HaimannSimon/South-African-Grass-Explorer

An Android application for exploring the distribution of South African grass species using interactive maps, GPS location services, and biodiversity occurrence records. Grass Distribution Explorer (Android) Overview The Grass Distribution Explorer is a mobile GIS application for Android that enables users to explore the distribution of South African grass species (Poaceae) using an interactive map. The application was developed by combining a web-based mapping application built with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Leaflet with Capacitor, allowing it to run as a native Android application. It provides a simple interface for viewing species occurrence records, searching for species, and identifying grasses recorded near the user's current location. This project demonstrates the integration of biodiversity data, GIS, and modern web technologies into a mobile application suitable for ecological research, conservation, and education. Features Interactive map of South Africa Search for grass species by scientific name View georeferenced occurrence records GPS location support Display nearby grass species based on the user's location View South African biome and ecoregion information Mobile-friendly interface Built entirely from a web application using Capacitor Technologies Front-end HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript (ES6) Mapping Leaflet.js GeoJSON Mobile Capacitor Android Studio Android SDK Data The application uses a database containing approximately 139,000 georeferenced occurrence records of South African grass species (Poaceae). Each occurrence record includes information such as: Scientific name Latitude Longitude The application also includes GIS layers for: South African biomes South African ecoregions Project Structure GrassDistributionExplorer/ │ ├── android/ # Android project generated by Capacitor ├── www/ # Web application files │ ├── index.html │ ├── css/ │ ├── js/ │ ├── data/ │ ├── images/ │ └── assets/ │ ├── capacitor.config.* ├── package.json └── README.md Installation Prerequisites Before running the application, install: Node.js npm Android Studio Android SDK Capacitor CLI Clone the …