Contributions of paraecologists and parataxonomists to research, conservation, and social development.
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). As members of both the local land user and research communities, paraecologists and parataxonomists can greatly improve the flow of biodiversity information to all users, from local stakeholders to international academia.
Biocentre Klein Flottbek & Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany.
Ute
U
Schmiedel
Department of Geography, Environment and Development Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, 32 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ, U.K.
Yoseph
Y
Araya
Center for Biological and Health Science, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, C.P. 549, 79070-900, Brazil.|Biocentre Klein Flottbek & Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany.
Maria Ieda
MI
Bortolotto
Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Am Mühlenberg 3, 14476, Golm Potsdam, Germany.
Linda
L
Boeckenhoff
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6018, U.S.A.
Winnie
W
Hallwachs
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6018, U.S.A.
Daniel
D
Janzen
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Postbus, 9555, 2300, RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
Shekhar S
SS
Kolipaka
New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences and University of South Bohemia, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branisovska 31, CZ 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Vojtech
V
Novotny
Department of Energy & Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Göteborg, Sweden.
Matilda
M
Palm
University of Louvain, Croix du Sud 2 bte L7.05.09 à 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Marc
M
Parfondry
University of Alicante, Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM), Parque Tecnológico, C/Charles Darwin, 14, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
Athanasios
A
Smanis
New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Nagada Harbour, P.O. Box 604, Madang, Papua New Guinea.
Pagi
P
Toko
D000353:Africa, Southern; D002965:Classification; D003256:Community Participation; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003364:Costa Rica; D004463:Ecology; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D012922:Social Change
biodiversity assessment; conservación de suelo virgen; cooperación para el desarrollo; desarrollo de capacidad no-académica; development cooperation; evaluación de la biodiversidad; investigación participativa; manejo de recursos naturales; natural resource management; non-academic capacity development; participatory research; wildland conservation