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Citizen science data on urban forageable plants: a case study in Brazil
Filipi Miranda Soares1,2, Luís Ferreira Pires2, Maria Carolina Garcia3
1Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-010, Brazil.
Gigabyte (Hong Kong, China)
|March 4, 2024
Summary
This study catalogs edible fruit-bearing plants in Brazil and uses citizen science data to track their urban distribution. These datasets support research in urban foraging, food security, and environmental sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Urban Ecology
- Citizen Science
- Biodiversity Informatics
Background:
- Urban areas are crucial ecosystems for biodiversity.
- Citizen science platforms like iNaturalist offer valuable data for ecological monitoring.
- Understanding urban flora distribution is key for sustainability and food security.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present two novel datasets on edible fruit-bearing plants in Brazil.
- To analyze the distribution and monitoring of these plants in Brazilian urban landscapes.
- To highlight the role of citizen science in urban biodiversity research.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of a comprehensive catalog of edible fruit-bearing plant species (native and introduced).
- Utilization of iNaturalist data to track plant distribution across Brazilian urban environments.
- Inclusion of data from all 27 Brazilian federative unit capitals, focusing on top contributing cities.
Main Results:
- A detailed catalog of edible fruit-bearing plants relevant to Brazil.
- Spatially explicit data on the distribution of these plants in urban settings nationwide.
- Demonstration of citizen science's effectiveness in urban biodiversity monitoring.
Conclusions:
- The presented datasets are valuable resources for urban foraging and food security studies.
- Citizen science data can significantly contribute to understanding urban ecosystems.
- Findings support applications in plant phenology, machine learning, and environmental sustainability initiatives.
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