checklists
and additional data sources. Despite inherent biases, our analysis shows that iNaturalist
effectively documents conspicuous macroscopic fungi, often surpassing traditional
sources in record numbers. However, limitations such as identification uncertainty and lack
of voucher specimens persist, necessitating greater professional engagement. Enhanced
collaboration between amateur and professional mycologists could unlock iNaturalist’s
full potential, making it a robust tool for biodiversity monitoring and research in Ukraine.
Keywords: iNaturalist; citizen science; fungi; Ukraine; spatial distribution; species monitoring.
- Id:
- 37052
- Submitter:
- zpalice
- Post_time:
- Sunday, 17 November 2024 23:31