IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecomod/v444y2021ics0304380021000260.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of data quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data on species distribution model performance

Author

Listed:
  • Van Eupen, Camille
  • Maes, Dirk
  • Herremans, Marc
  • Swinnen, Kristijn R.R.
  • Somers, Ben
  • Luca, Stijn

Abstract

Opportunistically collected species occurrence data are often used for species distribution models (SDMs) when high-quality data collected through standardized recording protocols are unavailable. While opportunistic data are abundant, uncertainty is usually high, e.g. due to observer effects or a lack of metadata. To increase data quality and improve model performance, we filtered species records based on record attributes that provide information on the observation process or post-entry data validation. Data filtering does not only increase the quality of species records, it simultaneously reduces sample size, a trade-off that remains relatively unexplored. By controlling for sample size in a dataset of 255 species, we were able to explore the combined impact of data quality and sample size on model performance. We applied three data quality filters based on observers' activity, the validation status of a record in the database and the detail of a submitted record, and analyzed changes in AUC, Sensitivity and Specificity using Maxent with and without filtering. The impact of stringent filtering on model performance depended on (1) the quality of the filtered data: records validated as correct and more detailed records lead to higher model performance, (2) the proportional reduction in sample size caused by filtering and the remaining absolute sample size: filters causing small reductions that lead to sample sizes of more than 100 presences generally benefitted model performance and (3) the taxonomic group: plant and dragonfly models benefitted more from data quality filtering compared to bird and butterfly models. Our results also indicate that recommendations for quality filtering depend on the goal of the study, e.g. increasing Sensitivity and/or Specificity. Further research must identify what drives species’ sensitivity to data quality. Nonetheless, our study confirms that large quantities of volunteer generated and opportunistically collected data can make a valuable contribution to ecological research and species conservation.

