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Adding Species

Before you begin managing your seed collections and seedling inventory in Terraware, you will need a species list, including all of the plant species you will be working with. Users with Admin or Manager user roles can add species to create the species list.

After creating a species list, you will be able to add new species to the list when you start working with new species. Species can be added to the list in bulk by importing a CSV.

 

Importing A Species List

You may already have a long list of species that you’ve been working with prior to using Terraware. If you already have a list, you can easily import it into Terraware using a CSV file. A CSV file including the list can be created, edited, and deleted in a spreadsheet application of your choice (for example Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers). Importing a species list will not overwrite any species that you have previously added, either through import or individually.

To import from a CSV:

    1. First, make sure your CSV file is formatted with the correct column names and values.
      1. A blank CSV template is available to download from the Species page in Terraware. Clicki on the three dots icon at the upper right of the screen, select Import, and then click on the link to download the CSV. You can then open it in the spreadsheet application of choice.
        1. The only required column in the CSV file is the scientific name. After you’ve filled out the sheet, export it as a CSV. Please enter it in the form of genus + species.
        2. The family name will be auto populated for you when you upload the spreadsheet if we find the scientific name in the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) database.
        3. We do encourage you to be as thorough as possible, as this will help you easily sort your seed collection by things like conservation status, and easily reference seed storage behavior for different species later.
    2. When your CSV is ready to be uploaded, go to the Species page, select Import, then select the CSV file to upload it.
      1. If there are any issues with the data, you’ll be asked to correct them and re-upload the file.
      2. You’ll next be asked if you want to perform a check. The check will search for things such as duplicate species and misspelled scientific names. If any are found, you’ll be notified.
    3. When the import is completed, you’ll see your species list in Terraware.
      1. If any issues, such as misspelled scientific names, were found, you’ll see an exclamation point next to those species in the list. Click on the exclamation point to see information about the warning, including suggestions to fix it where relevant. 

Adding Species Individually

Adding species individually may be easier than uploading a CSV when you are adding just a few species.

To add a species:

      1. In the Species page, click the “Add Species” button. 
      2. Provide the scientific name of the species
        1. The scientific name of the species is the genus + species name.
        2. While you enter the name in the field, Terraware searches the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) database for species that match what you are typing. If Terraware doesn’t find a match, you can still enter the scientific name. 
        3. The scientific name is the only field required to add a species, though we recommend that you provide as much information about the species as you can.
      3. Provide information for the following fields (optional):
        1. Common name: The name an organism is known by to the general public, rather than its scientific name.
        2. Family: The scientific name of the plant family currently accepted in the botanical literature. This will be pre-populated if we find your scientific name in the GBIF database
        3. IUCN Red List Category: Red List conservation category
        4. Growth Form: A structural category consisting of individuals or species of the same general habit of growth but not necessarily related.
        5. Rare: Select if the species is considered rare.
        6. Native Ecosystem: List the ecosystem type where this species is found naturally, may include details such as elevation range, rainfall, etc.
        7. Successional Group: Select pioneer, early secondary, late secondary, and/or mature. 
        8. Ecosystem Type: Relatively large units of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities sharing a large majority of species, dynamics, and environmental conditions.
        9. Ecological Role Known: List ecological roles such as functional group of the species, ecosystem services provided, role as keystone species, etc.i
        10. Local Uses Known: List any important traditional, cultural, social, economic/livelihood uses of the species in your region.
        11. Seed Storage Behavior: The capacity of seeds to survive desiccation and temperatures to levels necessary for ex site (off site) storage.
        12. Plant Material Sourcing Method: 
          1. Seed collection and germination - seeds collected from wild plants germinated in a nursery or seed bank
          2. Seed purchase and germination - seeds purchased from local suppliers germinated in a nursery or seed bank
          3. Mangrove propagules - seedlings that germinate on, then detach from the mother plant (natural dispersal units of mangroves)
          4. Vegetative propagation - clonal propagation, e.g. cuttings, air layering, grafting
          5. Wildling harvest - seedlings harvested from natural forests and subsequently replanted
          6. Seedling purchase - buying seedlings from a local nursery
      4. Click Save to add your species to your species list.

 

Associating Species with Projects

If your organization has Projects set up, you can associate species with those Projects and categorize the species as native or non-native within the context of the associated Project.

To add a species to Projects:

  1. Click the Species name in the list to view the Species information, and click the Edit Species button.
  2. In the Edit View of the Species, click the Add to Project button.
  3. In the Add to Project screen:
    1. Select the Project.
    2. Select whether the species is Native or Non-Native within the context of the selected Project.
    3. Click Add to add associate the species with the Project.
  4. Click Save to save the addition of the Project to the species.

Checking Species Data

You can run a database check at any time to compare your species list information to what’s stored in the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) database. This will flag entries if the scientific name of your species is spelled wrong, or is missing from the database.

To check species data:

        1. Click on the three dots icon at the top right of the page, and select the “Check Data” feature. 
        2. Click Run a Database Check to run the check.
          1. If errors were found, you will be notified and will have the option to review errors.
            1. Click Review Errors
        3. If a species is flagged after a data check, there will be a yellow caution icon next to the species name in the list. Click the icon for more information about the issue. You can either:
          1. Cancel: This will close the window without any action. The icon will still appear in the list next to the species name
          2. Ignore: This will remove the caution icon from the species and will not change the name you have currently. If you run the check again, the species will not be flagged again.
          3. Accept: If a suggestion is provided, you can accept the suggestion, and the name of the species will be updated. The change will be reflected across Terraware in seed accessions, nursery seedlings, and plants dashboard.
          4. Edit: This will direct to the Edit View of the species so that the name can be manually changed.

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