ITCER — Monitoring Macrobiome Biodiversity on Site
Project: Monitoring Macrobiome Biodiversity On Site
The ITCER site in Ng’iya forms the experimental nucleus of the biodiversity monitoring network that is being developed for Siaya County.
Before the county-wide rollout, a pre-study phase was carried out here to test field methods, digital workflows, and the integration of spatial and taxonomic data.
The main photo activities of this pre-study took place between March 2022 and October 2024, covering seasonal changes and a variety of local micro-habitats.
Particular attention was given to biological interactions, mainly between invertebrates and plants, but also invertebrate–invertebrate and plant–plant relationships.
During this preparatory stage, local vegetation, insects, and macrofungi were documented using geo-referenced photographs, which were then processed through ITCER’s validation interfaces.
The pre-study also tested new employment models for trained field photographers and motorbike riders, linking biodiversity observation with local livelihoods.
The lessons learned on site have directly informed the design of the broader Siaya County monitoring grid, including the development of spatial sampling units and data quality procedures.
Image Sources and Metadata
All photographs used in this pre-study were taken directly at the ITCER site in Ng’iya.
Each image is geo-referenced, and full-resolution originals are available for later analytical processing.
Not all taxa are yet identified to the genus or species level, but every record includes camera model identifiers (e.g. Sony DSC-HX90V), date/time, and geographic coordinates.
- Images / occurrences: 19,365
- Distinct taxa: 1,391
A considerable part of the material has been post-processed into 1200 × 900 pixel segments, which are publicly visible in the Macrobiome Image Archive – ITCER Site.
Taxonomic identifications have been supported by international experts listed at ITCER Site Macrobiome Taxonomists and Specialists.
Images with reliable identification will be provided to GBIF.
Once the on-site laboratory becomes fully operational for species barcoding, the certainty of identifications will further increase.
Project lead: International Training Centre for Environmental Research (ITCER), in collaboration with the Siaya County Government.
Email: ITCER@gmx.net