Citizen Science and Species Surveys

Question 1

In urban landscapes what is the landscape for wildlife?

Answer 1

Urban Gardens

Question 2

What is citizen science?

Answer 2

about involving non-scientists, members of the general in collecting data which can then be used in scientific research.

More data for a particular project means
higher-quality and more reliable results.

Getting people collecting data is also a way of involving them, and their communities in science and, in this case, in nature conservation.

Question 3

What is the largest information resource on biodiversity?

Answer 3

Non-specialist sources.

Question 4

What are the 2 most successful project in Britain ?

Answer 4

the annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch which does a census of garden birds on one day
all over the country

UK Big Butterfly Count organised by Butterfly
Conservation

Question 5

What other research is taking place?

Answer 5

Plantlife, which promotes ‘No-Mow May’, asks
volunteers to count the open flowers in a quadrat (metre square) of lawn

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, with two research projects which form part of the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS), a ‘Ten Minute Count’ and a more demanding ‘One
km Square Survey’.

The more complex surveying builds on a long tradition in the British Isles of amateur naturalists contributing to science. These surveys tend to focus on key, and highly visible, pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Question 6

What tests are the RHS doing?

Answer 6

surveys to monitor the spread of non-native garden pests. an internet-based survey enabled gardeners to submit their own records to the RHS website, which were then analysed and maps, web pages and advice updated.

The purpose of repeated assessments is to track
population changes and trends; recording could identify that a particular species, is less common now in a garden than it used to be.

Question 7

How does this help you in other areas of horticulture?

Answer 7

Helping to provide data to scientists, conservation
organisations and environmental campaigners enables them to show how many species are being impacted by human activities,

Question 8

Why is citizen science a good thing?

Answer 8

used to pressure politicians and business to make positive changes.

We often feel helpless when we consider the future of the world and of nature. Taking part
in citizen science surveys is something which is empowering –

we are actually doing something and if we work with other people, there are all those social
benefits from doing so.

Question 9

If you are an employee managed by someone how does citizen science help?

Answer 9

the end result of scientific surveys can be used to support your case for developing or managing
gardens for nature; this might be building a pond, reducing grass cutting, a more targeted use of pesticides, tree planting.

Question 10

What is the Buzz Club?

Answer 10

Organized by the School of Life Science at Sussex University.

Encourages gardeners to get involved in citizen science project (child friendly too).

The Buzz Club creates experiments that help us understand the wildlife we share our gardens with, and what we can do to conserve it

Question 11

What is the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) ?

Answer 11

need to know how pollinator populations are changing, and with your help we are gathering data on a wide range of flower-visiting insects.

UKPoMS is the first scheme in the world to have begun (since 2017) generating systematic data on the abundance of bees, hoverflies and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale.

pollinator species recording
Flower-Insect Timed Count
Adopt a 1 km square (carry out systemic survey of insects and flowers)

Partly funded by DEFRA

Question 12

What other surveys are there?

Answer 12

RHS: surveys on spread of non-native garden pests. (nformation submitted via the RHS website is analysed and maps, web pages and advice updated accordingly on an annual basis. This information is shared with the National Biodiversity Network (NBN).

Big Garden Birdwatch. (2023 house sparrow is most spotted bird for past 20 years) Blue Tit #2

Big Butterfly Count counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths)

Peoples Trust for Endangered Species: Advice to help bring wildlife in your garden.

The Wildlife Trusts: Reptile reporting in Cheshire; Hedgehogs in CUmbria, intertidal surveys of marine mammals etc

Nature Scot: Birdwatch, AMmphibians and reptiles. Invertebrates, PoMS; Butterfly, Garden moth, UK Ladybird, Bee-fly, Garden wildflower, Plant alert (for potential to become invasive) and Urban Flora of Scotland.

Plantlife: Wild plants and fungi support food chains and powerful force against climate crisis. 2 in 5 species at risk of extinction.

Question 13

What non-native pests is the RHS looking at ?

Answer 13

lily beetle has the potential to threaten snakes-head fritillary populations (Fritillaria meleagris)

berberis sawfly can defoliate native Berberis vulgaris, threatening the rare barberry carpet moth (Pareulype berberata)

Box tree caterpillar could threaten box (Buxus)

rosemary beetle (Chrysolina americana),

Hemerocallis (day lily) gall midge (Contarinia quinquenotata),

Question 14

Who are Peder Thellesen and Jennifer Owen

Answer 14

Thellesen: Denmark watched starlings on his farm, recording when they bred and the size of clutches and broods in 27 nesting boxes. and found that they bred progressively later in the year, adding an extra day for every five years, as average seasonal temperatures increased.

