VegBranch Loading Tables Overview -- Species List (B)
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| Summary: | Information about plants in your dataset. This table is used when a simple link to a plant in the vegbank module is not possible from your other loading tables. |
| Description: | This table has three uses: linking plantCodes to full plant names; describeing irregular taxa; adding new plant concepts to the vegbank module. 1) To link a plant code of yours to a standard plant name, fill in the plantCode field with your value and the plantName field with a recognized plant name that may already be in the vegbank_module (i.e. USDA code, scientific name with or without author). Use plantSyn1 if there is an updated taxonomy name that should be linked to as the "current" concept. Any plants referenced in the other loading tables with a plantCode here will be looked up as the plantName mentioned here. 2) Irregular taxa may be added with a plantCode to link to the irregular taxon from elsewhere, an original name (to be used to describe the irregular taxon), a plantName which is the best single plant concept for the irregular taxon (usually higher level), and optionally up to 4 taxa that may be grouped to comprise the taxon (2 or more of fields PlantSyn1-4). 3) New taxa may be added, and must have references and conceptStatus. They may also have synonyms and several names systems for plantUsage. |
| Required in VegBranch: | Not required unless you wish to refer to taxa (that is, plant concepts) that are not already in VegBranch. |
| Represents VegBank Tables: | plantConcept, plantName, plantStatus (1), plantUsage (4-5), plantCorrelation (4), taxonObservation (part.), taxonInterpretation (part.) and taxonAlt. |
| VegBranch can generate for you: | VegBranch can populate this table from plant names in other tables that do not match records in the VegBank module. |
| Questions: | Do you have any synonymized taxa (for example, you call it X, but now it is called Y)? Do you use codes for plant names that must be matched to 'real' plant names? Do you have any irregular taxa that are not part of standard lists (ie Genus sp#1, Hairy sedge, Species A or Species B)? Do you have taxa to add to VegBank? |
| Expertise Level: | medium/expert |
Fields (Columns) in this table:
| » Required fields; you should always fill in values for these: | ||
| plantCode Text (255) |
A code that uniquely identifies a plant taxon in your other loading tables (Presence Data, Stratum Cover, Stem Data). This can be any combination of letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols. It can be a real code, such as a USDA code, or a temporary code, such as a number. It could be the plant name, too, so long as it does not exceed 255 characters. Note that the other tables need not reference plants in this table, but can reference plants already in the vegbank module directly by name. For more on how this works, see the Translate Data form. | |
| plantName Text (255) |
The plant name for which VegBranch will look up the plant in your vegbank module. If the plant name is not found, then the current record will be added as a new plant concept, based on the name in this field. | |
| » Commonly used fields: | ||
| originalName text (255) |
The author's original name for the taxon observed on the plot. This name does not need to match any name in VegBank, but should be exactly what the author called the plant. Examples: 'Acer rubrum', 'Carex sp.', 'Potentilla canadensis & simplex complex' | |
| groupType text (50) |
If this record in the species list is an irregular taxon, where multiple standard plant concepts are referenced, this field indicates if the multiple taxa mentioned in plantSyn1-plantSyn4 are choices ("one of" the taxa listed, but we're not sure which) or a combination ("union") of all taxa listed. | |
| plantSyn1 Text (255) |
3 uses for this field: 1) the updated name of a taxon in plantName; 2) if groupType is filled in, this and plantSyn2-plantSyn4 are used to indicate member taxa that are combined to form an irregular taxon; 3) if a new plantConcept being added to VegBank, the first of up to 4 synonyms to be correlated to standard VegBank concepts (then PlantConceptStatus should then be not accepted). | |
| plantSyn2 Text (255) |
Another plant Synonym, similar to plantSyn1, in uses 2 and 3 in its definition. | |
| » Sometimes used fields: | ||
| taxonFit text (50) |
This is a default value for taxa occurring on plots being migrated. This allows you to fill in Fit only once per taxon, rather than for each record in your other data tables. Indicates the degree of fit with the plant concept being assigned. Is overridden on a plot by overrideTaxonFit in Presence Data or Strata Cover, if a value is there. | |
| taxonConfidence text (50) |
This is a default value for taxa occurring on plots being migrated. This allows you to fill in Confidence only once per taxon, rather than for each record in your other data tables. Indicates the degree of confidence of the interpretor(s) in the interpretation made, of this plant in the plots referenced in Presence Data or Strata Cover Loading tables. Can be overridden by overrideTaxonConfidence. | |
| plantSyn3 Text (255) |
Another plant Synonym, similar to plantSyn1, in uses 2 and 3 in its definition. | |
| plantSyn4 Text (255) |
Another plant Synonym, similar to plantSyn1, in uses 2 and 3 in its definition. | |
| » Fields for expert users: | ||
| plantNameSystem Text (50) |
The name of the classification system for the name in plantName (e.g., EnglishCommon or Scientific). This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantNameStatus Text (50) |
Is the name in PlantName standard according to the party adding party perspective? This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantShortName Text (220) |
A shorter, alternative Name that corresponds to the current plant Concept record, perhaps lacking authority; an abbreviation. This set of fields (starting with "plantShortName") need not actually be a shorter plant name, but can be any plant name usage to be added to the VegBank module. This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantShortNameSystem Text (50) |
The name of the classification system for the name in plantShortName (e.g., EnglishCommon or Scientific). This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantShortNameStatus Text (50) |
