Fellow Ecologers, The other day, I managed to leave my printed data sheets behind when I went out to a site to collect plant community data. Fortunately, I had my iPod, and I was able to use Notes to collect the data. My sites have a modified Whittaker plot design that consists of one large 20x50 m site, with one 5x20 m, two 2x5, and 10 0.5x2 m plots nested within. For the small 0.5x2 plots, I estimate coverage using a sampling frame; in all the other sizes, I note presence/absence. I've also been recording flower/fruiting.
So Notes worked OK, but I had to type in names for every plot, which was tedious and slowed me down. The printed data sheets I usually use have species names for each plot size that occurred in the last sampling season, because species turn over slowly, and I simply update presence (and percent coverage in the smallest plots). What I would love is a form-type app that allowed me to preload species names for the plots, then enter and update percent cover/presence as appropriate. And if I had to add a new species, I'd like the flexibility to do that in the field. And I would need something that can work in the field without a connection but would update when I had a new connection. I've looked in Apple's App store at form apps, but none of them seem to have what I need. If you know of such an app--or even better, have used such an app--please let me and the list know. Thanks, Rick ================================ Richard L. Boyce, Ph.D. Director, Environmental Science Program Professor Department of Biological Sciences, SC 150 Northern Kentucky University Nunn Drive Highland Heights, KY 41099 USA 859-572-1407 (tel.) 859-572-5639 (fax) boy...@nku.edu<mailto:boy...@nku.edu> http://www.nku.edu/~boycer/ ================================= "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." - A.A. Milne
