Title
A Unique Role for Citizen Science in Ecological Restoration: A Case Study in Streams
Published In
Restoration Ecology
Document Type
Citation
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
Citizen science has the potential to generate valuable biologic data for use in restoration monitoring, while also providing a unique opportunity for public participation in local restoration projects. In this article, we describe and evaluate a citizen science program designed to monitor the effect of stream restoration construction disturbance on the macroinvertebrate community. We present the results of a 7-year stream restoration study conducted by citizen scientists utilizing a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design. Trait-based macroinvertebrate data showed a strong response to restoration construction disturbance and return to pre-restoration conditions within 2 years. The findings of this study suggest that citizen science can generate meaningful BACI-oriented data about ecological restoration; however, until more research is conducted, citizen data should only be used to augment professional data intended to demonstrate restoration success.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1111/rec.12622
Citation Details
Edwards, P. M., Shaloum, G., & Bedell, D. (2017). A unique role for citizen science in ecological restoration: a case study in streams. Restoration Ecology.