Is the name in PlantShortName standard according to the party adding party perspective? This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantCommonName Text (222) |
Another set of fields to add another plant name Usage, perhaps a common name, perhaps not. This set of fields (starting with "plantCommonName") need not actually be a common plant name, but can be any plant name usage to be added to the VegBank module. This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantCommonNameSystem Text (50) |
The name of the classification system for the name in plantCommonName (e.g., EnglishCommon or Scientific). This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| plantCommonNameStatus Text (50) |
Is the name in PlantCommonName standard according to the party adding party perspective? This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| otherPlantName Text (222) |
Another set of fields to add another plant name Usage. This set of fields (starting with "otherPlantName") can be any type of plantName to be added to the VegBank module. This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| otherPlantNameSystem Text (50) |
The name of the classification system for the name in otherPlantName (e.g., EnglishCommon or Scientific). This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| otherPlantNameStatus Text (50) |
Is the name in OtherPlantName standard according to the party adding party perspective? This will be migrated to the plantUsage table for all records that have a party perspective added. | |
| reference Text (50) |
A string (text field) that identifies to you, the user, what reference this plantConcept record will be based upon. You will be prompted to translate this reference string to an actual reference in the VegBank module (or you can add a new reference). Required for all new concepts to be added to VegBank. Will be ignored for all concepts that are matched to VegBank module concepts. | |
| NamesReference Text (50) |
A string (text field) that identifies to you, the user, what reference the plantNames on this record (plantName, plantShortName, plantCommonName, otherPlantName) were originally cited in. You will be prompted to translate this reference string to an actual reference in the VegBank module (or you can add a new reference). Not required, and you can add references to individual names in VegBranch if different references are necessary for the different names on this record. | |
| plantDescription Memo |
The plantDescription is a description of the plantConcept by the party contributing the plantConcept. This is used to provide more information about the plantConcept. Ignored for concepts that are matched to extant VegBank concepts. | |
| plantLevel Text (22) |
A level in the taxonomic hierarchy to which the current Plant Concept belongs (i.e. family, genus, species). Part of the Party Perspective. | |
| plantParent Text (50) |
The name of the Plant Parent for the current Plant Concept. A Plant Parent is part of the Party Perspective and identifies which plantConcept the Current Concept should be nested under in the taxonomic hierarchy. For example if this Plant Concept were at the genus level the Plant Parent would be the Plant Concept that is the family level (or subfamily level). The name used here will be looked up in the VegBank module or should reference a PLANTcode of a different record in this table. | |
| plantConceptStatus Text (50) |
Status of the concept by the party (accepted, not accepted, undetermined). Part of the Party Perspective. | |
| plantPartyComments Memo |
Comments by party providing rationale for status assignment in plantConceptStatus. Part of the Party Perspective. | |
| plantSynConverg1 Text (50) |
If plantSyn1 is of the 3rd usage in its definition, this Convergence value indicates the relationship between the new concept of this record and the correlated concept in PlantSyn1. Otherwise, this can be left blank. | |
| plantSynConverg2 Text (50) |
Correlation for plantSyn2. (see plantSynConverg1 for definition) | |
| plantSynConverg3 Text (50) |
Correlation for plantSyn3. (see plantSynConverg1 for definition) | |
| plantSynConverg4 Text (50) |
Correlation for plantSyn4. (see plantSynConverg1 for definition) | |
| » Internal VegBranch fields, please do not edit directly: | ||
| UserPlant_ID AutoNumber |
Database assigned value for a unique plant record in this table. | |
| NewPlantConcept Text (12) |
True if this is a new concept to be added to VegBank. You can set how VegBranch determines if a concept is new in the Metadata form. | |
| AddPartyPerspective Text (50) |
True if party perspective for this record will be added if new concepts are being added to vegbank. You can set how VegBranch determines if party perspective is added in the Metadata form. | |
| ArchivedStatus Double |
internal field which shows the status of migration process. | |
Examples of this data table:
simple example showing 3 different cases of species (only the case of new species is omitted):
| plantCode | originalName | plantName | groupType | plantSyn1 | plantSyn2 | plantPartyComments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACRU | Acer L. rubrum | NOT real data, just comments on this example! case1, normal: a code translates to a species name. OriginalName not needed, as author's name is same as name used to lookup concept (plantName) | ||||
| QUAL | Quercus alba | NOT real data, just comments on this example! case1, normal: a code translates to a species name | ||||
| CATO | Carya tomentosa | Carya alba | NOT real data, just comments on this example! case2, Synonym, updated taxonomy: Carya tomentosa is the author's name, which has been since updated to Carya alba, found in plantSyn1 field | |||
| POTECS | Potentilla canadensis/simplex complex | Potentilla | union | Potentilla canadensis | Potentilla simplex | NOT real data, just comments on this example! case3, Irregular taxa: 2 Potentilla species are combined for this taxon, they are listed in plantSyn1 and plantSyn2 and groupType is set, author's original name kept in originalName field |
| CAREX | Carex sp. | Carex | NOT real data, just comments on this example! case3, Irregular taxa: carex sp. Matched to Carex (genus), originalName retained as Carex sp. |
Download this example as a .csv file