The importance and effectiveness of volunteer‐collected data in ecology and conservation RACHEL LOUISE WILLIAMS A thesis submitted to the University of Gloucestershire in accordance with the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Natural and Social Sciences September 2012 Abstract Abstract Volunteers have been collecting ecological data for centuries. However, volunteer‐ collected data are frequently challenged because they lack the precision and rigour of scientific studies. This thesis evaluates the advantages of volunteer‐collected data and the importance of such data for the study of ecology and conservation, and considers methods to verify data to avoid or reduce inaccuracies. Different case studies aimed to answer questions relating to species’ ecology, habitat selection, and behaviour. Charismatic mammals were selected in order to increase volunteer participation (Water voles Arvicola terrestris; dormice Muscardinus avellanarius; North American otters Lontra canadensis; hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus). Simple, rapid data collection methods were used so that volunteers and citizen scientists could easily follow instructions. The findings show that simple methods such as scales and estimates can be an effective way of studying water vole habitat associations; however, inter‐observer variability was highly problematic when volunteers collected data based on subJective estimations. A volunteer‐collected long‐term dataset on dormouse nestbox occupancy provided excellent information on habitat selection despite some irregularities when the data were recorded. Untrained citizen scientists could not record activity budgets for captive otters despite simple instructions, whereas citizen scientists were able to record habitat variables within their gardens, but false absences were found to be an issue when they recorded hedgehog sightings. Overall, this thesis suggests that volunteer‐collected data can provide useful insights into various aspects of ecology, for example, for studying distributions and species‐habitat interactions. Encouraging volunteers to collect ecological data has additional benefits such as increasing the health and wellbeing of participants, and it also raises public awareness of conservation issues. Recommendations on how to increase participation rates while minimising sources of error and bias are given. i Declaration I declare that the work in this thesis was carried out in accordance with the regulations of the University of Gloucestershire and is original except where indicated by specific reference in the text. The help and advice of those who have had direct involvement with this thesis is acknowledged. No part of the thesis has been submitted as part of any other academic award. The thesis has not been presented to any other education institution in the United Kingdom or overseas. Any work that has been published prior to submission can be found as appendices. Any views expressed in the thesis are those of the author and in no way represent those of the University. Signed …………………………………………….. Date ………………………………. ii Dedication For Mum, Dad and Andrew iii Table of contents Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... i Declaration ......................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iii Table of contents ................................................................................................................ iv Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. vii Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1) An overview of volunteer projects ........................................................................... 1 1.2) The attributes of volunteer-collected data ............................................................. 5 1.3) The limitations of volunteer-collected data ............................................................ 8 1.4) The importance and difficulty of verifying volunteer-collected data ..................... 11 1.5) Research outline .................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: Monitoring water vole habitat using simple estimation techniques: Can volunteers collect reliable data? ..................................................................................... 15 2.1) Introduction ........................................................................................................... 16 2.2) Methods ................................................................................................................ 19 2.3) Results ................................................................................................................... 24 2.4) Discussion .............................................................................................................. 29 2.5) Conclusions and recommendations ....................................................................... 33 Chapter 3: The use of long-term volunteer records to examine dormouse nestbox selection in Midger Wood Nature Reserve, Gloucestershire ......................................... 34 3.1) Introduction ........................................................................................................... 35 3.2) Methods ................................................................................................................ 38 3.3) Results ................................................................................................................... 43 3.4) Discussion .............................................................................................................. 46 3.5) Conclusions and recommendations ....................................................................... 49 iv Table of contents Chapter 4: The accuracy of behavioural data collected by visitors in a zoo environment: Can visitors collect meaningful data? .............................................................................. 51 4.1) Introduction ........................................................................................................... 52 4.2) Methods ................................................................................................................ 55 4.3) Results ................................................................................................................... 64 4.4) Discussion .............................................................................................................. 71 4.5) Conclusions and recommendations ....................................................................... 76 Chapter 5: How well do you know your garden? The accuracy of citizen science data on hedgehogs in gardens ...................................................................................................... 78 5.1) Introduction ........................................................................................................... 79 5.2) Methods ................................................................................................................ 83 5.3) Results ................................................................................................................... 92 5.4) Discussion .............................................................................................................. 97 5.5) Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................... 106 Chapter 6: General Discussion ...................................................................................... 109 6.1) Summary of research ........................................................................................... 109 6.2) The importance of clear instructions ................................................................... 111 6.3) The accuracy and usefulness of volunteer-collected data ................................... 113 6.4) Other considerations when recruiting volunteers and citizen scientists .............. 116 6.5) Conclusions and recommendations ..................................................................... 117 6.6) Final conclusion ................................................................................................... 123 References .................................................................................................................. 126 Photograph credits ..................................................................................................... 153 Appendix 1: Handout used in Chapter 3 ....................................................................... A1 Appendix 2: Publication “Using long-term volunteer records to examine dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) nestbox selection” ............................................................ A2 Appendix 3: Publication “The accuracy of behavioural data collected by visitors in a zoo environment: can visitors collect meaningful data?” .......................................... A3 v Table of contents Appendix 4: Otter behaviour questionnaire used in Chapter 4 .................................... A4 Appendix 5: Visitor segmentation