Using social media records to inform conservation planning.

Area of Science:

• Biodiversity research
• Conservation science
• Geospatial analysis

Background:

• Citizen science, particularly through social media, generates vast biodiversity data.
• This data is often underutilized in formal conservation efforts, especially in data-scarce tropical regions.
• Bangladesh, a megadiverse and densely populated country, faces challenges in biodiversity monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the value of social media data for conservation planning in Bangladesh.
• To compare conservation area identification using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data alone versus combined GBIF and Facebook data.
• To evaluate the impact on identifying critical conservation zones.

Main Methods:

• Collated species distribution records for birds and butterflies from Facebook and GBIF.
• Grouped data into GBIF-only and combined GBIF/Facebook datasets.
• Analyzed differences in identifying priority conservation areas using systematic conservation planning assessments.

Main Results:

• Incorporating Facebook data into GBIF records improved the accuracy of conservation planning.
• Additional critical conservation areas were identified in northwest, southeast, and central Bangladesh.
• Priority conservation areas were extended by an estimated 4,000–10,000 km².

Conclusions:

• Social media data is a valuable, underutilized resource for enhancing biodiversity conservation planning.
• Integrating diverse data sources, including social media, is crucial for achieving global biodiversity targets, especially in data-limited tropical countries.
• Community-driven data collection through social media can significantly bolster conservation efforts.