- BioBlitz
A BioBlitz is a 24-hour inventory of all living
organism s in a given area, often an urban park. The term "BioBlitz" was coined by National Park Service naturalist SusanRudy while assisting with the first BioBlitz at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens,Washington D.C. BioBlitz in May 31 - June 1, 1996. Approximately 1000species were identified at this event. This early BioBlitz was conceivedand organised by Sam Droege (USGS) and Dan Roddy (NPS), and inspired manyother organisations to do the same. The bioblitz name and concept is notregistered, copyrighted, or trademarked; it is an idea that can be used,adapted, and modified by any group to freely use for their own purposes. The next year, 1997, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History conducted a BioBlitz in one of the Pittsburgh parks. They added a public component, inviting the public to see what the scientists were doing. At about the same timeHarvard biologistE.O. Wilson and Massachusetts wildlife expertPeter Alden developed a program to catalog the organisms aroundWalden Pond , which led to a state-wide program known asbiodiversity Days .A bioblitz has the dual aims of establishing the degree of
biodiversity in an area and popularising science. Botanists, mycologists and entomologists all play a role. Some BioBlitzes are an annual event.Scientists establish a base at a point close to the area and provide expertise in identifying organisms found by the public as well as doing their own inspection of the area.
A full BioBlitz must take place over a full 24-hour period as different organisms are likely to be found at different times of day. Schools may organise BioBlitzes over a shorter period of time, but the results will less accurately show the variety of species in the area.
The First Annual Blogger BioBlitz is planned for the week of 21 - 29 April 2007. Participants pledge to conduct individual Bioblitzes and the results will be compiled and mapped. So, unlike traditional BioBlitzes the surveys are not likely to be deep across many taxonomic groups. However, they will serve to raise awareness about biological diversity and will provide a broad snapshot of spring diversity in many locations. See [http://scienceblogs.com/voltagegate/2007/03/announcing_the_first_annual_bl.php]
BioBlitzes by country
Australia
* The Woodland Watch Project (part of the
World Wildlife Fund has an annual BioBlitz in wheatbelt areas ofWestern Australia . See [http://www.wwf.org.au/About_WWF_Australia/How_we_work/In_the_field/West/woodland_watch.php]Canada
* The
Canadian Biodiversity Institute has held annual BioBlitzes since 1998. See [http://www.biodiversityonline.ca/BioBlitz/intro.htm]
* There has been one Bioblitz in Victoria, British Columbia (in April 2007), and will be another one October 6-7, 2007. See [http://www.naturalit.ca/2007/08/bioblitz-ing-for-biodiversity.html] and [http://www.animalit.ca/2007/09/blitzing-proletariate.html]
* Victoria's Beacon Hill Blitz held October 6-7, 2007 (Thanksgiving Weekend) was successful as an exercise in giving thanks -- for biodiversity in our region -- and was despite a certain amount of rain and wind, very enjoyable. Victoria Bioblitz Project's next project is an "arborblitz". An arborblitz modifies the bioblitz concept by focusing on individual trees, asking participants to draw, photograph, and write about "significant" ones in the area, with the purpose of protecting them from removal but also of studying them as gateways to biodiversity, trees being homes of insects, birds, mammals, fungi and other epiphytes. See more arborblitz detail at [http://www.naturalit.ca/2007/12/arborblitz.html]New Zealand
*
Landcare Research held BioBlitzes inAuckland in 2004 and 2005, and inChristchurch in 2005. See [http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biodiversity/bioblitz/index.asp] .The first Marine Bioblitz occurred on the Wellington South Coast over a month, since a marine Bioblitz is trickier weatherwise than a terrestrial one. After enjoying looking for ferns at Otari Wilton's Bush, see [http://otari100.org.nz/index.php/bioblitz] , Celia Wade-Brown suggested a Marine Bioblitz which was taken on enthusiastically by a range of organisations, and led by Forest and Bird. See [http://www.marinebioblitz.wellington.net.nz] .
United States of America
* Colorado: The
National Wildlife Federation has been providing a toolset based on theeNature.com species data in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area since 2004. Results are online. See [http://www.allspeciescount.org] .
* Connecticut: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/department/bioconctr/ The Center for Conservation and Biodiversity] and [http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhhome.html Connecticut State Museum of Natural History] have held seven BioBlitz events since 1999. See [http://web.uconn.edu/mnh/bioblitz/] . Results from the 2007 BioBlitz are online. [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/bioblitz2007/results.php] The current record for a single Connecticut BioBlitz was set in 2001 at Tarrywhile Park in Danbury, Connecticut, where 2519 species were recorded in the 24 hour period [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/bioblitz2001/results.php] [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/06/0614_bioblitz.html] .
