BioBlitz

Base camp at a BioBlitz in Auckland, New Zealand

A BioBlitz, also written without capitals bioblitz, is a special type of field study, where a group of scientists and volunteers conduct an intensive 24-hour (or 48 hour) biological inventory, attempting to identify and record all species of living organisms in a given area. The area chosen is often an urban park or a nature reserve of some sort.

The term "BioBlitz" was coined by U.S. National Park Service naturalist Susan Rudy while assisting with the first BioBlitz at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Washington D.C. BioBlitz in May 31 - June 1, 1996. Approximately 1000 species were identified at this event. This early BioBlitz was conceived and organised by Sam Droege (USGS) and Dan Roddy (NPS), and inspired many other organisations to do the same. The bioblitz name and concept is not registered, 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 time Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson and Massachusetts wildlife expert Peter Alden developed a program to catalog the organisms around Walden Pond, which led to a state-wide program known as Biodiversity Days, a similar concept to the bioblitz.

A bioblitz has dual aims: to establish the degree of biodiversity in an area, and to help popularize 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 [2]

BioBlitzes by country

Australia

• The Woodland Watch Project (part of the World Wildlife Fund has an annual BioBlitz in wheatbelt areas of Western Australia. See [3]

Canada

• The Canadian Biodiversity Institute has held annual BioBlitzes since 1998. See [4]
• There has been one Bioblitz in Victoria, British Columbia (in April 2007), and will be another one October 6-7, 2007. See [5] and [6]
• 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 [7]

New Zealand

Dr Peter Buchanan[1], the organiser of the 2004-2008 Auckland BioBlitzes

• Landcare Research, in conjunction with colleagues in other institutes and agencies, held BioBlitzes in Auckland in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008; and in Christchurch in 2005. The next BioBlitz is planned for early April 2009 in Christchurch. See [8]. Other New Zealand BioBlitzes have been held in Hamilton (1) and in Wellington as follows:

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 [9], Celia Wade-Brown suggested a Marine BioBlitz which was taken on enthusiastically by a range of organisations, and led by Forest and Bird. See [10].

United States of America

• Colorado: The National Wildlife Federation has been providing a toolset based on the eNature.com species data in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area since 2004. Results are online. See [11].
• Connecticut: The Center for Conservation and Biodiversity and Connecticut State Museum of Natural History have held seven BioBlitz events since 1999. See [12]. Results from the 2007 BioBlitz are online[13]. The current record for a single Connecticut BioBlitz was set in 2001 at Tarrywile Park in Danbury, Connecticut, where 2519 species were recorded in the 24 hour period [14][15].
• District of Columbia: A BioBlitz at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C. in 1996 found approximately 1000 species. See [16]
• Washington, DC 2007: The National Geographic Society held a BioBlitz in Rock Creek Park on May 18-19. The event was later on a segment of the TV series Wild Chronicles which airs on PBS. Participants included J. Michael Fay , Sylvia Earle, and Boyd Matson. See [17] and [18]
• Florida: In Manatee County, the local government's Department of Natural Resources (formerly Conservation Lands Management) has sponsored annual BioBlitz events, every spring since 2007. The surveys rotate between the county's different parks and preserves. This event, however, involves only a 12-hour survey instead of the standard 24-hour.
• Illinois: The Field Museum of Natural History and other organisations held a BioBlitz in Chicago in 2002. See [19]. There are several bioblitzes in parts of the forest preserves of cook and lake county.
• Massachusetts: 2006 collaboration between the Boston Museum of Science and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The first bioblitz in a series sponsored by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The first bioblitz to utilize CyberTracker and NatureMapping technologies for data collection.
• Missouri: Sponsored by the Academy of Science, St. Louis, partners from the public, academic and corporate sectors collaborated on BioBlitz at Forest Park in St Louis in 2004, 2006 and 2008. The 2010 St. Louis BioBlitz is scheduled September 10. See [20] and [21].
• New Hampshire: Squam Lakes. 2008. The Squam 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 [22]
• New York: Saw Mill River watershed, Westchester County, September 2009. Groundwork Hudson Valley, leading the Saw Mill River Coalition, will conduct a Saw Mill River BioBlitz on September 25-26 with more than 50 scientists from a wide variety of fields. A concurrent conference on the health of the river will be held at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY that will be open to the public and have activities geared for children. Funded by a grant from Westchester Community Foundation with additional support from US EPA and NYS/DEC Hudson River Estuary Program. Major co-sponsors joining the effort are: Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation, Teatown Lake Reservation, and Pace University's Department of Biology and Health Sciences Pace University's Academy for Applied Environmental Studies, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society; Greenburgh Nature Center; and the Saw Mill River Audubon.
• New York: Central Park. 2006. In collaboration with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the Explorers Club, the American Museum of Natural History and the Boston Museum of Science. This is the first bioblitz in history to incorporate the collection and analysis of Microorganisms.
• New York: A BioBlitz at Central Park found more than 800 species in 2003. See [23]
• North Carolina: The North Carolina Botanical Garden in collaboration with the Morehead 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[24]
• Maryland: Jug Bay Bioblitz will be sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Patuxent River Park Staff and Park Rangers May 30-31, 2009
• Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Biological Survey hosted an annual BioBlitz at different locations around Oklahoma in the years 2001-2009. Their 2010 Bioblitz will be held on October 8-9 at Kaw Lake in north-central Oklahoma with a base camp at Camp McFadden.
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island Natural History Survey has conducted annual Bioblitzes in the state since 2000. See [25].
• San Diego, California: The San Diego Natural History Museum began hosting a yearly BioBlitz starting in 2008. The 2008 BioBlitz was held in Balboa Park and in 2009 the event is being held at Mission Trails Regional Park on May 1-2.[26]
• Santa Barbara, California, 2007: The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden organised a BioBlitz of its natural spaces in May 2007.
• Vermont: The Vermont Institute of Natural Science held a BioBlitz in 2004 at Hartford. See [27]
• Washington: BioBlitzes conducted using NatureTracker software on PDAs for conservation planning. See [28]
• Wisconsin: The non-profit Biodiversity Project held three Great Lakes BioBlitzes with support from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and NOAA in 2004. The sites were Riverside Park in Milwaukee; Baird Creek Parkway in Green Bay; and Wisconsin Point in Superior.

At a BioBlitz in New York City's Central Park in 2003 the following numbers of species in each group were found: 393 plants, 78 moths, 14 fungi, 10 spiders, 9 dragonflies, 2 tardigrades, 102 other invertebrates, 7 mammals, 3 turtles, 46 birds and 2 frogs.

Portugal

Faro was the first city in Portugal receiving a Bioblitz in October 2009. Check www.sciaena.org

Spain

In Formentera (Balearic Islands), during the Posidonia Festival 2008, it's organized a Bioblitz.

Taiwan

Taipei 228 Peace Park 2008 BioBlitz on December 20, sponsord by Taiwan Forestry Bureau and National Taiwan Museum, found more than 180 plants, 11 birds and 1 mammal.

• National Taiwan Museum
• Forestry Bureau

See 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)