Forest canopies contribute disproportionately to global forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet are declining and potentially understudied. Given the inaccessability of forest canopies, misunderstanding or deficiency regarding access methods could pose an obstacle to research, while also threatening the safety of field researchers. We conducted a web-based survey of ecologists who work in trees, distributed globally in four languages, assessing skill levels in canopy access and self-perception of expertise.
Results/Conclusions
We collected 1,070 responses. Survey respondents were generally unable to access much of the forest canopy, especially areas away from the trunk and between trees. Respondents also reported several inefficient or unsafe practices and had poor aerial rescue skills. Importantly, respondents with the lowest skill levels overestimated their expertise the most, evidence of the Dunning-Kruger Effect, a metacognitive bias, amongst ecologists. We recommend increased instruction, certification, and auditing of canopy access skills to ensure safety of field researchers and improve study of this important ecosystem.