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Unrecorded Butterfly Species and Potential Local Extinctions: The Role of Citizen Science and Sampling
S Alberti1, A Pollo1, C Cerrato1,2
1Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology University of Turin Turin Italy.
Ecology and Evolution
|February 19, 2025
Summary
Citizen science significantly boosts butterfly data, aiding extinction risk assessment. Professional sampling remains vital for rare and hard-to-identify species, especially in high-altitude regions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Biodiversity Studies
Background:
- Estimating species extinction risk is critical for biodiversity conservation.
- Citizen science has emerged as a valuable tool, particularly for monitoring butterfly populations.
- Data source efficacy is crucial for accurate conservation prioritization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact and efficiency of literature, expert sampling, and citizen science data sources for butterfly species in Aosta Valley.
- To assess the extinction potential of butterfly species based on functional traits.
- To inform conservation strategies by comparing data collection methods.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 30,351 butterfly records from 1825-2022 in Aosta Valley.
- Comparison of species richness and record numbers across literature, expert sampling, and citizen science datasets.
- Correlation of butterfly extinction risk with functional traits like altitudinal range and voltinism.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in recorded species were found across the three data sources, despite variations in record numbers.
- Approximately 2.9% of the butterfly community faces extinction risk.
- Extinction risk is associated with decreased altitudinal range and multivoltine life cycles.
Conclusions:
- Citizen science effectively increases data volume and can fill data gaps, especially at lower altitudes.
- Professional sampling is essential for tracking elusive species, those difficult to identify, or with restricted distributions.
- Integrating diverse data sources and trait analysis allows for targeted conservation efforts and prioritization of species studies.
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