Procedure for scientific observation - declaration of a place and several observations

 

By following this procedure, you will participate in a scientific research program (participatory science) which wishes to put figures on the abundance and diversity of organisms present in garden soils and other environments, and better understand the pressures undergone by biodiversity as a result of human activities.

Thus in this procedure, protocols usually used by scientists have been adapted to be able to share our profession with you.

 

What are the steps to follow ?

1- Describe your garden (filling in the Declare/describe a garden (this may be another environment than a garden) on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app. To access this form you must register.

At this stage it is a question of answering, if you wish, a few questions about what is found in your garden in order to help researchers better understand the presence or absence of certain organisms in a given place, and/or related to the practices you use.

2- Then you can follow the protocol of your choice to observe the organisms and complete the Record observations form in which you can specify in which type of place you made your observations by following one of the following protocols:

7 day trap jar with vinegar
ethical trap pot (wet cotton)
invertebrate aspirator - sight hunting

or (protocols not shown here):
earthworms with mustard (from the OPVT) / soil block - manual sorting / berlese - funnel
no protocol followed - direct observation

 

Protocol: 7-day trap pot with vinegar

1- Choose places that seem interesting to you for diagnosing the biodiversity present, such as: near a composter to answer the scientific question: can the composter accommodate a significant diversity of organisms? / in a mulched or plant-covered area of ​​the vegetable garden to assess which organisms prefer to live in these covered areas / in a slightly more bare area to compare with organisms in covered areas...

2- Place one or more traps at the chosen locations by following the sampling protocol (web page)

3- Collect the content obtained 7 days after installing a trap, and identify the organisms thus captured for a given trap through image on a computer or via the tab dedicated on the smartphone app

4- For a given trap: write the number of organisms obtained for each group on the Record observations form (be careful to complete one form per trap) and submit the form thus completed, on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app. To access this form, you must first be registered.

This form asks you to enter the total number of organisms sampled and counted for 1 given trap after 7 days left in place - trapping duration (example: in my trap installed next to my composter I counted for 7 days: 10 ants + 15 woodlice + 12 slugs...)
For undetermined organisms, please count them anyway and write their number in the category "undetermined individuals"
Finally, for very small invertebrates, which are difficult to count and identify with the naked eye, please fill in the dedicated box "Number of very small invertebrates difficult to classify (not counted previously)"

Attention flies, mosquitoes and adult butterflies are not part of the soil fauna, they are therefore not considered in Jardibiodiv

 

Protocol: ethical trap pot (damp cotton)

 

1- Choose places that seem interesting to you for diagnosing the biodiversity present, such as: near a composter to answer the scientific question: can the composter accommodate a significant diversity of organisms? / in a mulched or plant-covered area of ​​the vegetable garden to assess which organisms prefer to live in these covered areas / in a slightly more bare area to compare with organisms in covered areas...

2-  Prepare the material: - Waterproof cardboard (milk brick type) / - 4 wooden stakes (skewer spade) / - Bulb planter or small shovel / Cotton disc to be moistened / - 2 plastic glasses (or container as ecocup); the use of 2 containers in each other will allow the contents to be gently picked up while leaving the trap in place / - Plastic bottle / - Scissors

Preferably, prepare a roof to protect the container in case of rain during the trapping week. To do this, simply cut out the waterproof cardboard and insert the skewer skewers at the four ends.

 

3 -  Dig a hole with the bulb planter (or the small shovel) where you want it in your garden.

 

4 -  Put the 2 stacked containers in the dug hole and place the moistened cotton at the bottom (The cups must be slightly below the surface of the ground and against the walls of the hole so that the fauna can fall into the trap). Cut off the top of a plastic bottle, and place it at the entrance to your trap. Protect the trap by planting the roof you made (unless no rain is forecast).

 

5 - Collect the inner container twice a day, keeping the second one in place, for the duration of your trapping; transfer the contents to facilitate observation in a salad bowl or other transparent container, then identify the organisms thus captured for a given trap thanks to image recognition on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app

Once identified and counted, release the organisms and replace your trap (step 4) to resume trapping while keeping the organisms alive.

6 - For a given trap: write the number of organisms obtained for each group on the Record observations form (be careful to complete one form per trap) and submit the form thus completed, on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app. To access this form, you must first be registered.

This form asks you to enter the total number of organisms sampled and counted for 1 given trap left in place for the entire trapping period (example: in my trap installed next to my composter I counted for x days: 10 ants + 15 woodlice + 12 slugs...)
For undetermined organisms, please count them anyway and write their number in the category "undetermined individuals"
Finally, for very small invertebrates, which are difficult to count and identify with the naked eye, please fill in the dedicated box "Number of very small invertebrates difficult to classify (not counted previously)"

Attention flies, mosquitoes and adult butterflies are not part of the soil fauna, they are therefore not considered in Jardibiodiv

 

Protocol: invertebrate aspirator - sight hunting

 

 1- As soon as an organism is visible, suck it up using an insect vacuum cleaner (made with a small container, fine pipes, gauze and you're done...), or for soil organisms that are not very fast, catch them by hand and put them in a transparent box, and preferably a magnifying box to better see their whole body.

 

Examples of insect vacuum cleaner

Examples of magnifying boxes

 

2-  identify the organism(s) thus captured thanks to image recognition on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app

3- For a given place on a given date: write the number of organisms obtained for each group on the Record observations form and submit the form thus completed, on a computer or via the dedicated tab on the smartphone app.To access this form, you must first be registered.

This form asks you to enter the total number of organisms sampled and counted throughout the observation period (example: during the 15-minute sight hunt next to my composter, I counted: 10 ants + 15 woodlice + 12 slugs...)
For undetermined organisms, please count them anyway and write their number in the category "undetermined individuals"

Attention flies, mosquitoes and adult butterflies are not part of the soil fauna, they are therefore not considered in Jardibiodiv