Suggested Citation

  • Van Eupen, Camille & Maes, Dirk & Herremans, Marc & Swinnen, Kristijn R.R. & Somers, Ben & Luca, Stijn, 2021. "The impact of data quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data on species distribution model performance," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 444(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:444:y:2021:i:c:s0304380021000260
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109453
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380021000260
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109453?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Boria, Robert A. & Olson, Link E. & Goodman, Steven M. & Anderson, Robert P., 2014. "Spatial filtering to reduce sampling bias can improve the performance of ecological niche models," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 275(C), pages 73-77.
    2. Tim Newbold & Lawrence N. Hudson & Samantha L. L. Hill & Sara Contu & Igor Lysenko & Rebecca A. Senior & Luca Börger & Dominic J. Bennett & Argyrios Choimes & Ben Collen & Julie Day & Adriana De Palma, 2015. "Global effects of land use on local terrestrial biodiversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 520(7545), pages 45-50, April.
    3. Rutten, Anneleen & Casaer, Jim & Swinnen, Kristijn R.R. & Herremans, Marc & Leirs, Herwig, 2019. "Future distribution of wild boar in a highly anthropogenic landscape: Models combining hunting bag and citizen science data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 411(C).
    4. Christophe Giraud & Clément Calenge & Camille Coron & Romain Julliard, 2016. "Capitalizing on opportunistic data for monitoring relative abundances of species," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 72(2), pages 649-658, June.
    5. Gottschalk, Thomas K. & Aue, Birgit & Hotes, Stefan & Ekschmitt, Klemens, 2011. "Influence of grain size on species–habitat models," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(18), pages 3403-3412.
    6. Regan Early & Bethany A. Bradley & Jeffrey S. Dukes & Joshua J. Lawler & Julian D. Olden & Dana M. Blumenthal & Patrick Gonzalez & Edwin D. Grosholz & Ines Ibañez & Luke P. Miller & Cascade J. B. Sort, 2016. "Global threats from invasive alien species in the twenty-first century and national response capacities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, November.
    7. Hanberry, B.B. & He, H.S. & Dey, D.C., 2012. "Sample sizes and model comparison metrics for species distribution models," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 29-33.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Van Eupen, Camille & Maes, Dirk & Herremans, Marc & Swinnen, Kristijn R.R. & Somers, Ben & Luca, Stijn, 2022. "Species profiles support recommendations for quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 467(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Van Eupen, Camille & Maes, Dirk & Herremans, Marc & Swinnen, Kristijn R.R. & Somers, Ben & Luca, Stijn, 2022. "Species profiles support recommendations for quality filtering of opportunistic citizen science data," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 467(C).
    2. Yuxin Qi & Yuandong Hu, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Variation and Driving Factors Analysis of Habitat Quality: A Case Study in Harbin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Law, Elizabeth A. & Macchi, Leandro & Baumann, Matthias & Decarre, Julieta & Gavier-Pizarro, Gregorio & Levers, Christian & Mastrangelo, Matías E. & Murray, Francisco & Müller, Daniel & Piquer-Rodrígu, 2021. "Fading opportunities for mitigating agriculture-environment trade-offs in a south American deforestation hotspot," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 262.
    4. Mohamed Fomba & Zinash Delebo Osunde & Souleymane Sidi Traoré & Appollonia Okhimamhe & Janina Kleemann & Christine Fürst, 2024. "Urban Green Spaces in Bamako and Sikasso, Mali: Land Use Changes and Perceptions," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Ramos, Rodrigo Soares & Kumar, Lalit & Shabani, Farzin & Picanço, Marcelo Coutinho, 2019. "Risk of spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in tomato crops under various climate change scenarios," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 524-535.
    6. Feng Dong & Chih-Ming Hung & Shou-Hsien Li & Xiao-Jun Yang, 2021. "Potential Himalayan community turnover through the Late Pleistocene," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-10, January.
    7. Shuangshuang Liu & Qipeng Liao & Mingzhu Xiao & Dengyue Zhao & Chunbo Huang, 2022. "Spatial and Temporal Variations of Habitat Quality and Its Response of Landscape Dynamic in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Hu Liao & Hu Li & Chen-Song Duan & Xin-Yuan Zhou & Qiu-Ping Luo & Xin-Li An & Yong-Guan Zhu & Jian-Qiang Su, 2022. "Response of soil viral communities to land use changes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Karlsson, Johan O. & Röös, Elin, 2019. "Resource-efficient use of land and animals—Environmental impacts of food systems based on organic cropping and avoided food-feed competition," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 63-72.
    10. Gyanendra Prasad Joshi & Fayadh Alenezi & Gopalakrishnan Thirumoorthy & Ashit Kumar Dutta & Jinsang You, 2021. "Ensemble of Deep Learning-Based Multimodal Remote Sensing Image Classification Model on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(22), pages 1-17, November.
    11. Hanwen Zhang & Yanqing Lang, 2022. "Quantifying and Analyzing the Responses of Habitat Quality to Land Use Change in Guangdong Province, China over the Past 40 Years," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, May.
    12. Nele Lohrum & Morten Graversgaard & Chris Kjeldsen, 2021. "Historical Transition of a Farming System towards Industrialization: A Danish Agricultural Case Study Comparing Sustainability in the 1840s and 2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-15, November.
    13. Ning He & Wenxian Guo & Hongxiang Wang & Long Yu & Siyuan Cheng & Lintong Huang & Xuyang Jiao & Wenxiong Chen & Haotong Zhou, 2023. "Temporal and Spatial Variations in Landscape Habitat Quality under Multiple Land-Use/Land-Cover Scenarios Based on the PLUS-InVEST Model in the Yangtze River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-19, July.
    14. Dana H. Mills & Michael L. McKinney, 2024. "Climate Change and Jump Dispersal Drive Invasion of the Rosy Wolfsnail ( Euglandina rosea ) in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, February.
    15. Jorge Ari Noriega & Joaquín Hortal & Indradatta deCastro-Arrazola & Fernanda Alves-Martins & Jean C. G. Ortega & Luis Mauricio Bini & Nigel R. Andrew & Lucrecia Arellano & Sarah Beynon & Adrian L. V. , 2023. "Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Nugun P. Jellason & Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson & Abbie S. A. Chapman & Dora Neina & Adam J. M. Devenish & June Y. T. Po & Barbara Adolph, 2021. "A Systematic Review of Drivers and Constraints on Agricultural Expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, March.
    17. Duque-Lazo, J. & van Gils, H. & Groen, T.A. & Navarro-Cerrillo, R.M., 2016. "Transferability of species distribution models: The case of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Southwest Spain and Southwest Australia," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 320(C), pages 62-70.
    18. Tambo, Justice & Matimelo, Mathews & Ndhlovu, Mathias & Mbugua, Fredrick & Phiri, Noah, 2021. "Who Benefits? the Gender-Differentiated Impacts of Plant Clinics in Zambia," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315871, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Yinglian Qi & Xiaoyan Pu & Yaxiong Li & Dingai Li & Mingrui Huang & Xuan Zheng & Jiaxin Guo & Zhi Chen, 2022. "Prediction of Suitable Distribution Area of Plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae ) in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-23, September.
    20. Zhiting Chen & Qing Ren & Tian Zhang & Zhewen Kang & Xiaoyan Huang & Peng Li & Xiaohu Dang & Xiaoshu Cao & Mingjiang Deng, 2022. "Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Human Critical Area (HCA) in the “Three Water Lines” Region of Northwest China and the Impact of Socioeconomic Factors between 2000 and 2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:444:y:2021:i:c:s0304380021000260. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-modelling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.