Conserving intraspecific variation for nature’s contributions to people

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 5(5), P. 574 - 582

Published: March 1, 2021

Language: Английский

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Community engagement and data quality: best practices and lessons learned from a citizen science project on birdsong

Journal of Ornithology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 164(1), P. 233 - 244

Published: Oct. 13, 2022

Citizen Science (CS) is a research approach that has become popular in recent years and offers innovative potential for dialect ornithology. As the scepticism about CS data still widespread, we analysed development of 3-year project based on song Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) to share best practices lessons learned. We focused scope, individual engagement, spatial distribution species misidentifications from recordings generated before (2018, 2019) during COVID-19 outbreak (2020) with smartphone using 'Naturblick' app. The number nightingale engagement increased steadily peaked season pandemic. 13,991 were by anonymous (64%) non-anonymous participants (36%). developed, expanded (from Berlin nationwide). rates low, decreased course (10-1%) mainly affected vocal similarities other bird species. This study further showed community quality not directly dissemination activities, but former was influenced external factors latter benefited conclude projects apps an integrated pattern recognition algorithm are well suited support bioacoustic Based our findings, recommend setting up over long term build engaged which generates high robust scientific conclusions.The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10336-022-02018-8.Gesellschaftliches Engagement und Datenqualität: Bewährte Praktiken Erfahrungen aus einem bürgerwissenschaftlichen Projekt zum Vogelgesang ist eine Forschungsmethode, die den letzten Jahren Bedeutung gewonnen hat innovatives Potenzial für Dialektforschung der Ornithologie bietet. Da Vorbehalte gegenüber CS-Daten immer noch weit verbreitet sind, haben wir Entwicklung eines dreijährigen CS-Projekts Gesang Nachtigall analysiert, um bewährte gewonnene darzustellen. Wir fokussierten uns auf Datenumfang, das individuelle von Teilnehmenden, räumliche Verteilung Fehlbestimmungen Arten Aufnahmen, vor während des COVID-19-Ausbruchs mit Smartphone unter Verwendung "Naturblick" App erstellt wurden. Die Anzahl Aufnahmen Nachtigallgesängen stiegen stetig erreichten ihren Höhepunkt Saison Pandemie. 13.991 wurden anonymen nicht-anonymen Teilnehmenden (36%) erstellt. Im Laufe Projekts weitete sich (von bundesweit). Rate war gering, ging im zurück 10% 1%) wurde hauptsächlich gesanglichen Ähnlichkeiten anderen Vogelarten beeinflusst. Unsere Studie zeigte außerdem, dass gesellschaftliche Datenqualität nicht direkt durchgeführten Disseminationsaktivitäten beeinflusst wurden, sondern erstere externen Faktoren abhingen letztere profitierte. schließen daraus, CS-Projekte, Smartphone-Apps integrierten Mustererkennungsalgorithmus verwenden, gut geeignet bioakustische Forschung zu unterstützen. Auf Grundlage unserer Ergebnisse empfehlen wir, CS-Projekte langfristig etablieren, aktive Teilnehmergemeinschaft (Community) aufzubauen, qualitativ hochwertige Daten fundierte wissenschaftliche Schlussfolgerungen generiert.

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Using culturally transmitted behavior to help delineate conservation units for species at risk

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 285, P. 110239 - 110239

Published: Aug. 25, 2023

Culture (information or behavior acquired by social learning and shared members of a community) is an inheritance system that can contribute to the designation conservation units for species at risk. The phenotypic diversity produced culture intrinsic value behaviorally-cohesive communities sets may be suitable candidate units. This paper considers how cultural information units, in particular when assessing discreteness and/or evolutionarily significance potential Call song dialects are particularly useful documenting discreteness, while differences seasonal migrations, if consistent, significant. Distinctions foraging diet suggest evolutionary but it important show these not environmentally driven. Social play also used discreteness. In some cases, clear whether behavioral genetically culturally determined this matter delineation distinctions heritable. Genetic correlations indicate stability culturally-determined transmission processes parallel (e.g., mitochondrial DNA learned from mother). explicit use data currently rare, should increase as more detailed extensive databases compiled analytical methods developed.

Language: Английский

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Allopatric montane wren-babblers exhibit similar song notes but divergent vocal sequences

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 77(10)

Published: Sept. 23, 2023

Language: Английский

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Chipper: Open‐source software for semi‐automated segmentation and analysis of birdsong and other natural sounds

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 11(4), P. 524 - 531

Published: Feb. 3, 2020

Abstract Audio recording devices have changed significantly over the last 50 years, making large datasets of recordings natural sounds, such as birdsong, easier to obtain. This increase in digital necessitates an high‐throughput methods analysis for researchers. Specifically, there is a need community open‐source that are tailored varying qualities and from multiple species collected nature. We developed Chipper, Python‐based software semi‐automate both segmentation acoustic signals subsequent their frequencies durations. For avian recordings, we provide widgets best determine appropriate thresholds noise syllable similarity, which aid calculating note measurements determining song syntax. In addition, generated set synthetic songs with various levels background test Chipper's accuracy, repeatability reproducibility. Chipper provides effective way quickly generate quantitative, reproducible measures birdsong. The cross‐platform graphical user interface allows adjust parameters visualize resulting spectrogram signal segmentation, providing simplified method analysing field recordings. streamlines processing audio user‐friendly tools optimized qualities. Ultimately, supports use citizen‐science data increases feasibility large‐scale multi‐species birdsong studies.

