Open access solutions for biodiversity journals : Do not replace one problem with another

Peer reviewe

Open Access Solutions for Biodiversity Journals: Don’t Replace One Problem with Another

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ENM2020 : A FREE ONLINE COURSE AND SET OF RESOURCES ON MODELING SPECIES NICHES AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The field of distributional ecology has seen considerable recent attention, particularly surrounding the theory, protocols, and tools for Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) or Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). Such analyses have grown steadily over the past two decades-including a maturation of relevant theory and key concepts-but methodological consensus has yet to be reached. In response, and following an online course taught in Spanish in 2018, we designed a comprehensive English-language course covering much of the underlying theory and methods currently applied in this broad field. Here, we summarize that course, ENM2020, and provide links by which resources produced for it can be accessed into the future. ENM2020 lasted 43 weeks, with presentations from 52 instructors, who engaged with >2500 participants globally through >14,000 hours of viewing and >90,000 views of instructional video and question-and-answer sessions. Each major topic was introduced by an "Overview" talk, followed by more detailed lectures on subtopics. The hierarchical and modular format of the course permits updates, corrections, or alternative viewpoints, and generally facilitates revision and reuse, including the use of only the Overview lectures for introductory courses. All course materials are free and openly accessible (CC-BY license) to ensure these resources remain available to all interested in distributional ecology.Peer reviewe

ENM2020: A Free Online Course and Set of Resources on Modeling Species' Niches and Distributions

The field of distributional ecology has seen considerable recent attention, particularly surrounding the theory, protocols, and tools for Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) or Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). Such analyses have grown steadily over the past two decades-including a maturation of relevant theory and key concepts-but methodological consensus has yet to be reached. In response, and following an online course taught in Spanish in 2018, we designed a comprehensive English-language course covering much of the underlying theory and methods currently applied in this broad field. Here, we summarize that course, ENM2020, and provide links by which resources produced for it can be accessed into the future. ENM2020 lasted 43 weeks, with presentations from 52 instructors, who engaged with >2500 participants globally through >14,000 hours of viewing and >90,000 views of instructional video and question-and-answer sessions. Each major topic was introduced by an "Overview" talk, followed by more detailed lectures on subtopics. The hierarchical and modular format of the course permits updates, corrections, or alternative viewpoints, and generally facilitates revision and reuse, including the use of only the Overview lectures for introductory courses. All course materials are free and openly accessible (CC-BY license) to ensure these resources remain available to all interested in distributional ecology

Monitoreo del Conoto Negro \u3cem\u3ePsarocolius decumanus\u3c/em\u3e en un ecosistema urbano: Una iniciativa de ciencia ciudadana en Caracas, Venezuela / Monitoring the Crested Oropendola \u3cem\u3ePsarocolius decumanus\u3c/em\u3e in an Urban Ecosystem: A Citizen Science Initiative in Caracas, Venezuela

En 2016 se inició el proyecto “Conotos de Caracas”, una iniciativa de ciencia ciudadana que busca dar a conocer la situación del Conoto Negro Psarocolius decumanus en la capital de Venezuela. El Conoto Negro no parece haber sido un ave común en la ciudad de Caracas, pero en años recientes el número de registros de ocurrencia ha aumentado considerablemente. A través de un portal en línea (https://lbcaves.wixsite.com/conotosccs) se recibieron 652 reportes de individuos y/o colonias de la especie, realizados por 103 participantes desde enero de 2016 hasta marzo de 2019. La mayoría de los reportes fueron realizados en los municipios Baruta, Libertador y Sucre, durante el primer semestre de cada año. A pesar de que el número de voluntarios se ha mantenido en crecimiento, con la adición constante de nuevos participantes, su compromiso en términos de número de reportes por voluntario ha sido relativamente bajo. Los reportes recibidos y el monitoreo de las colonias urbanas registradas permitió describir nuevos aspectos de la biología de la especie, entre ellos la extensión de la duración de su temporada reproductiva en Venezuela (diciembre – agosto), el consumo de flores de Ceiba pentandra por primera vez, y una conducta cooperativa entre hembras, durante la construcción del nido, hasta ahora no descrita. A través de esta investigación se muestra que la especie se ha establecido en la ciudad de Caracas como un ave urbana durante la última década. Por ello, resaltamos el valor que el proyecto ha tenido en el levantamiento de información biológica del Conoto Negro, promoviendo la participación ciudadana y fomentando el aprecio por el ecosistema de la ciudad de Caracas. In 2016 we initiated the citizen science project “Conotos de Caracas” with the goal of evaluating the status of Crested Oropendolas Psarocolius decumanus in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Crested Oropendolas seem to have been uncommon in the past, but in recent years the number of sightings in the city has notably increased. Through an online portal (https://lbcaves.wixsite.com/conotosccs) we received 652 observations of individuals and/or nesting colonies made by 103 contributors from January 2016 to March 2019. Most of the observations were done in Baruta, Libertador, and Sucre municipalities during the first semester of each year. The number of volunteers increased at a constant rate, although their engagement was relatively low. The observations and monitoring of the discovered nesting colonies revealed novel biological aspects of the species, such as the extension of the breeding season of the species in Venezuela (December – August), the first record of consumption of Ceiba pentandra flowers, and an undescribed cooperative behavior of nest building. Through our approach, we were able to show that Crested Oropendolas established in the city as an urban species during the last decade. We stress the value of this citizen science initiative in obtaining relevant biological information, while promoting public participation and the appreciation of the urban ecosystem in Caracas

ENM2020: A FREE ONLINE COURSE AND SET OF RESOURCES ON MODELING SPECIES NICHES AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The field of distributional ecology has seen considerable recent attention, particularly surrounding the theory, protocols, and tools for Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) or Species Distribution Modeling (SDM). Such analyses have grown steadily over the past two decades—including a maturation of relevant theory and key concepts—but methodological consensus has yet to be reached. In response, and following an online course taught in Spanish in 2018, we designed a comprehensive English-language course covering much of the underlying theory and methods currently applied in this broad field. Here, we summarize that course, ENM2020, and provide links by which resources produced for it can be accessed into the future. ENM2020 lasted 43 weeks, with presentations from 52 instructors, who engaged with >2500 participants globally through >14,000 hours of viewing and >90,000 views of instructional video and question-and-answer sessions. Each major topic was introduced by an “Overview” talk, followed by more detailed lectures on subtopics. The hierarchical and modular format of the course permits updates, corrections, or alternative viewpoints, and generally facilitates revision and reuse, including the use of only the Overview lectures for introductory courses. All course materials are free and openly accessible (CC-BY license) to ensure these resources remain available to all interested in distributional ecology