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Αρχεία Ημερολογίου για Φεβρουάριος 2020

Φεβρουάριος 03, 2020

City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide - How To Contribute


Following on from the post City Nature Challenge: Background & First Australian Cities, this post covers the finer details of the City Nature Challenge and how to get involved with the City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide event project.
I'm assuming here you are familiar with iNaturalist and have contributed observations already. However if you are not I recommend checking out the iNaturalist Help page and the How to Post Observations page.
Step 1: Join the City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide event project and follow the associated Facebook page. This will ensure you receive any project news and updates. During the event you'll be able to see a summary of the observations, species and contributors involved and follow the progress.
Step 2: Join the City Nature Challenge 2020: Australia umbrella project. This project will show the results from all participating Australian cities together. Also join the City Nature Challenge 2020 umbrella project, which shows all results from all cities around the globe together on the one page.
That's it. You are now prepared to contribute to the City Nature Challenge 2020.
The City Nature Challenge takes place in two parts

The Observation Period
Friday April 24th through to Monday April 27th inclusive. Any observations uploaded to iNaturalist from within the Greater Adelaide project area will automatically be included in the City Nature Challenge. This is the time to get outdoors and see what you can find. Plan a visit to a conservation area, your local park, a beach or reef, even your backyard. Use your phone or camera to record an organism and upload it to iNaturalist.

Aim to take sufficient photos of each organism to allow as refined identification as possible. Some Plants and Birds may only require a single photo, but many Invertebrates will require photos from multiple angles. The ability to get the identification down to species will be important in maximising the number of species recorded during the observation period.

Don't feel obliged to identify an organism to species at this stage, unless you already know it. Identifying your observation as Plant or Animal is sufficient and allows you more time to make observations. Each upload will count toward the total observations for the event project.

The Identification Period
Tuesday April 28th to Sunday May 3rd inclusive. This time is provided for identifying the observations. (Although identifications can be made any time from the 24th). Use this time to research and add identifications to your observations and help out others. The more refined the identifications, the higher the species count will be for the event project.

Do consider during this period that iNaturalist observations are synced with the Atlas of Living Australia and as such are important records. As always, ensure you can adequately ID a species before adding an agreeing ID.

Typically events will bring a flood of new users who may not have had previous experience with the platform. Do consider offering some guidance if observations are inappropriate or uploaded incorrectly. This may help to ensure some of these users continue to contribute observations to iNaturalist beyond the challenge period.


The challenge ends at midnight May 3rd. Results are released on May 4th.
Additional Challenge Info
  • Members of the "City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide" project do not automatically count as participants in the challenge, unless they upload an observation during the Observation Period. Any user uploading during the Observation Period is considered a participant in the challenge, even if they are not a member of the associated city project.
  • Observations taken during the Observation Period can be uploaded after the observation period and before the challenge ends. But do consider that time is needed for identification, so the sooner the observations can be uploaded, the better.
  • "Casual" observations of captive and cultivated organisms count toward the challenge totals. However as these do not sync with the Atlas of Living Australia, the value of these observations are limited. Avoid observations of garden plants, street trees, etc. if they are known to be planted. If you do include them, please remember to mark them as Casual. Do include garden plants that have sprouted on their own, especially if they are introduced species.
  • All identifications of observations taken during the Observation Period must occur before the challenge ends at midnight May 3rd. These observations can be identified after this date, but the ID will not count toward the challenge results.
  • As the challenge starts at 00:00 on April 24th, different cities will begin and end the challenge at different times. The small time difference between Australian cities in the challenge won't make a lot of difference, but some cities around the globe may start/finish many hours before/after South Australia. Hence they may look like they are far ahead or behind in their number of observations.
  • If heading out with multiple people, avoid uploading the same individual organism as others (unless is it particularly rare and you'd like it on your species list). Multiple observations of the same species at different locations is suitable as it helps to show the extent of a local population. Although it adds to the observations total, it is not recommended to try to record every single duck at the pond!
  • To be 'counted' as a species in the challenge, only one ID to species level is required. Reaching "Research Grade" is not required, however for the sake of producing quality records, Research Grade is preferred either during or after the challenge.
  • Observations of species on the IUCN Red List (i.e. threatened/endangered/etc.) will have their location automatically be obscured by iNat. This scatters the location to somewhere within a roughly 20km x 20km square. If making observations near the boundary of the "City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide" project, do consider that these might be scattered to outside the project boundaries, and may not count toward the totals.
  • I'm assuming here that the number of species recorded during the challenge will be calculated in the usual manner, that is using the "leaf count"' method. The more refined an ID, the more likely it is to count as an additional species. Do consider taking multiple photos of any species that may be difficult to identify, i.e. most invertebrates. Doing so will help to get the ID to Family, Genus or ideally (where possible) species.