Language: Английский

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Anuran accents: Continental‐scale citizen science data reveal spatial and temporal patterns of call variability

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 10(21), P. 12115 - 12128

Published: Oct. 6, 2020

Abstract Many animals rely on vocal communication for mating advertisement, territorial displays, and warning calls. Advertisement calls are species‐specific, serve as a premating isolation mechanism, reinforce species boundaries. Nevertheless, there is great deal of interspecific variability advertisement Quantifying the among individuals within across critical to understand call evolution boundaries, may build foundation further research in animal communication. However, collecting large volume recordings geographic area has traditionally posed logistical barrier. We used data from continental‐scale citizen science project FrogID investigate spatial temporal patterns characteristics six Australian frog species. found intraspecific both duration peak frequency Using resampling methods, we show that was related number recorded, encompassed by those individuals, intra‐annual time difference between recordings. conclude order accurately variation, or “anuran accents,” sample must be numerous ( N ≥ 20), encompass relative species' range, collected throughout calling season.

Language: Английский

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Opportunities and limitations: A comparative analysis of citizen science and expert recordings for bioacoustic research

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 16(6), P. e0253763 - e0253763

Published: June 28, 2021

Citizen science is an approach that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Despite this growing popularity, there still widespread scepticism the academic world about validity and quality of data from citizen projects. And although might be great potential, a rarely used field bioacoustics. To better understand possibilities, but also limitations, we here evaluated generated project on nightingale song as case study. We analysed quantity recordings made non-standardized way with smartphone app by scientists standardized professional equipment researchers. comparisons between two approaches among user types to gain insights into temporal recording patterns, data. compare deviation acoustic parameters smartphones devices original recordings, conducted playback test. Our results showed depending group, produced many lot valid for further bioacoustic research. Differences provided expert group were mainly caused technical used—and lesser extent themselves. Especially when differences spectral are investigated, our demonstrate use same high-quality calibrated external microphones would most likely improve quality. conclude research questions may carried out scientists. want encourage researchers get more involved participatory projects harness potential science—and share scientific curiosity discoveries directly society.

Language: Английский

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Modeling how population size drives the evolution of birdsong, a functional cultural trait

Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 76(6), P. 1139 - 1152

Published: April 11, 2022

Oscine songbirds have been an important study system for social learning, particularly because their learned songs provide analog human languages and music. Here, we propose a different analogy: from evolutionary perspective, could birds' change over time more like arrowheads than arias? Small improvements to bird's song can lead large fitness differences its singer, which make analogous tools languages. We modify model of tool evolution accommodate cultural birdsong: each learner chooses the most skilled available tutor emulate, is likely produce inferior copy superior one. Similar evolution, our suggests that larger populations birds foster in time, even when learners restrict pool tutors subset individuals network. also demonstrate elements be simplified instead lost after population bottlenecks if lower quality traits are easier imitate higher ones. show these processes plausibly generate empirically observed patterns some traits, predictions about types shrink. More broadly, aim connect modeling approaches used nonhuman systems, moving toward cohesive theoretical framework accounts both cognitive demographic processes.

Language: Английский

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Unravelling the Stability of Nightingale Song Over Time and Space Using Open, Citizen Science and Shared Data

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 10

Published: Feb. 17, 2022

Open science approaches enable and facilitate the investigation of many scientific questions in bioacoustics, such as studies on temporal spatial evolution song, vocal dialects. In contrast to previous dialect studies, which mostly focused songbird species with a small repertoire, here we studied common nightingale ( Luscinia megarhynchos ), bird complex large repertoire. To study dialects population level this species, used recordings from four datasets: an open museum archive, citizen platform, project, shared academic researchers. We conducted date largest geographic birdsong including 1930 2019 13 European countries, geographical coverage 2,652 km linear distance. examine stability dialects, catalog 1,868 song types nightingales was created. Instead found high degree over time space both, sub-categories occurrence types. For example, second most type our datasets occurred nine decades across Europe. case study, data proved be equivalent, some cases even better, than by research group. Based results, conclude that combination diverse particularly useful

Language: Английский

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Assessment of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs using large‐scale citizen science data

Journal of Zoology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 320(4), P. 271 - 281

Published: June 6, 2023

Abstract Acoustic communication is vital to the survival and fitness of many vertebrates. While successful reliant on acoustic signals reaching an intended receiver maintaining content fidelity, propagating are attenuated by environmental factors such as habitat type. The adaptation hypothesis (AAH) predicts that properties selected for optimal transmission in habitats which they propagate. To date, consistent evidence support theory lacking, but studies have typically been primarily based localized datasets with small sample sizes. Citizen science emerging a potential means overcome challenges associated broad‐scale sampling, allowing us assess validity AAH frogs continental scale. We analysed male advertisement calls 674 individual banjo ( Limnodynastes dorsalis , L. dumerilii interioris terraereginae ) from across their range, pairing these citizen data remotely sensed measures complexity. we detected considerable variation structure within among frog species, this was not strongly correlated Thus, found no AAH. However, our study spanning area over 1.7 million km 2 conducted largest‐scale test contributing global understanding signal evolution.

Language: Английский

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