World Biodiversity Forum

The session “Harnessing the Power of Citizen Science for Scalable Biodiversity Indicators” at the World Biodiversity Forum will address the following topics related to citizen science:

Citizen science plays a central role in monitoring biodiversity, especially at the species level. In addition to data collection, citizen science engages society in nature conservation and creates pathways for transformative change. However, citizen science is diverse. Some forms are subject to strict protocols, others are more flexible, and still others are collaboratively designed. These different types of citizen science often involve trade-offs in terms of spatio-temporal data coverage and quality, as well as the breadth of societal engagement. Novel developments in practice, such as adaptive sampling, can help optimize such trade-offs by coordinating efforts. At the same time, technological innovations are rapidly expanding the range of topics that can be addressed through citizen science.