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Xicotli Data: a project to retrieve plant-bee interactions from citizen science
Juan M Barrios1, Brenda Y Bedolla-García2, Paola A González-Vanegas1
1Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Mexico City, Mexico Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) Mexico City Mexico.
The Xicotli data project integrates wild bee and plant interaction data in Mexico, enhancing biodiversity knowledge for conservation. This curated dataset, from citizen science, provides valuable ecological and taxonomic information for native bee species.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biodiversity Science
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- The Xicotli data project, named after the Nahuatl word for bee, focuses on wild bee-plant interactions in Mexico (2021-2023).
- A multidisciplinary team of eco-informaticians, ecologists, and taxonomists collaborated on this initiative.
- The project utilizes citizen science data from naturalista.mx (iNaturalist) to build a comprehensive dataset.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a curated dataset of wild bee-plant interactions in Mexico.
- To enhance the understanding of native bee species (Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae) and their host plants.
- To support biodiversity management and conservation efforts through integrated data.
Main Methods:
- Data integration from citizen observations on iNaturalist.
- Taxonomic curation of native bee species by taxonomists.
- Identification of host plants and ecomorphological traits through expert analysis and literature review.
- Utilization of new "observation fields" within iNaturalist for data enhancement.
Main Results:
- A dataset of 4,532 curated records on plant-bee interactions.
- Enhanced taxonomic information for native bee species.
- Identification of host plants and ecomorphological data for bees and plants.
- Increased visibility and accessibility of integrated data on the iNaturalist platform.
Conclusions:
- The Xicotli dataset significantly advances the knowledge of wild bee-plant interactions in Mexico.
- This integrated data resource is crucial for effective biodiversity management and conservation strategies.
- Citizen science, combined with expert curation, proves effective for generating valuable ecological datasets.