Owen, UK: between 1972 and 2001, recorded 2,673 species of plants, fungi and animals. The 2,000 or so species of insect didn’t include any attempt to count or identify similar species in large groups, and when she did look at one such group in detail, she found seven species previously unrecorded in Britain and four, entirely new to science. When Owen published the interim findings in 1991 it was ‘the most complete account of the wildlife in a garden any in the world.’

Question 15

What wildlife might be present within a typical garden?

Answer 15

wildflowers
small mammals
birds
invertebrates

Question 16

How to identify and record wildlife in a
horticultural situation and use data to
inform habitat creation.

Answer 16

Before participating in any recording or surveying, we need to identify what we’re looking at. Books, websites, or join a naturalist group.

oin citizen science groups and record what you see in your garden in a specific time period.

Use the surveys sent and count only what is asked for and in the manner required. EX: Only count the number of birds you see in your garden at the same time.

Find a group looking for research: RHS, Conservation orgs; PoMS (Pollinator Monitoring Scheme) RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

Question 17

How to appreciate the garden in the web of life?

Answer 17

Identify weeds and spontaneous plants in the garden.

Identify wild flora in the locality.

Identify fauna: birds, mammals, invertebrates

Survey wild flora and fauna

See the garden as part of a community.

Question 18

Why is citizen science important?

Answer 18

Too expensive to run such surveys with scientist.

Gets people involved in nature and protecting nature.

Provides a large survey report for scientists to evaluate.

Helps to point us towards useful info and show what is really happening: Cause and effect for garden wildlife.

Question 19

Who should review the surveys

Answer 19

Scientists as they have the expertise to review and make sense of results.

Question 20

Are the survey answers clearcut?

Answer 20

No. need to be interpreted.

Results often not clear cut

Expertise required to make sense of results

Need to be aware of ‘myths’

Question 21

Who should run surveys?

Answer 21

1. Needs to be done with precision
2. Methodology needs to be consistent
3. Organizations can help with online info, forms.
4. Results can help guide decisions regarding habitats - particularly in the community.

Question 22

Why are local surveys important?

Answer 22

1. flags up decline in species that are particular food sources, particularly insect species.

Ex: Hedge garlic as food for orange tip butterfly.

Question 23

What else do we need as biodiversity of species?

Answer 23

QUANTITY - not just quality.

Must have ENOUGH food for species to survive

EX: Purple Emperor butterfly: (highest status butterfly) larvae feed on oak tree so need plenty.

Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) important as aphids (more than any other tree) love the tree which provides food for birds when many aphids on the tree.

Question 24

What is the importance of plants and animals?

Answer 24

Bidodiversity is MORE than about glamorous species.

Importance of recognizing the relationship of plants/animals.

QUANTITY AND QUALITY!

Question 25

Why is quantity important

Answer 25

Need a large amount of food for the birds and invertebrates. Whatever provides the most is important.

we have a few species that support a lot, but most actually don’t support very many, and introduced species supported virtually none.

Question 26

What trees support the most insects?

Answer 26

Quercus supports most insect species than any other.

Willow comes as a pretty close second.
Rhododendron ZERO

Question 27

What is biomass?

Answer 27

the total quantity or weight of organisms in a given area or volume.

Question 28

Biodiversity surveys and biomass

Answer 28

Species diversity is not the same as biomass.

Southwood survey Concentrated on species specifically linked to particular tree species and deliberately omitted those species feeding on a wide range of host tree species.

Survey only looked at specialist insects not generalists.

Question 29

What species is more important in terms of biomass?

Answer 29

Generalist insects for feeding birds.

Importance of plant species involves recognizing not just diversity but also quantity of food that species might be able to provide.

Question 30

Surveys of invasive alien species and why important?

Answer 30

Rhododendron ponticum and Fallopia japonica (japanese knotweed)…

Survey can be important to map locations. Crucial to begin efforts to control them b4 they get out of hand.

Question 31

Are all invasive alien species bad?

Answer 31

Often have little wildlife value, but shouldn’t be ruled out completely.

Question 32

What does citizen science and surveying nature provide for the individual?

Answer 32

Basic observation of wildlife and wild plants part of being an aware gardener.

Identifying all life in the garden adds to the experience; plus the educational aspects.

Building an awareness of species presence and absence.

More formal surveying usually done as an exercise by an organization.

