iNaturalist for Research: Citizen Science Meets Phylogenetics

iNaturalist has revolutionized biodiversity data collection by harnessing millions of citizen scientists worldwide. With over 150 million observations and growing, it's become an invaluable resource for researchers studying species distributions, phenology, and conservation.

What is iNaturalist?

iNaturalist is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. Users upload photos of organisms, which are then identified through community consensus and AI suggestions.

Research Grade Observations

Not all iNaturalist observations are equal. Research Grade observations meet specific quality criteria:

• Photo or sound evidence attached
• Location coordinates provided
• Date recorded
• Not captive/cultivated
• Community identification agrees at species level (2/3 majority)

Applications in Research

Species Distribution Modeling

iNaturalist data excels for building species distribution models, especially for:

• Common species with many observations
• Urban and accessible areas
• Recent range expansions
• Invasive species monitoring

Phenology Studies

With timestamped observations, researchers can track:

• Flowering and fruiting times
• Migration patterns
• Breeding seasons
• Climate change impacts on timing

Conservation

iNaturalist helps identify:

• New populations of rare species
• Range extensions
• Threats and habitat loss
• Priority areas for protection

Data Limitations

Be aware of biases in citizen science data:

• Geographic bias: More observations near roads, trails, and population centers
• Taxonomic bias: Charismatic species are overrepresented
• Temporal bias: More observations on weekends and holidays
• Identification errors: Some misidentifications persist

Accessing iNaturalist Data

Web Export

Use the Explore page to filter and download observations directly from iNaturalist.org.

API Access

The iNaturalist API allows programmatic access to observations, species, and user data.

GBIF Integration

Research Grade observations flow to GBIF, where they can be combined with museum specimens and other data sources.

R Package (rinat)

The rinat package provides convenient R functions for downloading iNaturalist data.

Best Practices

• Filter for Research Grade: Use quality_grade=research
• Account for bias: Use appropriate modeling techniques
• Verify critical records: Check photos for unusual observations
• Cite properly: Credit iNaturalist and data contributors
• Contribute back: Help identify observations in your taxonomic expertise