OOS 29-8
The contribution of citizen science to biodiversity measurements in forest ecosystems
Citizen science has the capacity to enable the collection of ecological data at large temporal and spatial scales that could otherwise be unrealistic if only experts were used. This has the potential to contribute effectively to large-scale monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) programmes such as REDD+, critical for mitigating some of the threats to biodiversity. Two contrasting programmes, one temperate and one tropical, have made important contributions to our knowledge of forest monitoring, biomass estimation and the capacity for volunteers to undertake scientific projects. Wytham Woods, near Oxford, UK is the European Regional Climate Centre for Earthwatch’s Climate Partnership programme. Funded by HSBC, volunteers from the finance sector participated in ongoing forest monitoring over a four year period. Project Fauna, based in Guayana, is a citizen science scheme which involved local people in the recording and measuring of forest ecosystem biodiversity in their village areas.
Results/Conclusions
Results from the Earthwatch project were used to assess the validity of utilising non expert-collected tree measurement data for estimating biomass and carbon stocks. We established that volunteer-collected data could be used to estimate forest carbon biomass with a 10% accuracy, which is reasonable for large-scale applications. This baseline enabled ranges of uncertainty to be applied to carbon biomass results from Project Fauna, which themselves contribute to the establishment of carbon stock baselines for Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy, of which the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund is part. Key findings from the two projects include the importance of in-field training and supervision, and the value of educating citizen scientists in terms of the ‘big picture’ so that they feel invested and included in the aims and outputs of these projects.