Social media platforms have become a powerful tool for sharing information and connecting people from around the world. In recent years, nature photographers on platforms like Facebook have been using their art to not only showcase the beauty of the natural world but also contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts.
A recent study led by Dr. Shawan Chowdhury from UQ’s School of the Environment has highlighted the significant impact that nature photographers posting on social media can have on biodiversity conservation mapping. The study focused on Facebook nature photography groups in Bangladesh and explored how the images shared on these platforms could be utilized to enhance the existing Global Biodiversity Information Facility database.
During their research, the team discovered a staggering 44,000 photos featuring nearly 1,000 animal species, including numerous birds and insects. Of these, 288 species were categorized as threatened in Bangladesh. This wealth of photographic data has greatly improved the accuracy and comprehensiveness of habitat mapping across the country, where only 4.6% of the land is currently designated as protected.
By analyzing the images shared on Facebook, the researchers were able to identify high-priority areas for conservation, covering approximately 4,000 square kilometers for birds and 10,000 square kilometers for butterflies. This newfound information has proven to be invaluable in filling the gaps in the distribution data of endangered species in Bangladesh.
The implications of this study go beyond the borders of Bangladesh. The success of using social media platforms like Facebook to gather biodiversity information for conservation purposes could inspire similar initiatives in other regions lacking reliable and up-to-date structured monitoring systems. In countries where resources for conservation efforts are limited, harnessing the power of social media can prove to be a game-changer.
Interestingly, social media platforms have also been used to track invasive species in countries like Australia. Dr. Chowdhury mentions the example of the tawny coster butterfly, which entered Australia in 2012. By analyzing additional locality records posted on Facebook, researchers were able to track the movement, ecology, and colonization patterns of this species, revealing that it expanded at a rate of approximately 135 kilometers per year between 2012 and 2020.
Although social media has played a crucial role in gathering this valuable biodiversity data, there are still some limitations. The process of manually collecting and analyzing the information from these platforms can be arduous and time-consuming. To address this issue, co-author Professor Richard Fuller suggests the development of technology, such as an app, that directly transfers biodiversity data posted on Facebook to global biodiversity databases. This would simplify the process for conservation scientists, allowing them easy access to the data and enabling them to utilize it more effectively.
Dr. Chowdhury, who is also a researcher at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, believes that this study underscores the potential of social media in biodiversity conservation efforts worldwide. By tapping into the vast resources and reach of social media platforms, we can harness the collective efforts of nature photographers and enthusiasts to create a global network of biodiversity data, helping protect and preserve our natural heritage for future generations.
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- Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
- We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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