iNaturalist as a platform for documenting Chilean funga

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of iNaturalist on the recording and documentation of fungi in Chile from 2008 to 2024, highlighting its role in integrating citizen science into biodiversity monitoring. This community effort—which currently totals more than 63,000 observations representing 1,245 species—is concentrated in the central and southern regions of the country, mainly in urban areas, where a small group of hyperprolific users generates 44.40% of the records. Since 2020, an increase in the number of observations has been observed, which may be linked to a growing interest in mycology. The use of iNaturalist allows overcoming traditional logistical limitations, expanding the taxonomic, spatial, and temporal coverage of fungal observations, but these advantages are not without biases. In addition, mycology in Chile faces structural challenges, such as funding and training of new specialists. Collaboration between amateurs and professional mycologists is essential to validate the data and extract the potential of this type of tools. This approach complements conventional methods of biodiversity studies and strengthens conservation policies. Although iNaturalist has proven to be an effective tool, more effort and resources are required to address the knowledge gaps of fungal biodiversity. This study reinforces the potential of citizen science as a source of valuable and potentially useful data to address the planetary biodiversity crisis.