logo Calflora Observation Upload Help
The Observation Upload Application is intended to provide a way to upload a dataset (e.g. a spreadsheet or another database) of weed observations into the the Calflora / BAEDN online database.

Each source dataset has a certain set of columns. The function of this application is to map the source dataset's column set into a form that can be stored in the Calflora / BAEDN online database, filling all of the required fields for each record, and preserving as as many non-required fields from the source as possible.

The most challenging part of using the application is assigning input fields from the source dataset into their online database equivalents. Below is an explanation of the various database fields.

Required Fields

    The following fields are required -- a record will not not go into the database if any of these are missing:
    Observer, Source, Observation Date, Taxon, and either Latitude, and Longitude, or UTM Easting, UTM Northing, and UTM Zone. Note that if some of these fields are not present in the input data, you can set a value for all records in the Constants section of the ASSIGN panel.

Important Fields

    The following fields are important for weed work, so please try to get them in if they are present in the input data in any form: Infested Area, Gross Area, Phenology, Cover, and Distribution.

    For some database fields such as Infested Area, the application offers several methods for filling it. Choose the appropriate method depending on how infested area data is manifest in the input. For instance, there might be just one input field with a number in it representing square meters. Or, there might be an input field containing both count and units such as 0.25 hectares.

      1. If infested area data is separated in the input into a count field (15) and a units field (square meters), assign those fields to Infested Area Count and Infested Area Units.

      2. If the count is present in the input data, but units are constant throughout the dataset (square meters), then assign the input count field to Infested Area Count, and set the units in the Constants / Infested Area Units section of the ASSIGN panel.

      3. If count and units occur in the same input field (15 square meters), assign the input field to InfestedArea, which will split the input into count and units.

Preserving Input Data that does not Fit
    Note that if there are fields present in the input data which are important, but which do not fit easily into the online database, you can assign them to a catch-all database field called Transcription Notes. Many different input fields can be assigned to Transcription Notes, and the values will be aggregated and available to any downstream users of the data. So, for instance, if the input data contains a value of Owner containing the name of the actual owner, you may want to put that field into Transcription Notes.
Viewing and Saving Results
    When you reach Step 5., the results appear in a table at the bottom of the page. You can view the results through several different views, as a way of proofing the data before saving it. Use the Column Set selector to change view.

    When you reach Step 6. "Save results," press the SAVE button. The records are written to the database as unpublished, so that no other users besides yourself can see them. When you press the Review and publish the saved records link, it will open the My Observations application, and show you the records you just saved in a table and on a map. From the My Observations application, you can publish all of the records, delete all of the records, or edit, publish or delete them individually.

Fields in Alphabetical Order

Comments
Anything of interest about the weed or site.
 

Common Name
The common name of the plant observed.
 

County
Full County name e.g. Riverside. This field is not necessary, as the server software will interpolate county from the point location.
 

Cover Class Code
Cover: If you drew an imaginary line around the outer boundary of the infestation, the amount of ground actually covered by the plant.

CodeValue
T Trace (< 1%)
L Low (1% - 5%)
M Moderate (5.1% - 25%)
H High (25% - 100%)

 

Cover Decimal
Use this field when the input has a number like 0.3 which should be interpreted as 30%. This field will convert 0.3 to High (25% - 100%).
 

Cover Percent
Use this field when the input has a number like 30 which should be interpreted as 30%. This field will convert 30 to High (25% - 100%).
 

Cover
Use this field if the input contains words like trace, low, moderate, or high instead of percent numbers.
 

Distribution Code
The distribution of the plant across the landscape.

CodeValue
1Single Plant
2Scattered Plants
MDense Monoculture
PScattered Dense Patches

 

Distribution
Use this field if the input contains words like single, individual, one, scattered, monoculture, or patch.
 

Gross Area Count
Gross Area: The area of ground covered by the weed, if you drew an imaginary line around the outer boundary of the infestation.

The number of units e.g. 15.
 

Gross Area Units

Acres
Hectares
Square Feet
Square Meters
 

GrossArea
Use this field if the gross area count and units are both present in a single input field e.g. 15 square meters.
 

Habitat
The primary habitat type infested by the weed at this location.

  • Forest: Tree-dominated, generally with a closed canopy (e.g., redwood forest, eucalyptus grove)
  • Open Woodland: Tree-dominated, but with open areas between the trees (e.g., oak woodland)
  • Scrub/Shrubland: Shrub-dominated, with few or no trees (e.g., coastal scrub, chaparral)
  • Grassland / Open Field: Grass-dominated, with few to no shrubs or trees
  • Stream bank / bed: The banks or dried bed of a stream, creek or river
  • Wetland: Herbaceous-plant-dominated, with standing water at least part of the year and wetland indicator plants (e.g., cattails, rushes, pickleweed marsh, vernal pool)
  • Open Water: Pond, lake, river, estuary, etc.
  • Beach / Dune: Generally some open sand, or there would be if not infested with iceplant or European beachgrass
  • Planted (Lawn, crop, etc.): An area purposely planted for agricultural, recreational or ornamental use.

Infested Area Count
Infested Area: The area of ground covered by the weed if there were no spaces between the plants.

The number of units e.g. 15.
 

Infested Area Units

Acres
Hectares
Square Feet
Square Meters
 

InfestedArea
Use this field if the infested area count and units are both present in a single input field e.g. 15 square meters.
 

Latitude, Longitude
The center of the infestation, expressed in decimal latitude and longitude, WGS84 datum.
 

Location
A brief description of where the weed is.
 

National Ownership Code
The land owner, manager, or steward.

CodeValue
OTH Other / Unknown
PVLT Private Land Trust
PVLA Private Landowner
PBLA Public Land
CGOV City or County Government
STAT State Government
USOT U.S. Government:
BLM * Bureau of Land Management
DOD * Department of Defense
NPS * National Park Service
USFS * USDA Forest Service

 

National Ownership
Use this field if the input contains words like private, trust, reserve, state, county, or national.
 

Observation Date
Date the plant was observed. Dates are kept in the database in the form YYYY-MM-DD; for example, 2012-12-31. Note that this field accepts dates written in the database format, and also convert dates in any of the following formats to the database format:

    20121231
    12/31/2012
    31 Dec 2012

Observer
The person who observed the infestation.
 

Phenology Code
Phenology: The life stage of the plant(s) at time of observation.

CodeValueExplanation
S Seedling / rosette Young, non-reproductive growth
B Bolting When the flowering stalk begins to shoot up in plants with a basal rosette of leaves (thistles or mustards, for example)
F Flowering In bud or flower
R Fruiting Setting seed or fruit
D Dead / skeleton Dried/dead plant or dormant perennial
L Leafing out Producing new leaves (for deciduous perennial plants such as tree of heaven)
M Mature A perennial plant NOT in one of the above stages

 

Phenology
Use this field if the input contains words like mature, flower, bolt, seedling, fruit, dead, skeleton, or leaf.
 

Source
The organization(s) responsible for the record. This might include both the organization that paid for the survey and the organization that did the field work. For instance

    SFPUC; Nomad Ecology; BAEDN

Taxon
The scientific name of the plant observed, without authors and with only the genus capitalized. For instance

    Acacia dealbata

Transcription Notes
A catch all database field for important fields in the input that do not fit anywhere else. More than one input field can be assigned to Transcription Notes.
 

UTM Easting, UTM Northing
The center of the infestation, expressed in UTM meters, WGS84 datum.
 

UTM Zone
10 or 11 for California.