How Citizen Science Projects Contribute to Urban Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Frameworks—A German Case Study

Abstract

Urban ecosystems provide diverse habitats for plants and animals. Policies can protect these ecosystems. To do this, policy frameworks need robust datasets to monitor and report on trends. Citizen science (CS) projects can make a valuable contribution by helping to build, refine, and supplement datasets. The overall aim of this study was to identify and characterize the contribution of CS projects to urban biodiversity monitoring and conservation frameworks in Germany. To gain an overview of the CS landscape in relation to urban biodiversity, we first examined German project platforms and were able to identify a geographical concentration in Berlin. We then focused on the contribution of CS to biodiversity monitoring in Berlin. We created an online questionnaire and conducted interviews with 22 Berlin-based CS project coordinators. In particular, we asked: How does their CS project contribute to the monitoring and conservation of urban biodiversity? What is the type of citizen engagement? What are the objectives of their CS projects, and what are their challenges? What are the outputs of their CS projects, and how do they publish their data? Finally, what is their knowledge of global, national, and local conservation frameworks? Our findings show that CS projects in Berlin are making a meaningful contribution to biodiversity monitoring. However, there is considerable potential for development, particularly in terms of awareness of policy frameworks and the sharing of data. We recommend increasing opportunities for exchange between policymakers and practitioners, and creating interfaces for data sharing to unlock the potential of CS projects for urban biodiversity conservation.

Keywords

• sustainable development goals
• biodiv
• convention on biological diversity
• ipbes
• urban nature