Mapping urban biodiversity: contributions of citizen science to the monitoring of the brown-throated sloth Bradypus variegatus Schinz, 1825

Abstract

Urbanization negatively impacts biodiversity, making it essential to understand species occurrence patterns in urban green areas. Citizen science has proven to be a valuable tool in this context, as evidenced by records of the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) in the municipality of João Pessoa–PB. This study used data from iNaturalist, spanning from 2002 to 2024, to analyze the temporal and spatial distribution of biodiversity and the brown-throated sloth, as well as land occupation. Kernel density maps were generated, and temporal trends were assessed using the Kendall test. The percentages of land use within a 1 km radius of each sloth sighting were also described. The results show a concentration of observations in remnants of native vegetation, with a significant upward trend in records, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, sloth records were composed of urbanized areas (37%), followed by forest formations (32%) and land use mosaics (8%). This highlights the role of urban green areas in biodiversity conservation and the potential of collaborative platforms, such as iNaturalist, to provide relevant data on species occurrence, such as the brown-throated sloth. The study highlights that citizen science is an important tool and can be useful for species monitoring when there is public engagement. The increase in observations over the years underscores the importance of green areas for biodiversity and for fostering sustainable coexistence between the urban environment and local wildlife.