Bee photos by community scientists contribute to much needed data for conservation efforts

TORONTO, June 29, 2020 – Think you can identify that bumble bee you just took a photo of in your backyard? 91��ɫ researchers have found that a little more than 50 per cent of community science participants, who submitted photos to the North American program, were able to properly identify the bee species.

Community science is a popular tool used by conservation biologists to engage the public in scientific data collection to inform conservation policy and management decisions.

Bombus terricola. Photo credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

In the case of Bumble Bee Watch, the collected data is from all over North America and can feed into conservation plans to better protect the bees and their habitats, and even to know what habitats they need, knowledge on how different species are doing, and even legal protections for endangered bee species. Tens of thousands of bees have been recorded, including those at-risk.

“That data is incredibly important. It’s data that would otherwise may not be captured,” says PhD student Victoria MacPhail of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) and lead author of the published today in the journal .

But if the bee identifications made by the public are inaccurate close to 50 per cent of the time, that puts a lot of strain on the enlisted experts to verify or correct the identifications.

“Accurate species level identification is an important first step for effective conservation management decisions,” says MacPhail. “Those community science programs that have experts review submitted photos to determine if the identification is correct have a higher scientific value.”

Bombus rufocinctus. Photo credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

There are 46 species of bumble bees in North America. Community scientists collected or identified about 39 species, although not always correctly. Some of the species the participants were most likely to get wrong were the Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee and the American Bumble Bee. Both are declining and listed as critical or of special concern. MacPhail thinks much of that has to do with wishful thinking.

“Everyone wants to find an endangered bumble bee in their backyard,” she says. “But the accuracy of initial identification is important for determining the utility and quality of community science-collected data.”

The researchers, including Assistant Professor of FES and PhD student Shelby Gibson of the Faculty of Science, analyzed more than 22,000 expert-reviewed submissions to Bumble Bee Watch. Some 52 per cent were correctly identified by species, 38 per cent were incorrectly identified, while another nine per cent were invalid (not a bumble bee).

Some species are easier to identify than others, which is why the researchers are looking into the possibility of using artificial intelligence to verify submissions of those easier-to-identify bees. They will also look at providing more tools and resources to help participants properly identify the bee in their photos, including pop-up windows to offer tips on what to look for to identify that particular species before the final submission is made.

Better accuracy of identification means the data can be put to use faster and it will save valuable expert time, allowing them to give more timely feedback, engage participants, enhance educational value and aid in retention of the valuable resource of community scientists.

PHOTOS:

Volunteers taking photos of bees – Credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

Credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

Bees on flowers –

Bombus rufocinctus. Credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

Bombus bohemicus. Credit: Assistant Professor Sheila Colla, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

Bombus terricola. Credit: PhD candidate Victoria MacPhail, Faculty of Environmental Studies, 91��ɫ

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91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Community scientists identify bumble bees correctly 50 per cent of the time appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, May 12, 2020 – How valuable is community science to research? A survey of participants at , a community and research collaboration to track and conserve bumble bees in North America, found users are well educated and strongly motivated to save bees, say 91��ɫ researchers.

Bumble Bee Watch is a community science program where participants submit photos of bumble bees from across Canada and the United States for expert verification. The data can be used to help better understand bumble bee biology and aid in their conservation. But who is doing the submitting and is it enough? How can community science programs motivate their participants?

Eighty-eight per cent of participants said they were involved in the program because they wanted to contribute to scientific data collection, while 80 per cent said it was because they worried about bees and had a desire to help save them. Sixty-three per cent said they chose to participate to learn more about species on their property. Fifty-nine per cent said they participated because of a personal interest.

“It’s necessary for community science programs to understand participant demographics, what motivates them, and the outcomes of their participation,” says PhD student Victoria MacPhail of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, whose supervisor is Assistant Professor Sheila Colla.

“That can tell us what areas are working well or could be improved. It is also important to understand who verifies the submissions and who uses the data.”

The researchers found that participants want to learn more about bumble bees and contribute to the scientific understanding of them. “We want volunteers to stay active and continue to contribute high quality data, as well as increase their interest in conservation actions,” says MacPhail. “That way we can also create a program that meet their needs.”

Suggested areas for improvement included better app and website functionality, faster and more detailed feedback, localized resources, and more communication, but overall, participants think the program is valuable and they have learned about bumble bees.

A separate survey of 15 experts suggested how to improve the verification process and the quality of the submitted data. The experts suggested the research questions that are asked or answered from the data could help fill knowledge gaps around species diversity, ranges, habitat, phenology and floral associations. That would help support species status assessments, effect policy and legislation, and encourage habitat restoration and management efforts, as well as guiding further research.

The paper, , is published today in PeerJ.

Bumble Bee Watch partners include 91��ɫ’s , , , , , and .

PHOTOS:

Volunteers taking photos of bees -

Bees on flowers -

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91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post What’s the bee-g deal with community science? appeared first on News@91��ɫ.