From tweets to tings: Dissimilarity in recorded species community between social media platforms and implications for resource-limited conservation

Hart, Adam G ORCID: 0000-0002-4795-9986, Tripp, Elliott and Goodenough, Anne E ORCID: 0000-0002-7662-6670 (2024) From tweets to tings: Dissimilarity in recorded species community between social media platforms and implications for resource-limited conservation. Community Ecology. doi:10.1007/s42974-024-00217-2 (In Press)

Text (© Akadémiai Kiadó Zrt. 2024) 14428 Hart, Tripp, Goodenough (2024) From tweets to tings - dissimilarity in recorded species community between social media platforms and implications for resource-limited conservation.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 1 October 2025. (Publisher Embargo). Available under License Publisher's Licence. Download (349kB)

Abstract

Effective wildlife conservation relies on surveying species, yet traditional methods are often financially and labour-intensive. Leveraging social media posts is potentially a more efficient alternative. Here, community assemblages derived from mammal sightings in Kruger National Park, South Africa, over the same four-month period, were compared for five social media platforms: Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Flickr, and Kruger Latest Sightings (a bespoke platform). In total, 7860 unique sightings of 45 species were recorded. Latest Sightings was the most comprehensive and consistent platform (37 species, 82%), while X provided the least complete species assemblage (28 species, 62%). There were significant inter-platform differences in species community composition, but records of charismatic megafauna including lion and leopard were extremely high across platforms (37% of total sightings), highlighting user biases. Use of multi-platform data proved superior to any single platform in isolation, underscoring the need for a diversified approach. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and challenges of using social media for wildlife monitoring, emphasising the importance of understanding platform-specific user behaviours. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on iEcology and the use of social media in conservation efforts, particularly in resource-limited contexts, and provides advice for integration into ecological monitoring strategies.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	IEcology; Social media; Conservation; Ecological monitoring; Surveying
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Depositing User:	Anna Kerr
Date Deposited:	07 Oct 2024 08:36
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2024 08:45
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/14428

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