Contributions of paraecologists and parataxonomists to research, conservation, and social development

0464760 - BC 2017 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Schmiedel, U. - Ararya, Y. - Bortolotto, M. I. - Boeckenhoff, L. - Hallwachs, W. - Janzen, D. - Kolipaka, S. S. - Novotný, Vojtěch - Palm, M. - Parfondry, M. - Smains, A. - Toko, P.
Contributions of paraecologists and parataxonomists to research, conservation, and social development.
Conservation Biology. Roč. 30, č. 3 (2016), s. 506-519. ISSN 0888-8892. E-ISSN 1523-1739
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-04258S
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : biodiversity assessment * development cooperation * natural resource management
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 4.842, year: 2016
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12661/abstract

Citizen science has been gaining momentum in the United States and Europe, where citizens are literate and often interested in science. However, in developing countries, which have a dire need for environmental data, such programs are slow to emerge, despite the large and untapped human resources in close proximity to areas of high biodiversity and poorly known floras and faunas. Thus, we propose that the parataxonomist and paraecologist approach, which originates from citizen-based science, is well suited to rural areas in developing countries. Being a paraecologist or a parataxonomist is a vocation and entails full-time employment underpinned by extensive training, whereas citizen science involves the temporary engagement of volunteers. Both approaches have their merits depending on the context and objectives of the research. We examined 4 ongoing paraecologist or parataxonomist programs in Costa Rica, India, Papua New Guinea, and southern Africa and compared their origins, long-term objectives, implementation strategies, activities, key challenges, achievements, and implications for resident communities. The programs supported ongoing research on biodiversity assessment, monitoring, and management, and participants engaged in non-academic capacity development in these fields. The programs in Southern Africa related to specific projects, whereas the programs in Costa Rica, India, and Papua New Guinea were designed for the long term, provided sufficient funding was available. The main focus of the paraecologists' and parataxonomists' activities ranged from collection and processing of specimens (Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea) or of socioeconomic and natural science data (India and Southern Africa) to communication between scientists and residents (India and Southern Africa).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0263681