Aided by an online butterfly photography contest, the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute has rapidly enlarged its butterfly record database, adding 9,780 entries within three months.
The photographs uploaded to the Web site were all marked with the location of the shot and a butterfly recognition contest was held for the public to help identify the species.
“We wanted the public to join without pressure, so we allowed other people to comment or to second-guess the judgements,” said Yang Yaw-long (楊燿隆), director of the Conservation Education Center and an assistant researcher at the institute.
Photo by Yang Yao-long, courtESY of the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute
Institute director Tang Hsiao-yu (湯曉虞) said the contest was an attempt to get more people interested in wildlife and encourage them to learn about biodiversity and conservation.
“Taiwan is a hot spot for butterfly observation and research, with as many as 400 species ... In terms of density, Taiwan has 111 species per 10,000km2,” Yang said, adding that it was very impressive to host such a large variety of butterflies on a small island.
“Compared with the traditional method of collecting butterfly samples or sending a researcher to do recordings, we have acquired data on butterflies in areas that our researchers have not even visited,” Yang said.
The contest also helped in identifying 257 species based on the photographs — almost equivalent to the 269 species recorded by the institute over the past 17 years. Four protected rare species were also found among the photographs.
As the database on animals and plants continues to grow, it could be useful as an indicator on environmental impact assessments, Tang said, adding that it could also benefit eco-tourism by providing recommended sites and guides.
The institute is also planning to release applications for mobile devices this year, allowing users to download information on butterflies, upload photographs or ask related questions when they are on eco-tours.
The institute said it decided to start with butterflies because they are easy to observe and are harmless.
A photo contest on frogs and dragonflies will soon follow, it said.
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