* District of Columbia: A BioBlitz at theKenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens inWashington, D.C. in 1996 found approximately 1000 species. See [http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/blitz.html]
*Washington, DC 2007: TheNational Geographic Society held a BioBlitz inRock Creek Park on May 18-19. The event was later on a segment of the TV seriesWild Chronicles which airs onPBS . Participants includedJ. Michael Fay ,Sylvia Earle , andBoyd Matson . See [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/projects/bioblitz-dc-2007.html] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUPfMik-ViI]
* Illinois: TheField Museum of Natural History and other organisations held a BioBlitz in Chicago in2002 . See [http://www.fieldmuseum.org/bioblitz/] .
* Missouri: Several organisations collaborated on a BioBlitz at Forest Park in St Louis in2004 and2006 . A St. Louis BioBlitz is scheduled for 2008. See [http://www.stlbioblitz.com] .
* Vermont: TheVermont Institute of Natural Science held a BioBlitz in 2004 at Hartford. See [http://www.vinsweb.org/BioBlitz/]
* New York: A BioBlitz atCentral Park found more than 800 species in 2003. See [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0708_030708_bioblitzresults.html]
* Massachusetts: 2006 collaboration between theBoston Museum of Science and theCape Cod Museum of Natural History . The first bioblitz in a series sponsored by theE.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation . The first bioblitz to utilizeCyberTracker andNatureMapping technologies for data collection.
* New Hampshire: Squam Lakes. 2008. TheSquam Lakes Natural Science Center in collaboration with Squam Lakes Association and Squam Lakes Conservation Society in cooperation with the Holderness Conservation Commission, the US Forest Service Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, UNH Cooperative Extension,Plymouth State University , NH Fish and Game Department, and Ecosystem Management Consultants. See [http://www.nhnature.org/press_release/bioblitz.pdf]
* New York: Central Park. 2006. In collaboration with theE.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation , theExplorer's Club , theAmerican Museum of Natural History and theBoston Museum of Science . This is the first bioblitz in history to incorporate the collection and analysis ofMicroorganisms .
* North Carolina: TheNorth Carolina Botanical Garden in collaboration with theMorehead Planetarium sponsor an annual bioblitz in September on garden owned property.
* Maryland/DC/Virginia, 2006:The Nature Conservancy sponsored a Potomac Gorge BioBlitz where more than 130 field biologists and experienced naturalists volunteered their expertise in an effort to see how many species they could find. During a 30-hour survey period from Saturday, June 24, through Sunday, June 25 their surveys revealed more than 1,000 species. See [http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/maryland/news/news2087.html]
* Maryland, 2007: Jug Bay Bioblitz sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Patuxent River Park Staff and Park Rangers. There will be another bioblitz in May of 2008.
* Oklahoma: [http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/ The Oklahoma Biological Survey] hosted an [http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/biotiddly.html/ annual BioBlitz] at different locations around Oklahoma in the years 2001-2007. Funding for future years is in question.
* Santa Barbara, California, 2007: [http://www.sbbg.org/ The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden] organised a [http://www.bioblitzsb.org/ BioBlitz] of its natural spaces in May 2007.
* Washington: BioBlitzes conducted using NatureTracker software on PDAs for conservation planning. See [http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/bioblitz/]
* Rhode Island: Rhode Island Natural History Survey has conducted annual Bioblitzes in the state since 2000. See [http://www.rinhs.org] .At a BioBlitz in
New York City 'sCentral Park in 2003 the following numbers of species in each group were found: 393plant s, 78moth s, 14fungi , 10spider s, 9 dragonflies, 2tardigrade s, 102 otherinvertebrate s, 7mammal s, 3turtle s, 46bird s and 2frog s.Portugal
Faro will be the first city in Portugal hosting a Bioblitz (17/18 October 2008). Check www.bioblitzportugal.com for more information and join us!
pain
In
Formentera (Balearic Islands), during the Posidonia Festival 2008, it's organized a [http://posidoniafestival.com/posidonia/index.php/Formentera-2008/Music-Concerts-Performances-Shows-Events-Culture/BioBlitZ.html Bioblitz] .ee also
*
Australian Bird Count (ABC)
*Breeding Bird Survey
*Christmas Bird Count (CBC) (in the Western Hemisphere)
*Seabird Colony Register (SCR)
*The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds
*Tucson Bird Count (TBC) (in Arizona in the US)
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