Illinois Botanists Big Year 2017 Results

_{cross-posted from INPS website and slightly edited for iNat audience}

The 2nd annual Illinois Botanists Big Year has come to a close. The results are in and the winner is…

cassi saari with 921 taxa*

Most Species/Subspecies Observed

Congrats to everyone who helped contribute to a worldwide database of nature observations and those who perhaps found more plants than they ever had before in a single year and place. There were almost 30,000 plant observations contributed by over 1,600 different people. Of those, 18,733 observations were identified to species or below and reached Research Grade. A total of 1,457 species, subspecies, and varieties were identified, representing approximately 40% of the Illinois flora. Huge thank yous to all the people who help identify on iNat; top identifiers of 2017 Illinois plants were @evan8, @bouteloua, @sanguinaria33, @eattaway92, and @mcaple.

Other Winners

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens by Vanessa Voelker

The most-observed native plants were Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed, 260 observations), Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple, 170), Trillium recurvatum (prairie trillium, 155), Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells, 145), and Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot, 139). The most-observed non-native plants were Lotus corniculatus (birds-foot trefoil, 232 observations), Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass, 131), Rhamnus cathartica (common buckthorn, 117), Phragmites australis (common reed, 105), and Daucus carota (wild carrot, 102).

Hypericum swinkianum by Mark Kluge

Here are a few thoughts from some regional naturalists (emphasis ours):
Derek Ziomber / @dziomber:

“[iNaturalist] has the potential to be a great tool to encourage new people to explore the natural world more and hopefully learn something along the way, but more importantly to foster a sense of respect and responsibility for the natural world and its other inhabitants….iNat provides a way to keep your ID skills sharp and a means to travel to new landscapes and learn about plants that you might not otherwise ever see. Sure, you can always do the same by looking through books or websites, but those lack the interactive aspects and sense of community that iNat has. Books and websites are still invaluable to me, but the added benefits of iNat have made it a fun tool in my quest to understand the natural world.”

Vanessa Voelker / @vvoelker:

“One of the things I've appreciated most about the Big Year specifically, and iNaturalist in general, is that it's become a great resource for learning vegetative and early life stage characters. A few of us went on a journey of discovery this year with Polymnia canadensis, which has early growth leaves that look confusingly similar to several other species, and not terribly similar to most field guide photos of the plant at maturity.”

Erin Faulkner / @elfaulkner:

“While I’m sure I’ve tested the patience of many a hiking buddy with my frequent data-recording stops, I like the idea that I’m contributing to a growing body of scientific knowledge. My favorite part is expanding the range maps for different species, and the particular thrill of adding a species found outside its normal range or being the lone state record. The Illinois Botanists Big Year has lent focus to the madness and has pushed me to get off the couch and visit a wider range of Illinois’s preserves and ecosystems than I ever have before.”

Bartonia virginica by Erin Faulkner

Iza Redlinski / @marshmaiden:

“I had a resolution in 2017 to hone some of my woodland as well as sand species plant identification. It proved to be a good way to document what I saw at a given site and to take pictures of some of my lifers...the map also allowed me to pinpoint where some of the invasive problems were (I could upload the data later on and overlay it on a Google map). I enjoyed seeing how various species bloom at different times in different locations and thinking why that would be.”

Mark Kluge / @sanguinaria33:

“When I was nudged into joining iNaturalist in 2014, I had little idea that I was getting into one of the most significant citizen science projects ever conceived. Yes, it’s fun to crunch statistics, but iNat also makes it simple to look at your observations and say, hey I need to pay more attention to Dichanthelium, or hill prairies, or Helianthus, or wetlands, or whatever. IBBY 2017 was a prime vehicle for me to achieve a different goal, which was making at least one observation every day of the year. That was a great way to really work on plant phenology, as well as to keep active on those days you would much rather be on the couch! Some favorite observations were something I found while looking for something else, observing the plant that was the type collection for a recently described species, and enduring 25 ticks to track down a nice orchid population.”

Mackenzie Caple / @mcaple:

"Even though I don't have as much opportunity as I'd like to go out and add my own observations, IDing other people's observations has been a great way to keep sharp on plants I know, as well as learning how to ID new ones-- all while contributing to science. The crowdsourcing aspect is especially fun and helpful!"

Nabalus crepidineus by cassi saari

Want to participate in 2018? It’s easy. Simply add your observations at iNaturalist.org or use the iPhone/Android app. You can also help the community by identifying plants on iNaturalist. Here is the new Illinois Botanists Big Year homepage. Bookmark it!

Contact cassi here on iNat or via email at cassisaari@gmail.com with ideas, questions, or comments.

_{Previously...Illinois Botanists Big Year 2016 Results}

_{other folks who observe or ID plants in Illinois who many find the stats/info above interesting:}
@coreyjlange @psweet @mn2010 @rgraveolens @hikebikerun13 @outdoorsie @randomrover88 @hannawacker @kennedy9094 @nicothoe @janebaldwin @jhowell @cjosefson @dsuarez @catalpa_joe @jackassgardener @wildernessbarbie @charles18 @mjadams @akstone @scottmohan @tonyg @michael_morin @tamandua2 @nfurlan @aaroncarlson @rcurtis @bugman1388 @wdvanhem @dziomber @choess @eknuth @krallen @jeremyhussell @thebals @tanyuu @thisnatureblog @gwynethgovers

Publicado el enero 18, 2018 07:06 TARDE por bouteloua