[OSM-talk] Species names (was: Potted plants vs. garden beds)

[Ed Avis]

Ed Avis <eda <at> waniasset.com> writes:

>Rather than plant_type=orange_tree or similar, I think it would make more sense
>to tag plants and trees with the scientific (Latin) name of their species or
>hybrid.  These are already standardized and the local language translations
>('citrus x sinensis' => 'en:orange', 'es:naranja') are also standard, and can be
>looked up by the map renderer rather than duplicated for every orange tree on
>the map.
> 
>I don't expect individual plants will be tagged very often (even the Germans
>have not added the 'unter den' linden trees) but for managed forests and perhaps
>farmland it might be useful.

I thought of mentioning zoo animals but I thought it too silly.  But look:
<http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=52.50826&lon=13.33929&zoom=17&layers=B000FTF>

I think this would be better tagged with scientific names for the animals rather
than 'name' holding the local-language names.  Then the mapnik rendering rules
can be extended with little icons for penguins, polar bears and so on.  We could
even have little fish swimming in the oceans like the maps in olden days.

I'd like to map London Zoo one day so perhaps then a wiki page and vote can be
made for how to tag animal enclosures and wildlife.

-- 
Ed Avis <eda at waniasset.com>