REGISTROS DE MAMÍFEROS EM PLATAFORMAS DIGITAIS DE CIÊNCIA CIDADÃ: LIMITAÇÕES E POTENCIAIS CONTRIBUIÇÕES PARA O CONHECIMENTO DA MASTOFAUNA BRASILEIRA

Abstract

Although Brazil is one of the countries with the highest mammalian diversity on the planet, gaps in knowledge regarding the distribution, ecology, and conservation of these species persist. Citizen science emerges as a promising tool to expand this understanding, engaging the non-specialist public in data collection and sharing. This study investigated the potential of digital citizen science platforms, focusing on iNaturalist, to contribute to the knowledge about Brazilian mammals (mastofauna) by evaluating their taxonomic and geographic coverage, temporal trends, and the socioeconomic factors associated with participation. Platforms such as iNaturalist, BioFaces, Sistema Urubu, Táxeus, and OBIS were analyzed, with selection criteria based on activity, accessibility, and ease of data extraction. iNaturalist stood out due to the volume of records (55,272 observations, 519 species) and its curation structure, although data were unevenly distributed across the Brazilian territory, concentrating in the South, Southeast, and Central-West regions. Statistical analyses, including the Shannon Index and association tests, revealed that the distribution patterns of observations may be influenced by factors such as urbanization and internet access. The results highlight challenges such as taxonomic bias (charismatic species being overrepresented) and geographic inequalities, but also underscore the potential of citizen science to democratize research and address knowledge gaps. The study provides valuable insights (geographic inequality, taxonomic bias, temporal trends, engagement, gaps, and opportunities) for future public engagement strategies and the conservation of Brazilian mammals.