A review of citizen science and community-based environmental monitoring: issues and opportunities

Abstract

Worldwide, decision-makers and nongovernment organizations are increasing their use of citizen volunteers to enhance their ability to monitor and manage natural resources, track species at risk, and conserve protected areas. We reviewed the last 10 years of relevant citizen science literature for areas of consensus, divergence, and knowledge gaps. Different community-based monitoring (CBM) activities and governance structures were examined and contrasted. Literature was examined for evidence of common benefits, challenges, and recommendations for successful citizen science. Two major gaps were identified: (1) a need to compare and contrast the success (and the situations that induce success) of CBM programs which present sound evidence of citizen scientists influencing positive environmental changes in the local ecosystems they monitor and (2) more case studies showing use of CBM data by decision-makers or the barriers to linkages and how these might be overcome. If new research focuses on these gaps, and on the differences of opinions that exist, we will have a much better understanding of the social, economic, and ecological benefits of citizen science.

Citizen science in hydrology and water resources: opportunities for knowledge generation, ecosystem service management, and sustainable development

“…There is more emphasis on building social capital (by training) and local adaptive capacity at the extreme end of this spectrum where the objective of public engagement is to improve transparency and accountability, and to encourage discourse, learning, and collective action between multiple stakeholders (da Silva Wells et al, 2013). This is complementary to the tendency now to move away from merely capitalizing on volunteers as a low-cost workforce but to involve them in the intellectual aspects of the science (Lakshminarayanan, 2007;Conrad and Hilchey, 2010).…”

Data management aspects of public engagement with biodiversity documentation

“…Such a framework could use the categorization of governance structures for citizen science data proposed by Conrad & Hilchey (2011) as a starting point:…”

Public Support for Wetland Restoration: What is the Link With Ecosystem Service Values?

“…by being in nature or by talking with others, and/or emotions (Brody 2005;Fazey et al 2013). Having local stakeholders actively participate in ecological restoration efforts, for example by assisting in environmental monitoring, may positively affect the way local users think about ecological restoration (Conrad and Hilchey 2011). In addition, scientists should make use of informal and non-scientific events to exchange ideas about the benefits and costs of ecological restoration with the public (Sayer et al 2014).…”