Adapting the bioblitz to meet conservation needs |
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| Authors: | Sophie S. Parker Gregory B. Pauly James Moore Naomi S. Fraga John J. Knapp Zachary Principe Brian V. Brown John M. Randall Brian S. Cohen Thomas A. Wake |
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| Affiliation: | 1. The Nature Conservancy, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.;2. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.;3. The Nature Conservancy, Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.;4. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, U.S.A.;5. The Nature Conservancy, Ventura, CA, U.S.A.;6. The Nature Conservancy, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.;7. Zooarchaeology Laboratory, The Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | When conservation strategies require new, field‐based information, practitioners must find the best ways to rapidly deliver high‐quality survey data. To address this challenge, several rapid‐assessment approaches have been developed since the early 1990s. These typically involve large areas, take many months to complete, and are not appropriate when conservation‐relevant survey data are urgently needed for a specific locale. In contrast, bioblitzes are designed for quick collection of site‐specific survey data. Although bioblitzes are commonly used to achieve educational or public‐engagement goals, conservation practitioners are increasingly using a modified bioblitz approach to generate conservation‐relevant data while simultaneously enhancing research capacity and building working partnerships focused on conservation concerns. We term these modified events expert bioblitzes. Several expert bioblitzes have taken place on lands of conservation concern in Southern California and have involved collaborative efforts of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, botanic gardens, museums, and universities. The results of expert bioblitzes directly informed on‐the‐ground conservation and decision‐making; increased capacity for rapid deployment of expert bioblitzes in the future; and fostered collaboration and communication among taxonomically and institutionally diverse experts. As research and conservation funding becomes increasingly scarce, expert bioblitzes can play an increasingly important role in biodiversity conservation. |
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| Keywords: | archaeology botanical garden bureau of land management citizen science museum rapid assessment resource management arqueologí a Buró de Administració n de Suelos ciencia ciudadana evaluació n rá pida jardí n botá nico manejo de recursos museo 考 古 学 植 物 园 美 国 土 地 管 理 局 公 众 科 学 博 物 馆 快 速 评 估 资 源 管 理 |
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