“Community monitoring is more effective than experimental ecology in detecting environmental degrading”
The current state of the environment is being affected by many human-caused problems such as water and air pollution, deforestation, desertification, mining, and deforestation. This is alarming (Freeman (2015). The Anthropocene has been named because of the intense human impacts on environmental degradation. The gradual degradation of an environment can be described as environmental degradation. These three types are land, water, and air. The increase in greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide and methane, is one of the main causes of atmospheric degradation. These gases are a result from human-induced factors such electricity, heat, transportation, and other energy sources. Increased greenhouse gas emissions have negative effects on human health, leading to pollution that can cause premature death (Palagiano, Akhtar, 2017). Human practices can have a negative impact on water quality. This is evident in the case of agriculture, which uses 70% of freshwater for irrigation. Globally, climate change is being accelerated by human-induced activities. Increased precipitation and chemical runoff can pollute water sources and cause reduced snow cover. The third factor is land degradation. This is due to land use and agriculture (Stefanski, Sivakumar 2007, 2007). It is a worldwide concern regarding land degradation. Only 11% of global land is suitable to produce food, and the population of 8.2 billion is expected to increase (Stefanski & Sivakumar 2007, 2007). There are many methods to monitor the environment, including citizen science monitors, experimental ecology and community monitoring.
Monitoring environmental degradation through citizen science and community monitoring is one way to detect it. Citizenship and community monitoring are two methods that have greatly evolved and been adapted to assist research into large-scale and small-scale projects related climate change and ecology. Citizen science refers to the participation of the public in scientific and technological research. It uses methods like crowdsourcing to gather data and then analyse it using action research (Dickinson Zuckerberg & Bonter (2010); Newman et.al., 2017). There are many people involved from various backgrounds and experience, including academia, government agencies, and community groups. They collaborate to monitor scientific issues in the local and wider areas (Newman, Newman, et all, 2017).
Citizen science isn’t new. It has developed over the past 30 years with projects like astronomy, ornithology and the Transit of Venus project. This project was funded and designed by the British government in 1874. The purpose of the project was to determine Earth’s distance from sun (Dickinson and Zuckerberg, & Bonter 2010, 2010). Recent technological advances have allowed citizen science to grow. With the advent of tracking apps, smartphones, and internet, volunteers can collect data faster and increase their ability to track environmental degradation and changes at local and global scales (Dickinson and Zuckerberg, 2010; Silvertown 2009). In addition to technological advancements in citizen science, there has been a strengthening of the relationship between the scientific community as well as the public. Bonney and Newman, 2017, Bonney and Al., 2009. Citizenship has been a long-standing relationship to ecology. Through hundreds of millions in observational data, citizen science can make important contributions (Miller, Gallinat and Primack, 2019). Citizen science gives ecologists the freedom to create their own projects, allowing them to focus on a specific topic or address a narrower range of questions while still keeping to a budget. This freedom allows ecologists use the tools of citizen science for environmental research and analysis of environmental degradation and the phenology of organisms living in that environment.
For example, experimental ecology is a method that uses experimental methods to study the relationships between living organisms (Clapham and 1966). These methods are used to observe and develop hypotheses or explanations for observations. Experimental ecology can be carried out in laboratory, field, or both. These studies are combined to produce conclusions that can be used for both small- and larger-scale projects. Themes include species abundance, trophic interaction, plant growth timescale and animal movements. Experimental ecology is essential to provide solutions for current environmental problems (Clapham and 1966).
Both methods are successful in detecting environmental degrading.
Hassall et al. developed a model for identifying hymenopteran compared and syrphid replica (MillerRushing. Gallinat. & Primack. 2019, 2019). This citizen science project was a success. Hassall et. al. created an interactive online module that allows citizen scientists to compare the visual similarities between syrphids with hymenopterans using a rating system. These similarities were determined by factors like size, colour and shape as well as hairiness (Miller-Rushing & Gallinat & Primack 2019, 2019). The outlet of Twitter received them 30300 ratings. Of 2,325 possible combinations, 237 high fidelity model-mimic pairs was identified (MillerRushing. Gallinat. & Primck, 2019). This experiment had several advantages. Volunteers could identify pairwise combinations quicker, which allowed for higher ratings. The module did not require field observations that would have been labor-intensive and was therefore more accessible than experimental ecology.
However, it is clear that citizen science and community monitoring data have higher levels of variability and bias than data from ecologists working in experimental ecology. These concerns stem largely from a dearth of studies comparing volunteers’ quality to professionally collected data. In addition, more papers are written on unreliable data collected by volunteers (Fitzpatrick. Preisser. Ellison. & Elkinton. 2009. Projects are only volunteer-based, so data is collected from those who choose to participate and not randomly selected people. One example of this is the possibility of data biases, including misidentifications or under-detection. If volunteers are trying to identify invasive species, there’s a high likelihood that they will mistakenly see it. This could lead to undocumented sampling bias. A type 1 error is when an individual observes a species and assumes it is present. MacKenzie et. al. (2006) devised a site-occupying modelling model to reduce sampling bias and validity problems. The model used imperfect detections to estimate species occupation.
The amount of training and knowledge is what makes community monitoring different from citizen science monitors or experimental ecology. This perception may be because community monitoring and citizen sciences are volunteer-based. They require volunteers to have different skills and dedication. Experimental ecology projects, on the other hand, are carried out by ecology professionals. Review of citizen science and community monitoring shows that volunteers can collect enough data to support their project if they are given the right training and guidance (Cohn 2008).
Scientists should establish guidelines and protocols when designing citizen science monitoring projects and community monitoring. This will be beneficial for volunteers and reduce the chance of data errors or bias (Cohn 2008). It is likely that professional ecologists will be more successful at tasks, but it is becoming more obvious that citizen scientists are also teachers and scientists. An earlier study comparing experienced and novice observers for the detection low-density tree infestations found that volunteers misclassified more trees than experienced observers (Fitzpatrick. Preisser. Ellison. 2009). This is a fascinating observation, as community monitors and citizen scientists monitors are sometimes able detect environmental degradation using new eyes. This is something that might not be possible with experimental ecology.
It is clear from these examples that citizen science and community monitoring are more effective than experimental ecology in detecting environmental degradation. For a variety of reasons, citizen science and community monitoring have been proven more efficient and less costly than experimental ecology (Follett & Strezov 2015). Ecologists are allowed to design their projects, as well as instructions and protocols for volunteers. These ecologists are also able to share their projects through online and social media platforms. These advantages give ecologists access to large data sets that can be used to reduce the amount of work required to conduct field experiments. Citizenship has several benefits, including increased community awareness, scientific knowledge, and better data processing. While there is much debate on which method of experimental ecology is most successful and effective, it seems that volunteer-based, community-based work is likely to be the best, given the advances in technology and the convenience of the modern world.
