Evaluating the effectiveness of citizen science in aiding the conservation of two declining gartersnake species in Arizona's Verde River watershed.

摘要

Northern Mexican (Thamnophis eques megalops) and narrow-headed (T. rufipunctatus) gartersnakes in Arizona's Verde Valley have experienced catastrophic population declines over the last century, and were listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in July of 2014. Conservation planning for both species has been difficult due to their cryptic natures, which have led to current knowledge gaps in aspects of their population distributions, movements, and habitat selection. Plans are further hampered by the high-use area in which these snakes occur, which presents potential difficulties when enacting protection policies such as critical habitat designation.;Citizen science uses non-scientist volunteers to aid in scientific studies. This method of data collection has been used to aid in the conservation of diverse wildlife species, including those who demonstrate crypsis. Citizen science also has an inherent outreach component that allows for scientists to educate their volunteers about what their participation means and its importance.;I created a website and smartphone application to utilize citizen science to aid both gartersnake species in two ways: to add to the body of knowledge by having volunteers record sightings/detections (note: these terms are interchangeable in this chapter), and to increase participant knowledge, awareness, and concern about the snakes through participation and education. I recruited citizen science volunteers by contacting conservation organizations that worked in the Verde River watershed and preforming outreach at public events and around towns near the Verde River. To measure my first goal I compared person-hours and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of citizen science with two standardized field methods of visual encounter surveys (VES) and trapping. To measure my second goal I created pre- and post-surveys to evaluate what volunteers felt they had learned and how they felt about the project. I then evaluated responses of trained and untrained individuals to examine how participation in the project informed their views.;I recruited over 60 citizen science volunteers who reported a total of 14 and 8 target snakes during the 2013 and 2014 field seasons. Two confirmed detections qualified as new distribution records. CPUE for citizen science was significantly higher than VES. Trained participants recorded significant knowledge growth about snakes in general, the target species, and their conservation. I found that citizen science is a viable method for detecting northern Mexican and narrow-headed gartersnakes, as well as increasing public understanding and interest.