May 4, 2024

NO LOCALITY ACCURACY (=RESOLUTION/ERROR)

Please fix your locality resolution (or locality accuracy or locality error). Too large an accuracy, or missing accuracy, means that the data are not incorporated into checklists for the smaller nature reserves and places, and cannot be used for conservation planning and red listing purposes.

Ideally we like it to be 2-5m accuracy, but often one is uncertain, or does not know quite where one was, in which case it might be 100s of metres. but please if you genuinely dont know exactly where you were dont make them too precise, even if it is to the nearest km or two.
You need to enter this in when you add your observations. It shows up as a circle showing the area in which you were where you are uncertain as to exactly where the point should be. You can enter the value directly in metres for the radius of the circle.
Please see how to enter these when uploading you data in this tutorial: https://vimeo.com/167431843

Here is your list of observations without Locality accuracy recorded:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&subview=table&user_id=suvarna&verifiable=any&acc=false

To fix it, please click Edit (up top) and type in the value in the "Acc (m)" box, and/or adjust the circle around your locality in the map. While at it please give a decent locality name (the Googlemap names are atrociously vague) - but be careful not to press "search" after entering the name as that will corrupt your coordinates.
and save ...

If you have lots, you will need to batch edit it: please see instructions here: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/batch-updating-location-accuracy/11421 (Thanks Peter).

((please note: the app should record your locality accuracy automatically, if you take the photographs with the app. It wont if you add the photographs afterwards, in which case it needs to be manually inserted))

Posted on May 4, 2024 02:37 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 26, 2024

Erythrina caffra vs E. lysistemon

As per Clare Archer:
E. caffra the standard petal is shorter and spreads widely (into an almost circular shape) to expose the keel, stamens etc.
E. lysistemon standard petal is longer and not spreading widely

Growth habit & leaves are very similar.

Posted on March 26, 2024 05:08 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 25, 2024

URL for summer rainfall region

Posted on March 25, 2024 06:37 PM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Obtaining Picture number

On the picture that you want, click the cc-i that will open the photo page.
on the right hand side, select the size that you want (e.g. large)
Then on the picture right click: copy image address
eg. https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/360279298?size=large

Posted on March 25, 2024 06:17 PM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

Obtaining Place Number and the opposite

Go to the place. e.g. greater CFR https://www.inaturalist.org/places/greater-cape-floristic-region
and to see the number, add the tsxt ".json"to the url and enter
https://www.inaturalist.org/places/greater-cape-floristic-region.json
and your number is 123067

{"id":123067,"name":"Greater Cape Floristic Region","display_name":"Greater Cape Floristic Region","code":"GCFR","latitude":"-31.6149920916","longitude":"19.7696484247","swlat":"-34.9399851516","swlng":"14.7546386719","nelat":"-25.9876748524","nelng":"27.7624511719","woeid":null,"parent_id":113055,"check_list_id":888118,"place_type":1009,"source_name":null,"source_identifier":null,"created_at":"2017-12-03T16:55:21.582+02:00","updated_at":"2021-09-22T21:44:59.593+02:00","user_id":383144,"ancestry":"97392/113055","slug":"greater-cape-floristic-region","source_id":null,"admin_level":null,"uuid":"42bbb8ec-a1c6-4ef1-8a57-69a3ce947863","place_type_name":"Division","html":null,"created_at_utc":"2017-12-03T14:55:21.582Z","updated_at_utc":"2021-09-22T19:44:59.593Z"}
like 1

to convert place to number you use json

to convert number to place use ?place_id=

eg. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=6986 is South Africa

Posted on March 25, 2024 06:15 PM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 13, 2024

Obscuring locality

Scenario 1: I make an observation, it's a sensitive species, iNat auto-obscures.
When adding this obs to the redlist S.Afr project, the curator will see the true locality, but only on a specific observation, not when look on the map
iNat community won't see anything.

Scenario 2: I find an orchid, it may be of conservation concern or not, I obscure.
When adding this obs to realise sAfr, the curator will see the true locality
iNat community won't see anything.

In both scenarios, when I joined the Redlist S.Afr project I allowed curators to the the coordinates.

Posted on March 13, 2024 07:26 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

March 12, 2024

Pics for Legumes/ Fabaceae from Charlie Stirton

For future legume pictures ....

.... a sideview of a flower (detached if in a congested flower head) is like ^gold dust^ for naming species in the pea family. There are just so many yellow-flowered legumes that general pics are mostly only useful to get to genus level.

If it is easy for you to re-photograph this plant can you take and upload a picture of a detached flower side view on and also one with the wing petals removed so that one can see the keel (innermost pair covered by wing petals). The keel should be either ^shoe-shaped^ or more ^U-shaped^. If the anthers are of two types (5 long and 5 short) then we can confirm the genus at least. If it also has inflated pods (fruits) then it is certainly this genus. Hope that helps. There is a possibility it might belong to the genus Argyrolobium which has forest species with very similar leaves and flowers but which have different fruits (long and flattened) and an almost 2-lipped calyx (best seen from side view of a flower) vs 5 distinct teeth in Crotalaria.

Posted on March 12, 2024 08:51 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

February 7, 2024

New species

  1. Ensure it's on the new species project
  2. Check the Genus page if not incorrectly spelled
  3. Check if on the POWO website, if not appearing comment on obs that it's not yet there and thus can't be added to the dictionary
  4. Click More tab - taxa info - scroll to the bottom - create new taxa
  5. Type scientific name - choose species - parent Genus.. the parent ID will appear automatically - save
Posted on February 7, 2024 12:04 PM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 20, 2023

Fixing places

Open Place
click edit
add parent: District name
click checklists allowed.
set type to OPEN (type o in box)
Save

Posted on October 20, 2023 11:04 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 16, 2023

Adding new taxon to iNat

Flag it on the taxon page (in this case Watsonia - find Watsonia: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/72425-Watsonia
Check on the taxon tab that the species is not there, by searching the taxa (top menu : other :: Taxa info) Check that it has not been sunk by selecting active and inactive taxa:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/search?is_active=any&q=Watsonia+vicscutteri&utf8=%E2%9C%93
If it is not, all that is required is on the Taxon Page, click Curation, and then Flag it, giving the POWO link - e,g, https://www.inaturalist.org/flags/635062
No need to provide literature if it is already on POWO: if it is not in POWO you need to provide the paper (or alternatively wait a few months for it to go onto POWO).

Posted on October 16, 2023 07:07 AM by suvarna suvarna | 0 comments | Leave a comment