Interpretation of survey results often benefits from multiple viewpoints.

Question 33

Outline what a wildlife survey is, and how people can be involved.

Answer 33

A wildlife survey is designed by professionals and scientists to gather information about a specific species, plant or animal in private gardens or public spaces. In some cases, the methodology may be copied from one test to another. The survey must include detailed information and instructions regarding what is being researched. Individuals and families can participate by signing up and agree to follow the detailed instructions. In many cases they do not need formal training, but perhaps some basic training in the identification of the species. Usually, the research requires a certain timeframe or a certain space to narrow down the results. This information is then assimilated and reviewed by professionals to gain pertinent information. Having people involved in this survey gets them involved in nature, protecting nature and teaching their children the value of nature. The results are released to the public and often can be used to encourage governments and individuals to consider changes in policies and practices for conservation purposes.

MODEL:
A wildlife survey is a formal study which aims at making an estimation of the population of certain species in a certain area.

To be a formal study, a survey has to have certain rules which make it objective and scientific. For this reason professional advice is needed to set it
up, although in some cases it may be possible to copy the methodology of a survey which has already been completed somewhere else. The survey aims at counting sightings of particular species within a particular time period within a defined time period. Having survey results from different places also helps create context. Although setting up a survey needs expertise, it is very easy to get untrained people involved in actually doing it – they just have to agree to follow the rules, and possibly be given some basic training in identification of the wildlife concerned. Getting people involved is a very positive way of engaging them with conservation.

Question 34

A survey of local trees tells us that sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) is a very common tree species. Is this good or bad for local biodiversity? What are the further questions that have to be asked in order to answer this question?

Answer 34

a. Further questions include the following:
i. What Invertebrates and birds are found in the area?
ii. How many other trees and plants are within the vicinity that can support the specialists?
iii. Are there more specialist or generalist invertebrates present?
iv. Is there an abundance of seedlings from the tree?
v. Has the tree overshadowed the area and turned it into a dry bed below?
b. The Acer pseudoplatanus attracts the greatest number of aphids and feeds a large variety of birds and invertebrates. Although the quality of the tree is not appreciated by many, the quantity of the aphids it provides for wildlife is important and well worth keeping. Maintenance of the tree and area on a regular basis should overcome any issues pertaining to having the tree on site.

MODEL:
A survey only provides us with information. We then have to put that information into a local context and make decisions. Some simple online
research indicates that sycamore does not have any specialist insect predators, but instead can play host to vast numbers of aphids, which are a
very good food source for many small birds.

This information and this finding from online research indicates that the sycamore here is a biodiversity benefit. However, what trees are there, other than sycamore? If there is a mix of
species locally, then no problem, but if only sycamore? Or if only young sycamores? Perhaps the sycamore is suppressing other species?

Question 35

How can the results of a wildlife survey actually help with designing and developing new plantings? Imagine that you are involved in a community project where there are strong local views on the visual appearance of a new planting (perhaps for a small community public space).
Outline the steps necessary to take notice of survey outcomes and recommendation but at the same time be faithful to the community’s wishes. For this question, imagine that the survey is one looking at butterfly numbers.

Answer 35

Using the scientifically reviewed results from a survey provides accurate information on what butterflies are in abundance in the area and which species are not. If the community is looking for a butterfly haven, I would suggest an Alliaria petiolate to encourage the Orange tip butterfly. Additionally, as there are also many generalist butterflies, I would like to include Buddleija davidii (butterfly bush), Verbena bonariensis, Achillea millefolium and even some weeds – such as Utica dioica. Nettles are not usually a great choice for public gardens but keeping them at the back of the border (and well managed) they can be a fabulous food source for wildlife. A garden can look beautiful and provide a healthy habitat for butterflies as well as other pollinators and wildlife.

MODEL:
Interpreting survey results is something that requires knowledge and expertise. Local experts will be able to advise if the results indicate whether something should be a cause of concern. If butterfly numbers are low, then one way to boost populations is to ensure plenty of food plants for their larvae. Since the plant-larvae relationships are well-documented, it is not too
difficult for horticulturalists to know what they should recommend planting.

A list of larval food plants now needs to be integrated into a planting design.
Many of them (notably nettles, Urtica dioica) are not especially attractive. A plan needs to ensure that thy will be present but as out of sight as possible, and in the case of nettles, be unable to spread. There is no reason why desired
plants should not be given pride of place.
The reasoning behind these plant choices and the suggested locations need to be presented to the community (or whoever is representing them).