A direct link between BG-Map and GPS has been created at the University of Delaware, in Newark, Delaware, USA.

GPS is the Global Positioning System, a network of satellites orbiting the earth. Using GPS and sophisticated electronic equipment, it is possible to fix exact positions with an accuracy of a fraction of a meter. At the University of Delaware, GPS and BG-Map will be used to map the positions of trees and plants in the botanic gardens.

At right: John Frett of the University of Delaware uses GPS to map a tree location.

Determining plant locations is simple. A portable GPS receiver and antenna is carried from plant to plant. The GPS receiver contacts several orbiting satellites and uses the received data to determine each plant's location. The location data is stored in a portable data collector. At the end of a surveying session, the data collector is returned to the plant records office, where the data is uploaded to a PC for use by BG-Map.

Using the combination of GPS and BG-Map, it is hoped that human resources can be maximized, allowing the plant collections to be accurately mapped with a minimum of time and labor.

Past BG-Map Feature Articles

• BG-Map Adds Custom Symbols 3/11/98
• BG-Map Goes Underground 1/22/98

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Revised April 13, 1998

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