Integrating Professional and Crowdsourced Data to Address Biodiversity Knowledge Gaps in Under-Sampled Semi-Arid Wetlands

Authors

  • Solana Tabeni Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA). CCT-CONICET Mendoza, UNCuyo. Gobierno de Mendoza. Av. A. Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque General San Martín. C. P. 5500. Mendoza. Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1510-8084
  • Joaquin Asad Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA). CCT-CONICET Mendoza, UNCuyo. Gobierno de Mendoza. Av. A. Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque General San Martín. C. P. 5500. Mendoza. Argentina https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6426-4423
  • Ever Tallei Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA). CCT-CONICET Mendoza, UNCuyo. Gobierno de Mendoza. Av. A. Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque General San Martín. C. P. 5500. Mendoza. Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5531-6753
  • Benjamin Bender Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA). CCT-CONICET Mendoza, UNCuyo. Gobierno de Mendoza. Av. A. Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque General San Martín. C. P. 5500. Mendoza. Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1735-2059
  • Bertilde Rossi Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA). CCT-CONICET Mendoza, UNCuyo. Gobierno de Mendoza. Av. A. Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque General San Martín. C. P. 5500. Mendoza. Argentina https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2436-3432

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48162/rev.39.215

Keywords:

Monte Desert wetlands, scientific collections, citizen science, biodiversity monitoring

Abstract

Arid wetlands are vulnerable ecosystems affected by natural and human factors. Their study and conservation are limited by data scarcity and sampling bias. In a wetland of west-central Mendoza, Argentina (Leyes-Tulumaya streams), we explored the contribution of plant and vertebrate records from traditional scientific sources and citizen science. Of 270 recorded species, citizen science contributed the majority of records and unique species. Similarity between databases was greatest between citizen science and literature, with birds dominating among vertebrates. The vertebrate inventory stabilized over time, although estimated richness exceeded observed richness. Accumulation curves for plants did not reach asymptote, suggesting incomplete sampling. Positive spatial autocorrelation of records was detected, indicating data clustering in lagoons. The integration and joint analysis of data sources proved crucial to obtain a more complete and robust understanding of biodiversity and its spatial distribution. Citizen science contributions, in particular, expand databases in understudied arid ecosystems, complementing traditional methods and addressing spatial and temporal information gaps.

Highlights:

  • Combining citizen science, literature, and collections revealed 270 species, bridging critical information gaps in under-sampled arid wetlands.
  • Citizen science provided the most records and unique species, offering a sustainable and massive data source for long-term monitoring.
  • Professional collections provide essential taxonomic validation for cryptic groups, effectively offsetting the "charismatic species" bias of citizen data.
  • Accumulation curves show a stabilized vertebrate inventory, but indicate that plant richness remains significantly underestimated and incomplete.
  • Significant spatial autocorrelation reveals data clustering in accessible lagoons, identifying the need for sampling in remote connecting riparian areas.

 

 

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Published

27-05-2026

How to Cite

Tabeni, S., Asad, J., Tallei, E., Bender, B., & Rossi, B. (2026). Integrating Professional and Crowdsourced Data to Address Biodiversity Knowledge Gaps in Under-Sampled Semi-Arid Wetlands. Revista De La Facultad De Ciencias Agrarias Uncuyo, 58(1), e9216. https://doi.org/10.48162/rev.39.215

Issue

Vol. 58 No. 1 (2026): January-June

Section

Natural resources and environment

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