How To Verify Your Species Data

Ensure accurate & up to date information from any source

One issue we come across using the internet is that there is too much information, from sources do not cross-reference or correlate to one another, leaving you guessing which is the most accurate.

As you can see from our database & compliancy page, Species List Pro uses only the most accurate, reliable and up-to-date databases and information, so you can rest assured. (please note that your client may require the use of a different database, so always check the databases we support with the requirements of your project) 

Here we are going to show you how to use the FREE version of Species List Pro to check the accuracy of any species data you have on file. 

Tutorial: How to check accuracy of any data source

This tutorial will work for checking data collected from any source, but for this example, we will use Calflora.org, a very commonly used website. Calflora is a favorite of ours thanks to their mapping tools and other collaborative features.  However, sometimes the data pulled from Calflora is not the must up-to-date, and it is best to check the accuracy of their listings before proceeding into a published plant list, or worse, performing a rare plant survey for a plant that is no longer listed as rare.  

For example, California macrophylla was delisted from the CNPS ranking system on Dec 11, 2017.  As of March 18, 2018, Calflora still had not recognized this change: 

Image
Image

Checking this for accuracy is easy, and ensure's your credibility:

  1. Sign up for a free Species List Pro account.  This step is free and you can remain on a free account for as long as you would like, with full access to our database. 
  2. Start a new list.  Choose plants or wildlife, and give your list a name. 
  3. To check the accuracy of species data that you have, start typing the species name, common or Latin.  Choose the appropriate one from the drop-down menu. 
  4. Compare data.  Once you have chosen the species name you desire, the rest of the data will auto-fill immediately.  You can now fact-check the columns of data against the information you have on file. 

If the data doesn't match, there could be several reasons.  One reason is that the source you have pulled your information from is out of date, such as our Calflora example above, which is over 3 months out-of-date at the time of this post. 

Another reason is that we could be using a different database than your source, so please be sure to check our database & compliancy page to learn more about what databases we support.  

Want to check an existing list for errors & accuracy?
The Professional Plan of Species List Pro allows users to upload an existing species list! Our program will highlight any mis-matches between your list and our database. You will then have the option to update or "ignore" the species data as you see fit.

Don't have a Species List Pro account yet?

TRY IT FREE