In the next post before the challenge begins I'll provide a list of some of the most biodiverse places within the Greater Adelaide region, each of which is worth visiting.
Posted on Φεβρουάριος 03, 2020 1213 ΠΜ by cobaltducks cobaltducks | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

SA iNaturalists - January 2020 Update

This month we surpassed 70,000 observations and 5,000 species!


A total of 103 observers contributed 3,490 observations of 1,066 species.

With an average of 112.6 observations/day we doubled the average from the same month last year. The record still stands at 186.5 observations/day from Oct '19.

The number of species observed for the first time in SA continues to rise steadily with 97 added this month.

Top 10 observers for the month all exceeded 100 observations: davidsando (608), cobaltducks (538), mtank (262), davemmdave (233), stephen169 (214), benjaminlancer (194), rfoster (168), danimations (158), naturehoodz (110) & wattlebird (105)

Top 10 identifiers of observations in SA for the month: ellurasanctuary (401), davemmdave (296), thebeachcomber (234), deborod (221), twan3253 (210), ethmostigmus (198), ratite (198), alan_dandie (151), jadonald (140) & asimakis_patitsas (122).





I've updated the format of the monthly summaries below. The first table is the summary for this month. The second table is a running summary for SA. You can now follow the links to see the taxon pages, total observations, total species, and records of the most commonly observed species.

