iNatmospheres

iNatmospheres is a feature of the iNaturalist platform that allows users to visualize and explore biodiversity data through different atmospheric and environmental layers. It aims to provide context for species observations by overlaying them with relevant environmental information.

The primary function of iNatmospheres is to present iNaturalist observations on a map alongside various spatial datasets. These datasets can include factors such as temperature, precipitation, elevation, land cover, protected areas, and human impact. By combining species occurrence data with these environmental variables, iNatmospheres helps users understand the potential ecological niches of species and how they relate to their surroundings.

Users can select different layers to display, customizing their view to investigate specific environmental influences on biodiversity. For example, one might overlay temperature data to see if a particular species is primarily observed in warmer or cooler regions. Another user might examine precipitation patterns in relation to plant observations. This layered approach facilitates a more nuanced understanding of species distributions and the environmental drivers behind them.

The development of iNatmospheres is driven by the desire to make iNaturalist data more accessible and interpretable for ecological research, conservation efforts, and educational purposes. It leverages existing iNaturalist data and integrates with other publicly available geospatial datasets, fostering a more comprehensive view of the natural world. The feature encourages users to think critically about the relationship between organisms and their environment.