For example, in my country, Cypress Vine is not a native plant species, but many gardens plant this. After a few years later, the seeds were scattered into the wild. In this situation should I mark this observation as a wild or a planted?
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This has been discussed many times on the forum. Basically, “introduced” and “native” refer to a taxon. wild/not wild on iNat refer to the provenance of the individual organism being observed. See https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169932-what-does-captive-cultivated-mean-
If a human planted the individual plant, it’s not wild. If a human didn’t plant it, it’s considered wild.
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The help center have already list of this situation in the example, it should be a wild. “garden plant that is reproducing on its own and spreading outside of the intended gardening area”
But I also have some following questions:
If we don’t know a tree is grow by it’s own or plant by human (especially nearby human living area), should I mark as wild or a planted?
In the map, how to identify introduced area or native area?
If I know this animal escaped from a zoo, but in this area still have native distribution, how should I mark as escaped (not a pure wild animal)?
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Use you best judgement, which is all that any of us can do. I’d say to probably assume it’s wild unless there’s good evidence it was planted.
Which map? Do you have URL of an example of which type of map you’re referring to?
For iNaturalist, the important question is wild (it got there by itself) vs. captive/cultivated (people put that individual where it is now). For your specific question: a zoo animal is captive/cultivated in the zoo. If it escapes, it is wild (whether it is native in that area or not) until it is recaptured. Garden plants are captive/cultivated but plants that grow as weeds from seeds produced by garden plants are wild.
Biologically, native vs. introduced is very important! However, iNaturalist isn’t the best place to learn that.
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This is the definition of a subspontaneous plant. But it’s not an option on iNat, sadly.
For a planted tree, the observation of this tree should be mark as planted. But when the observation is the seed or flower from the tree, not very sure it should be mark as planted or wild (escaped?), but usually it’s very hard to know the seed or flower from the planted tree or a wild tree.
The flower, fruit, and seed should be treated as part of the planted tree. The seedling that sprouts from the seed or fruit is a new individual. It is wild. (Assuming no person put it where it is growing.)
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So, if one area has plant or captive individual, it must has the “wild individual” in this area. For a planted tree, when the leave, seed or stick drop out to the ground, it should be “wild individual”. For free-range animals, if the feather drop out to the ground, it still be “wild individual”. If so, would it mess up the distribution map?
If the tree was planted - fallen bits are still Not Wild. (Only a volunteer seedling will become Wild)
Free range poultry - fallen feathers are still Captive.
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That’s more reasonable.
But what is the difference between excape animal and free-range animals?
With free-range animals, they are living in the area where people put them on purpose. They will be gathered up. Their temporary freedom is a planned part of managing them.
Escaped animals are loose in an area where the owner does not want them to be. The owner may or may not be able to catch them again. Their freedom was not planned.
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