Patterns of Herpetofauna Biodiversity using HerpMapper

Richard Phillips, Wittenberg University, Biology, Environmental Science

Initial Publication Date: April 19, 2023

Summary

HerpMapper is a community science application that allows the public to submit records of amphibians and reptiles to contribute to our knowledge on their distribution and a lesser extent their abundance. To submit records, people must take a photograph with their smartphone - such submitted records are then "verified" by other users. We examine patterns biodiversity of herpetofauna based on our best available data and compare it with HerpMapper data. We examine discrepancies between the two and discuss reasons why that may occur.

Diversity, Ecosystems | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16) | Online Adaptable

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Learning Goals

1) Potential value and limitations of community science datasets using HerpMapper as an example
2) Evaluate datasets to look for patterns of biodiversity that may not be driven by the ecological processes themselves (e.g. human density leading to increased detection, poorer cell phone coverage, ownership patterns of smart phones)
3) Begin to envision the intricate ties between science and society

Context for Use

This activity is a follow-on to the Wicked Problem of an Equitable Zero-Waste Circular Economy module.

As the use of community-based science increases, there are a myriad of wicked problems associated with those datasets. This activity examines limitations and biases associated with community science datasets based on smartphone technology.

Description and Teaching Materials

Students will utilize the website HerpMapper (https://www.herpmapper.org/) to generate data that examines biodiversity at various scales and illustrates inherent biases associated with collecting community science datasets using smartphone technology. Students will generate datasets through HerpMapper and evaluate patterns of biodiversity (species richness or adbundance).

Students, in small groups or individually, generate datasets in HerpMapper based on geography, comparing data between/among various localities (county, state, or country-wide data). Student may choose by taxonomic group, country, state, or counties within states. Students may also examine data temporally to look for trends. Students will evaluate HerpMapper data in the context of larger ecological principles thought to drive reptile and amphibian diversity.

HerpMapper and Biodiversity (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 309kB Apr19 23)

Description of HerpMapper (Acrobat (PDF) 383kB Apr19 23)

Teaching Notes and Tips

It may be best to compare urban compared to rural counties within the United States or to look at data on larger scales that may be influenced by density of humans, economic/infrastructure disparities among smartphone usage, etc.
Based on premises of biodiversity along latitudinal gradients, data on HerpMapper may be influenced more heavily by anthropogenic and/or equity factors compared to underlying ecological processes.

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Assessment

Student work is examined to determine the datasets they produce (screen captures, graphs, tallys, etc). Evaluate student considerations external to biological sampling that may influence HerpMapper datasets.