Feasibility of citizen science monitoring of mutualistic networks between butterflies and plants in Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Mutualistic biological interaction networks are thought to be essential targets for monitoring the effects of anthropogenic environmental changes on biodiversity and ecosystem function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of citizen science monitoring of the mutualistic network between butterflies and plants in Tokyo, Japan. We analysed 4,401 photograph-derived data points describing butterfly visits to flower and tree sap of identified plant species during 2015. 2017. These data were reported to the internet-based participatory butterfly monitoring program Butterflies in Tokyo, which is operated jointly by the regional consumer co-operative Pal-system Tokyo and conservation ecology and data engineering scientists. We performed hierarchical clustering analysis and drew a network graph according to the similarity of plant species visited by the butterflies. We categorised the butterflies into six groups including four guilds or specialist groups, one generalist plant utilisation group, and one group comprising ambiguous species. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of this citizen science program for monitoring the mutualistic network of butterflies and plants in Tokyo and provide baseline information for future monitoring.