With Obsmapp you can submit all your nature observations directly from the field. All observations are automatically linked to the current time and GPS location. After your field trip you can upload your sightings to one of the linked portals.

Source: Android description / Image: Public Domain Images

Useful information

Download: Android 4.1 (6.55MB)

Price: free

Language: English / Spanish / German / French / Dutch / Portuguese / Russian / Hungarian

Runs offline: yes

Las update: Android 11/02/2017 (v. 7.8.1)

Website of the developer: ObsMapp

Notes: article updated on 12/02/2017

Description

ObsMapp is a Dutch application which serves as digital notebook, allowing registration of your flora and fauna observations. You can save the data on your mobile device and export them later for treatment or share the information uploading it to any of the portals attached to the network: observation.org (and its Dutch and Belgian versions) and Sovon.

The application displays the following options:

  • “Observations”, where you can view and edit the observations you made.
  • “Observation”, section in which you record the sightings through a form with different drop-down fields. Previously, you need to download the list of birds, mammals, plants etc. of the area where data are being collected (Settings -> Downloads -> Species). The forms have an option to be partially configured in some of their fields, being able to show more or less species according to the established filters (access through the symbol of 3 horizontal lines on the top left). To choose between different downloaded databases, click on the symbol of “species group” in the upper right (animal silhouettes with a question mark)..
  • “Speech”, to make records through the voice.
  • “Map”, section with a map of the area where the user is located. If you have internet access, you can load maps from Google or Bing. If connection is not available and you have downloaded them previously, you can access maps from OpenStreetMap or other resources saved on the device (in the download section you can check the route in which should be stored these kind of maps).
  • “Surroundings”, that shows other observations in the vicinity of the user.
  • “Multimedia”, with graphics and sound files of different animals (requires previous download that it is recommended to save on a memory card due to its large volume).
  • “Tracks”, which it offers the ability to load KML files created from observations you have made, as long as this option is activated in the application (Settings -> Advanced Settings symbol at top right -> Save track). Starting from version 7.8, these tracks can also be stored in Google Drive.
  • “Upload”, option to share the information on the websites mentioned above.
  • “Export”, from where you can export the gathered data to XML or CSV format.
  • “Settings”, section from which you access different sources of information to download (species, maps, multimedia, etc,) and configure the groups of species for display them in one way or another.
  • “Count”, to see the statistics of the sightings.
  • “Manual”, a PDF file with instructions to start recording quickly.

More information

http://www.obsmapp.org/

Quicker mapping of Street Trees (use of ObsMapp for inventory of urban trees)

Images: Screenshots 13/09/2016. © ObsMapp

Rating
4

Analysis

The apps for recording observations of nature are an advantage for field work, facilitating the task of data collection. On this website, other options such as iNaturalist or Natusfera have already been analyzed, alternatives to which ObsMapp is now added.

This application highlights for the detail of the data that can be collected, as well as the active community of users who share their observations that, in principle, are validated by an expert team, although it has not found information about the methodology used to carry out this work. The application enables to record endangered species, but information on location is hidden to safeguard the specimen. Perhaps one of the problems of this tool is that it prevents you from creating custom lists of species (eg, invasive species. It has made an attempt to locate Cortaderia selloana as species on which to introduce records, but it has not been possible), ie, in that sense it is a closed application. Although the available listings are fairly complete, this aspect can generate problems.

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Técnico de medio ambiente, community manager y content curator especializada en temas de medioambiente - Environmental technician, community manager and content curator specialised in environmental issues