Great minds, map alike: Citizen and expert distribution models of schistosome snail hosts in rural west Uganda

Great minds, map alike: Citizen and expert distribution models of schistosome snail hosts in rural west Uganda | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 2 May 2025 V3 Latest version Share on Great minds, map alike: Citizen and expert distribution models of schistosome snail hosts in rural west Uganda Authors : Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs 0000-0002-1804-6715 [email protected] , Tine Huyse , E. Emiel van Loon , Anton Van Rompaey , Ronald Twongyirwe , and Liesbet Jacobs Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174282884.44757684/v3 Published Ecological Solutions and Evidence Version of record Peer review timeline 411 views 191 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract 1. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide, with the majority living in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. The parasite relies on freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria as intermediate hosts. Mapping snail distribution is vital for identifying disease transmission hotspots. However, expert-led monitoring is often constrained by limited resources and restricted access to remote areas, highlighting the need for scalable and cost-effective alternatives. 2. This study evaluates the effectiveness of citizen science in predicting Biomphalaria spp. presence by comparing models built from citizen- and expert-collected data. We tested two scenarios: the first one assumed perfect detection and focused on environmental and geomorphological predictors, while the second accounted for imperfect detection to explore discrepancies between citizen observations and expert-derived detection probabilities. 3. In the perfect detection scenario, the expert and citizen models identified site type and NDVI as significant environmental predictors of snail presence. Although both models demonstrated low marginal R² values (~16-17%), indicating limited explanatory power of broad-scale environmental predictors, conditional R² values exceeded 65%, suggesting that fine-scale, site-specific habitat characteristics are critical determinants of Biomphalaria presence. For the imperfect detection scenario, models showed minimal discrepancies, primarily explained by individual observer variability and differences in sampling effort. Increased sampling effort consistently reduced false negatives and led to unexpected observations of snail presence by the citizens (i.e. observed presence in sites predicted unsuitable by expert model). 4. Our findings demonstrate that citizen science, when properly structured and statistically accounted for, can generate ecological data with accuracy comparable to expert-led surveys. We highlight the importance of accounting for observer variability, providing calibrated training, and optimizing sampling strategies to enhance data quality. This study presents a transferable and cost-efficient framework for participatory ecological monitoring in resource-limited and under-sampled regions. Supplementary Material File (greatmindsmapalike.pdf) Download 2.75 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 24 March 2025 V2 Version 2 22 April 2025 V3 Version 3 02 May 2025 Peer review timeline Published Ecological Solutions and Evidence Version of Record 9 Dec 2025 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords biomphalaria biomphalaria citizen science data validation detection probability habitat suitability schistosomiasis snail-borne diseases Authors Affiliations Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs 0000-0002-1804-6715 [email protected] KU Leuven View all articles by this author Tine Huyse Royal Museum for Central Africa View all articles by this author E. Emiel van Loon Universiteit van Amsterdam View all articles by this author Anton Van Rompaey KU Leuven View all articles by this author Ronald Twongyirwe Mbarara University of Science and Technology View all articles by this author Liesbet Jacobs Universiteit van Amsterdam View all articles by this author Funding Information Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek 11L3223N Noelia del Carmen Valderrama Bhraunxs Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 411 views 191 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs, Tine Huyse, E. Emiel van Loon, et al. Great minds, map alike: Citizen and expert distribution models of schistosome snail hosts in rural west Uganda. Authorea . 02 May 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174282884.44757684/v3 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); Cited by Noelia Valderrama-Bhraunxs, Larissa Bonifacio, Julius Tumusiime, Germain Kapour, Daisy Namirembe, Casim Umba-Tolo, Grace Kagoro-Rugunda, Patrick Mitashi-Mulopo, Joule Mandinga, Liesbet Jacobs, Tine Huyse, Snail intermediate host occurrence recorded by citizen scientists in rural Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gigabyte, 2025 , (2025). https://doi.org/10.46471/gigabyte.162 Crossref Loading... View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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