Presenters:
Yibin Gao
Jie Jin
University of Southern California
This storymap project evaluates the quality and application of Volunteer Geographic Information (VGI) and authoritative data in the Red-crowned Crane conservation through a comparative framework across two types of data models – points and polygons. First, it introduces the evolution and applications of VGI, with a case study using word clouds and emotion analysis to explore public discussions on Red-crowned Cranes. Second, a timeline analysis will be implemented to examine the impacts of land cover changes, conservation policies, and media campaigns on the dynamics of species population over five years; it will be followed by case study to compare the temporal coverage of VGI and authoritative data. Third, point datasets from VGI (eBird, iNaturalist) and authoritative sources (GBIF) are compared based on reliability, thematic accuracy, completeness, clustering patterns, and bias assessment. Fourth, land-use datasets from VGI (OpenMapStreet) and authoritative data (CASEarth) are analyzed for accuracy, consistency, and spatial patterns using metrics such as Kappa index and LISA. Finally, the storymap summarizes opportunities and challenges for integrating VGI and authoritative data, emphasizing their complementary roles in enhancing endangered species conservation strategies.