Observations Made in January 2020

Common Name Taxon Observations Species Most Observed This Month
Vertebrates
Birds Aves 1,039 173 25 x Egretta novaehollandiae (White-faced Heron)
Mammals Mammalia 48 15 15 x Macropus fuliginosus (Western Grey Kangaroo)
Reptiles Reptilia 53 18 16 x Eulamprus quoyii (Eastern Water Skink)
Amphibians Amphibia 9 4 3 x Litoria ewingii (Ewing's Tree Frog)
Ray-finned Fishes Actinopterygii 256 76 12 x Tilodon sexfasciatus (Moonlighter)
Cartilaginous Fishes Elasmobranchii 7 5 3 x Myliobatis tenuicaudatus (Southern Eagle Ray)
Insects
Flies Diptera 108 31 8 x Culex quinquefasciatus (Southern House Mosquito)
Dragonflies & Damselflies Odonata 67 17 13 x Orthetrum caledonicum (Blue Skimmer)
Beetles Coleoptera 104 55 5 x Phoracantha semipunctata (Common Eucalyptus Longhorn Beetle)
Bees, Ants & Wasps Hymenoptera 185 63 15 x Apis mellifera (European Honey Bee)
Butterflies & Moths Lepidoptera 244 99 31 x Heteronympha merope (Common Brown)
Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids Orthoptera 34 13 6 x Phaulacridium vittatum (Wingless Grasshopper)
Earwigs Dermaptera 2 1 2 x Dermaptera sp. (Earwigs)
Antlions, Lacewings, & Allies Neuroptera 25 7 4 x Myrmeleon sp.
Stick Insects Phasmida 2 2 1 x Ctenomorpha marginipennis (Margin-winged Stick Insect)
Barklice & Booklice Psocodea 0 0 No observations this month
Caddisflies Trichoptera 5 1 5 x Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
Cockroaches & Termites Blattodea 10 4 2 x Periplaneta americana (American Cockroach)
Mantises Mantodea 4 2 3 x Archimantis sobrina (Mallee Grass Mantis)
True Bugs, Hoppers & Aphids Hemiptera 50 25 3 x Choerocoris paganus (Red Jewel Bug)
Other Animals
Mollusc Mollusca 119 64 8 x Lunella undulata (Common Warrener)
Echinoderms Echinodermata 38 14 9 x Petricia vernicina (Velvet Sea Star)
Comb Jellies Ctenophora 0 0 No observations this month
Cnidarians Cnidaria 24 8 6 x Zoanthus robustus
Bryozoans Bryozoa 7 3 3 x Celleporaria sp.
Sponges Porifera 52 8 3 x Sycon sp.
Flatworms Platyhelminthes 0 0 No observations this month
Ribbon Worms Nemertea 1 1 1 x Baseodiscus delineatus
Hemichordates Hemichordata 0 0 No observations this month
Peanut Worms Sipuncula 0 0 No observations this month
Crustacean Crustacea 45 18 6 x Guinusia chabrus (Red Rock Crab)
Sea Squirts Tunicata 74 23 5 x Clavelina moluccensis (Bluebell Tunicate)
Clitellates Clitellata 0 0 No observations this month
Polychaete Worms Polychaeta 0 0 No observations this month
Springtails Entognatha 1 1 1 x Hypogastruridae sp.
Sea Spiders Pycnogonida 0 0 No observations this month
Centipedes Chilopoda 0 0 No observations this month
Millipedes Diplopoda 1 1 1 x Ommatoiulus moreleti (Portuguese Millipede)
Spiders, Scorpions & Mites Arachnida 83 34 3 x Latrodectus hasselti (Redback Spider)
Plants
Red Algae Rhodophyta 12 4 1 x Gloiosaccion brownii (Red Sausage Weed)
Green Algae Chlorophyta 10 8 1 x Caulerpa racemosa (Sea Grapes)
Mosses Bryophyta 5 2 2 x Hypnum cupressiforme (Cypress-leaved Plait-Moss)
Liverworts Marchantiophyta 0 0 No observations this month
Hornworts Anthocerotophyta 0 0 No observations this month
Flowering Plants: Dicots Magnoliopsida 541 189 30 x Banksia marginata (Silver Banksia)
Flowering Plants: Monocots Liliopsida 104 43 11 x Xanthorrhoea caespitosa (Sand-heath Grasstree)
Conifers Pinopsida 7 3 36 x Callitris gracilis (Slender Cypress-Pine)
Ferns Polypodiopsida 8 1 8 x Pteridium esculentum (Austral Bracken)
Other Kingdoms
Bacteria Bacteria 0 0 No observations this month
Protozoans Protozoa 1 1 1 x Fuligo septica (Dog Vomit Slime Mold)
Kelp & Diatoms Chromista 28 11 4 x Hydroclathrus clathratus
Fungi Fungi 39 14 5 x Ramboldia laeta

