BioLoc

Welcome to the BioLoc application for the collection of natural data (so-called observations) as part of our citizen science project. We collect data that can be important for the management and protection of the Białowieża Forest. Potentially, each reported natural observation may have scientific value. So don't hesitate - we will be happy to receive data on both rare and common or domesticated species. If you want to read more about our goals or learn about the potential of Open Science, check out the website www. openforestdata.pl

The BioLoc application consists of three modules, which we describe below, and a safety guide - how to behave in case of an accident with an animal. Additionally, we provide our users with the website www.bioloc.pl, where you can edit your own observations or view all the collected data in the form of a map or a list. Be sure to log in to add observations, edit them and fully use the application.

MODULES
"Found a dead animal?" This module is used to report dead animals found in the forest and to report animals that died as a result of a road accident that we witness or participate in. We encourage you to describe such observations as fully as possible - adding a partially incomplete observation is possible, but supplementing the data will allow better use of the reported data.

"Invasive species" module. This module is used to collect data on the occurence of invasive species in the Białowieża Forest. Such information will help to protect nature. If you want to learn more about the dangers related to invasive species, you can read the descriptions in the gallery, where we have included information about the damages to the environment that can be caused by a given organism

Module "Other observations". This module is used to collect data on observations of all species in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. The data collected thanks to you will help to better understand the distribution of species in the Forest and, in the long term, also changes in their numbers. In this module, you have a choice of tags that will allow you to tag your data for a specific topic.

Advantages of the BioLoc application:
• you do not need to know the species you have observed - thanks to the photo it will be possible to later identify the species by specialists in a given field. When filling in the data, mark that you do not know what the species is.
• some of the reported observations will be verified, which will increase confidence in the collected data.
• the application also works offline - there is often no Internet in the forest area. You can save an observation and the data will sync once the device is in range.
• in the module for reporting dead animals, you have an additional tool at your disposal - a comparator of resources of 3D skulls from the Zoological Collection of IBS PAN. You can superimpose a picture of a found skull with skulls of a species to try to identify the skull yourself.
• in the application you will find a gallery that will allow you to verify the compliance of the observed species with our knowledge base. (Note: not all species have photo illustrations in the gallery, the gallery is being developed). In the gallery, you will also find short information on how to take photos in a way that allows for later verification of the reported observation.

Thanks for your help!

The application has three language versions: Polish, English and Russian.
The BioLoc application was created as part of the "e-Puszcza. Podlasie repository of natural scientific data" by the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Białystok University of Technology financed by the Digital Poland Operational Program and the state budget.