Development of a Scalable Native Plant Conservation Data Management System

The organization faces difficulties in managing dispersed, outdated, and non-optimized data related to native plant species, with manual data entry processes, limited data usability for research, and lack of integration across various platforms, hindering conservation efforts and research initiatives.

A non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of native plant species, managing extensive field data, mapping, and public education initiatives.

• Implement a unified, user-friendly database system to centralize native plant occurrence and conservation data.
• Facilitate efficient data transcription from legacy formats, enabling the processing of large volumes of historical field forms.
• Enhance data accessibility and searchability for research, conservation decision-making, and public education.
• Integrate geographic information system (GIS) data with plant occurrence records for spatial analysis.
• Develop a scalable, cloud-based platform capable of supporting future growth and additional functionalities.
• Reduce manual data entry and duplication, improving data accuracy and updating processes.

• User-friendly web interface for data entry, editing, and querying.
• Support for additional data fields, tags, and custom metadata to improve data classification and retrieval.
• Geo-location functionality to map plant populations and conservation sites.
• Advanced search capabilities, including filtering by species, location, date, and other attributes.
• Tools for bulk data import and transcription from legacy datasets and paper forms.
• Role-based access controls for staff, volunteers, and external partners.
• Integration with GIS platforms, botanical collections management, and public information portals.
• Mobile accessibility for field data collection and verification.
• Automated data validation and duplication checks.
• Backend architecture designed for scalability and future feature expansion.

• GIS platforms for spatial data mapping and analysis
• Existing botanical collection systems for record synchronization
• Public-facing websites or portals for educational outreach
• Legacy data repositories for bulk data migration

• System scalability to handle increasing datasets and users over time
• High system availability with 99.9% uptime
• Data security and privacy compliance, including role-based access
• Long-term maintainability and easy upgrade pathways
• Performance benchmarks ensuring fast query responses (e.g., sub-second search times)

The new platform will enable rapid transcription and centralization of decades of conservation data, boosting research efficiency and accuracy. As a result, the organization anticipates improved decision-making, enhanced capacity for longitudinal studies such as phenology shifts linked to climate change, and increased collaboration through data sharing. Projected outcomes include digitizing over 8,700 field records within the first year, facilitating research that detects climate-driven changes in plant phenology, and establishing a scalable, future-proof system supporting ongoing conservation efforts.