ReadMe file for Plant Data Collector App

Jere A. Boudell, Ph.D.

July 21, 2013

The Plant Data Collector App was created to assist biologists in the field with plant data collection and storage. The app stores the study area name, GPS coordinates1, date2, site and plot numbers, species name and species cover. Multiple plants can be associated with a single study plot3. The data are saved locally to a small data base (“TinyDB”) on the user’s mobile device and to an online Google Fusion Table4. The app can search the USDA PLANTS database to provide assistance with plant identification in the field5. If the user needs to recover data from TinyDB, the user can enter the data tag and retrieve associated data6. All actions that could affect data storage (e.g., “Save,” “ID,” “Data Recovery,” and “Reset”) require a long click to help prevent accidental data loss. The user assumes all risk when using the Plant Data Collector App to collect and store data (i.e., use traditional methods until user is familiar with app as a data collector). To use Google Fusion Tables and the USDA PLANTS database, users need a Gmail account and a cell tower signal or Wi-Fi.

Notes:

!The user must reset the app using the “Reset” button when collecting data from a new plot, otherwise the plot data will be associated with the prior plot number.

1GPS

GPS coordinates are entered if GPS is turned on in your cell phone settings and a signal is available, if a GPS signal is not available, triangulation methods using cell towers and known wireless networks are used to estimate position. Look for the GPS symbol on your cell phone, not in the app, to determine if the GPS is on and working. If the app cannot obtain GPS coordinates through either method, the GPS button will continue to display a “GPS ON” message. Once coordinates have been obtained, the GPS button will display an “OKAY” message. If you do not see a GPS symbol on your cell phone, check your GPS settings in your phone and then press the “GPS ON” button to see if you can activate your GPS. To conserve cell phone battery power, the user can turn off the GPS by holding down the GPS button. Once off, the GPS button will display a “GPS OFF” message. Simply press the GPS button using a long click to reactivate the GPS.

2DATE

The date is automatically determined and saved.

3MULTIPLE PLANTS PER PLOT

To enter multiple plants for a study plot, save your original data, and then enter the species name and cover and save your data again. Repeat for each new plant species in your plot. As long as you do not change your site attributes (study area-plot) on the data screen, the species data will be associated with the previously saved site attributes.

4SAVING DATA

Data are saved to a local database, “TinyDB” and an onlineGoogle Fusion Table (see note #6 for data retrieval instructions). To use the Google Fusion Table, users will need a Gmail account and their own Fusion Table. It is suggested that users reference the “Pizza Party with Fusion Tables” tutorial under “Data Storage” tutorials on the MIT App Inventor website ( to learn how to set up a Google Fusion Table. Pay careful attention to order and syntax in the Plant Data Collector source code and in the tutorial. Users have permission to edit the source code of this app.

In the Google Fusion Table all associated data will be saved in rows under study area, date, site #, latitude, longitude, plot #, species name, and species cover columns. The rows will be repeated for each plant species entered (preserving data associations). To view the demonstration online Google Fusion Table go to:

Example Fusion Table row:

red / Jul 21, 2013 / 1 / 33.35807 / 84.20521 / 1 / red / .45
red / Jul 21, 2013 / 1 / 33.35807 / 84.20521 / 1 / blu / .67
red / Jul 21, 2013 / 1 / 33.35807 / 84.20521 / 2 / red / .78

In the local data base, TinyDB, new plant species data will be added to the end of row data when saved, until the “Reset” button is pushed with a long click and a new plot number is entered. This will result in the creation of a new data row. See note #6 for information on tag ids and data retrieval.

Example TinyDB row:

1red1, Jul 21, 2013, 1, 33.35807, 84.20521, 1, red, .45, blu, .67

1red2, Jul 21, 2013, 1, 33.35807, 84.20521, 2, red, .78

5USDA PLANTS DATABASE

To use the USDA PLANTS database, press the “ID” button on the app. The user will receive a “Save Data” message because once the user leaves the data screen, any unsaved data will be lost. Make sure your data are saved before pressing the button again with a long click. The plant name entered from the data collection screen will appear in the “Scientific” text box on the ID screen. You can use the name, change it to another scientific plant name, or enter a common plant name in the“Common” box. The screen will take you to the search page of the desired plant on the USDA PLANTS database. The USDA PLANTS database requires the plant name to be spelled correctly and misspelled names will return an error on the USDA PLANTS database page.

6DATA RETRIEVAL

To retrieve data from your Google Fusion Table, go to your Google drive and look for your file name. You can save the file as a csv file, which can be downloaded.

To retrieve data from local storage (TinyDB), press the “Data Recovery” button on the app. You will need to enter the tag id for each group of associated data. Site tags, or tag ids, are constructed from the site number, study area name (what you entered), and the plot number. For example, to retrieve data collected from the study area “red”, site “1”, and plot “1” enter “1red1” (without quotation marks, see example in note #4). The data associated with “1red1” will be retrieved from TinyDB and displayed in the text box on the app screen. Users must repeat this sequence for each tag. You cannot access the data stored on your cell phonethrough any other methodthan the app data retrieval system.

You can ascertain whether or not your data are saved correctly by examining your Google Fusion Table file or through the local data retrieval system.

Happy Data Collection!