The 2014 Golden Gate National Parks bioblitz - data management and the event species list: achieving a quality dataset from a large scale event
Edson E, O'Herron M, Forrestel A, George D. 2016. The 2014 Golden Gate National Parks bioblitz - data management and the event species list: achieving a quality dataset from a large scale event. Natural Resource Report. NPS/GOGA/NRR—2016/1147. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
We reviewed the data management techniques used to generate species occurrence data during the Golden Gate National Parks BioBlitz and produced a species list from the event. This large scale, all-taxa inventory of biodiversity in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Muir Woods National Monument was held on March 28-29, 2014. Co-hosted by National Geographic, the National Park Service, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the Presidio Trust, the event involved thousands of participants and hundreds of data recorders. Although the internet platform iNaturalist was utilized as the core database for species observations, and a high proportion of data entered during the event went directly into iNaturalist by observers in the field via a mobile app, other forms of data such as paper datasheets and spreadsheets had to be processed on desktop computers. Of the 2,884 species documented during the BioBlitz, 1,718 were new to the park, i.e. not already on the Golden Gate National Recreation Area official species list. We were also able to confirm species occurrence for a further 73 species already on the park list noted as expected for the area but without supporting observational data. The protracted length of time between data collection and the production of a definitive species list is in part a reflection of the level of data processing required to combine data from multiple formats, as well as challenges correlating taxonomic nomenclature between synonymous records. Widespread adoption of a single platform such as iNaturalist for similar events would help ease production of species lists. This report also includes data management recommendations for further bioblitz events, as well as the full species list as an appendix.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Edson, Elizabeth; O'Herron, Michelle; Forrestel, Alison; George, Daniel
- Date of Issue
- 2016-03
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GOGA , MUWO , NRSS , SFAN
- Keywords
- Amphibians, Arachnids, Archaea, Bacteria, Bioblitz, Birds, Daitoms, Fish, Fungi, Insects, Inventory, Invertebrates, Kelp, Mammals, Mollusks, Plants, Protozoa, Reptiles