All Observations in South Australia

Common Name Taxon Observations Species All Time Most Observed
Vertebrates
Birds Aves 17,866 308 880 x Gymnorhina tibicen (Magpie)
Mammals Mammalia 2,194 57 512 x Macropus fuliginosus (Western Grey Kangaroo)
Reptiles Reptilia 1,666 111 314 x Tiliqua rugosa (Shingleback Lizard)
Amphibians Amphibia 179 14 41 x Crinia signifera (Common Eastern Froglet)
Ray-finned Fishes Actinopterygii 4,979 241 194 x Cheilodactylus nigripes (Magpie Perch)
Cartilaginous Fishes Elasmobranchii 233 20 68 x Heterodontus portusjacksoni (Port Jackson Shark)
Insects
Flies Diptera 1,217 141 53 x Aedes camptorhynchus (southern saltmarsh mosquito)
Dragonflies & Damselflies Odonata 613 33 108 x Orthetrum caledonicum (Blue Skimmer)
Beetles Coleoptera xxx 280 100 x Harmonia conformis (Large Spotted Ladybird Beetle)
Bees, Ants & Wasps Hymenoptera 2,205 165 397 x Apis mellifera (European Honey Bee)
Butterflies & Moths Lepidoptera 3,059 448 227 x Heteronympha merope (Common Brown)
Grasshoppers, Crickets, Katydids Orthoptera 34 13 37 x Phaulacridium vittatum (Wingless Grasshopper)
Earwigs Dermaptera 56 4 9 x Forficula auricularia (European Earwig)
Antlions, Lacewings, & Allies Neuroptera 143 16 14 x Myrmeleon sp.
Stick Insects Phasmida 33 11 13 x Ctenomorpha marginipennis (Margin-winged Stick Insect)
Barklice & Booklice Psocodea 6 2 6 x Pediculus humanus ssp. capitis (Human Head Louse)
Caddisflies Trichoptera 17 1 1 x Leptoceridae sp. (Long-horned Caddisflies)
Cockroaches & Termites Blattodea 209 27 12 x Drymaplaneta communis (Common Shining Cockroach)
Mantises Mantodea 123 10 58 x Archimantis sobrina (Mallee Grass Mantis)
True Bugs, Hoppers & Aphids Hemiptera 741 129 47 x Choerocoris paganus (Red Jewel Bug)
Other Animals
Mollusc Mollusca 2,848 338 91 x Lunella undulata (Common Warrener)
Echinoderms Echinodermata 1,034 69 132 x Tosia australis (Common Biscuit Star)
Comb Jellies Ctenophora 6 2 5 x Coeloplana scaberiae
Cnidarians Cnidaria 612 47 76 x Plesiastrea versipora (Green Coral)
Bryozoans Bryozoa 204 22 42 x Celleporaria sp.
Sponges Porifera 1,027 37 46 x Holopsamma laminaefavosa (Cream Honeycomb Sponge)
Flatworms Platyhelminthes 47 15 6 x Cycloporus sp.
Ribbon Worms Nemertea 28 4 6 x Baseodiscus delineatus
Hemichordates Hemichordata 8 2 4 x Saccoglossus otagoensis
Peanut Worms Sipuncula 4 2 1 x Phascolosoma agassizii (Pacific Peanut Worm)
Crustacean Crustacea 1,237 119 81 x Portunus armatus (Australian Blue Swimmer Crab)
Sea Squirts Tunicata 1,124 82 86 x Herdmania grandis (Mauve-mouth Ascidian)
Clitellates Clitellata 24 5 3 x Eisenia fetida (Redworm)
Polychaete Worms Polychaeta 257 39 33 x Sabella spallanzanii (Mediterranean Fanworm)
Springtails Entognatha 6 3 2 x Hypogastruridae sp.
Sea Spiders Pycnogonida 5 3 2 x Anoplodactylus evansi (Evan's Sea Spider)
Centipedes Chilopoda 101 8 24 x Cormocephalus aurantiipes (Orange-footed Centipede)
Millipedes Diplopoda 173 4 133 x Ommatoiulus moreleti (Portuguese Millipede)
Spiders, Scorpions & Mites Arachnida 1,771 179 72 x Latrodectus hasselti (Redback Spider)
Plants
Red Algae Rhodophyta 453 36 17 x Asparagopsis sp.
Green Algae Chlorophyta 298 26 33 x Caulerpa brownii (Sea Rimu)
Mosses Bryophyta 343 38 32 x Hypnum cupressiforme (Cypress-leaved Plait-Moss)
Liverworts Marchantiophyta 77 10 17 x Fossombronia sp. (Frillworts)
Hornworts Anthocerotophyta 3 1 3 x Phaeoceros sp.
Flowering Plants: Dicots Magnoliopsida 13,593 1,190 395 x Drosera whittakeri (Whittaker's Sundew)
Flowering Plants: Monocots Liliopsida 4,846 361 177 x Xanthorrhoea semiplana
Conifers Pinopsida 160 18 36 x Callitris gracilis (Slender Cypress-Pine)
Ferns Polypodiopsida 363 20 120 x Pteridium esculentum (Austral Bracken)
Other Kingdoms
Bacteria Bacteria 16 1 2 x Nostoc commune (Star Jelly)
Protozoans Protozoa 26 5 7 x Fuligo septica (Dog Vomit Slime Mold)
Kelp & Diatoms Chromista 637 43 70 x Ecklonia radiata (Common Kelp)
Fungi Fungi 1,572 180 34 x Lichenomphalia chromacea

(Data used for this post taken on the 3rd of February. It excludes any observations from January that are uploaded after this date)

Posted on Φεβρουάριος 03, 2020 1145 ΠΜ by cobaltducks cobaltducks | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Φεβρουάριος 04, 2020

New iNat Projects for South Australia


Here are the latest iNat Collection, Umbrella and Traditional projects created for South Australia. Let me know if I've missed any. The original list has been updated to included these.
Umbrella Projects
Project Title (Linked Projects) (Project Members) (News Posts)
City of Onkaparinga NATUREhoodz   (150) (9) (1) - An additional 11 new collections projects added for natural areas in the City of Onkaparinga, including several coastal reserves.
Wildlife Transistion from Fire   (1) (5) (0) - A project to map bushfire recovery.
Backyard Biodiversity (South Australia)   (1) (1) (0) - A project with guide to create your own backyard life list.
Activating Australians for Citizen Science umbrella   (3) (2) (0)
South Australia by Season   (4) (2) (0)
City Nature Challenge 2020: Australia   (4) (16) (0)
Collection Projects - By Place & Taxa
Project Title (Project Members) (News Posts)
Birding Hot Spot - Southern Ponds, Onkaparinga River RP   (2) (0)
Birding Hot Spot - Swanport Wetlands, South Australia   (2) (0)
Collection Projects - By Place (Areas)
Project Title (Project Members) (News Posts)
Swanport Wetlands, South Australia   (1) (0)
Collection Projects - Theme
Project Title (Project Members)
WTFire-Cudlee Creek   (4) (0)
Collection Projects - By Time
Project Title (Project Members) (News Posts)
Summer in South Australia   (1) (0)
Autumn in South Australia   (1) (0)
Winter in South Australia   (1) (0)
Spring in South Australia   (1) (0)
Collection Projects - Groups
Project Title (Project Members) (News Posts)
Activating Australians for Citizen Science -SA   (36) (1)
Posted on Φεβρουάριος 04, 2020 0230 ΠΜ by cobaltducks cobaltducks | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Φεβρουάριος 13, 2020

Describing New Australian Species

If there are an estimated 610,000 species in Australia with 190,000 currently described (31%), how long might it take to have all described?

Estimates of the number of new species described vary and change year to year. The highest rate was estimated to be prior to WW1 with around 1400 new species described annually. More recently the rate has been near half of this. Even at 1000 new species described annually, we'd be looking at 420 years before we could have a complete catalogue. With a 10% decline in the taxonomic workforce at major institutions over the last 25 years, something needs to change.

The Australian Academy of Science has launched the Taxonomy Australia program and released the associated publication "Discovering Biodiversity: A decadal plan for taxonomy and biosystematics in Australian and New Zealand 2018-2027"

The website lists 763 new Australia species described in 2019. See the full listing on the Taxonomy Australia "Discoveries Dashboard". (Links through to the pages listing the papers may take a moment to load).

Check out the Taxonomy Australia blog for interesting stories on new discoveries.

Posted on Φεβρουάριος 13, 2020 1015 ΜΜ by cobaltducks cobaltducks | 1 σχόλιο | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Φεβρουάριος 27, 2020

City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide - Locations


Following on from the post City Nature Challenge 2020: Greater Adelaide - How To Contribute, head over to the City Nature Challenge Australia Wordpress site to find a list of the most biodiverse Natural Areas in the Greater Adelaide Region worth visiting during the challenge.
Posted on Φεβρουάριος 27, 2020 0109 ΠΜ by cobaltducks cobaltducks | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

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