EarthRanger Glossary

Miscellaneous

ER EarthRanger acronym that is commonly used around certain documentation. 
Source A device that generates sensor data in EarthRanger such as; animal collars, vehicles trackers, gps radios, etc.
Observations Points Individual location and data records generated automatically by a source (such as a GPS collar or vehicle tracker) at a specific point in time. These are the raw data points that connect to form a subject's track on the map.
SubjectSource assignment: Associates a source and a subject for a specific time period. Let us re-use a collar on two different animals.
Source Provider: The system that is sending data about a group of sources, for example a collar manufacturer. (Link to 100+ integrations we support)
User: Someone that can access EarthRanger, these can be profiles with a login or a password, or PIN profiles that can access EarthRanger with a PIN.
Username An account that requires a username and a password to enter EarthRanger. 
User Profile A secure account that requires a PIN to login to EarthRanger so devices can be shared with multiple members without having to log out of session. 
DAS Domain Awareness System, previous name of the EarthRanger system.
PAMDAS Protected Area Management Domain Awareness System
Telemetry Data Information transmitted by GPS or radio collars attached to wildlife, providing location and other vital statistics.
Geofencing The creation of virtual boundaries or zones on a map to monitor and control wildlife movements and human activities. See also: Geofence Analyzer
Historical Data Past information and records collected by EarthRanger, which can be used for trend analysis and decision-making.
Analytics The process of examining and interpreting data collected by EarthRanger to gain insights and make informed conservation decisions.
Data Integration The process of combining data from various sources, such as camera traps, GPS trackers, weather stations, and other software systems into a unified dataset.
GIS Layers Digital representations of geographic features and data sets that can be displayed over EarthRanger BaseMaps with various aspects of information such as fences, land use, vegetation, demographics, and more.
Incident Management The process of responding to alerts and incidents, which may involve dispatching rangers to investigate or take action. See also: Incident Collection
Gundi  EarthRanger's integration and data-sharing platform. Gundi enables EarthRanger sites to share subjects and events with other EarthRanger sites (ER-to-ER sharing), as well as connect with external data sources and third-party integrations.
ER-to-ER Sharing  A Gundi-powered feature that allows one EarthRanger site to share subject location data and/or events with another EarthRanger site in near real-time, enabling coordinated monitoring across multiple protected areas.
Subject Groups  Administrator-defined collections of subjects, used to organize subjects for display, permission control, and analyzer configuration. A subject can belong to multiple groups.
Permission Sets  Administrator-configured bundles of access rights assigned to users. Permission sets control what data a user can view (e.g., specific subject groups, event categories, track history duration) and what actions they can perform.
Global Forest Watch Open-source, interactive online platform that monitors the world's forests in near real-time.

Main Layout 

Top Navigation Bar Top bar that holds different functionalities. Including menu, map quicklinks, network status, alerts, notifications and user settings.
Sidebar Navigation The left-side panel providing access to the four main sections of EarthRanger: Events, Patrols, Map Layers, and Settings.
Menu A list of support resources, data export options, site settings, and other useful information.
Map Tools The set of interactive tools available on the EarthRanger map, including: Add Event/Patrol (+), Base Map selector, Map Pin, Ruler, Print, Time Slider, and Zoom In/Out. Access these from the right-side toolbar on the map.
Coordinates Set of numbers used to specify the location of something. Coordinates can have different formats such as DEG, DMS, DDM, UTM, MGRS.
Map Quicklinks A list of user-defined links, for quick navigation between areas of interest.
Connection Status Show the health of the system in real time.
Messages  Two-way text communication between the EarthRanger operations room and field devices that support messaging (such as Garmin InReach). The Messages icon in the top navigation bar shows unread message counts, and individual device conversations are accessible from both the header and from a subject's details panel on the map.
EarthRanger Notifications Community announcements from the EarthRanger team about new features, system outages, and major developments.
User Settings Manage users, change user profiles, or log out from the session.
Create Button in the Map Tools for creating an event/patrol. 
Base Maps Change the main map layer type between Terrain, Topographic, Satellite, and other user-defined options.
Map Pin Place a temporary marker on the map to annotate a location, copy its coordinates, or start a event or patrol from that position.
Ruler Measure the distance and bearing between two or more points.
Print Print the current map view.
Cookie Settings  Accessible from the top navigation bar. Allows users to review and manage cookie and data collection preferences for the EarthRanger web application.
Time Slider Scrub back and forth to visualize your map data over a time range.
Map Zoom Zoom in or out on the map.
Alerts Automated notifications triggered when an event meets specified conditions. Alerts can be delivered via SMS, email, or WhatsApp. Each alert rule can include one or more conditions (such as Contains, Starts With, Equal To, Matches RegEx, Is One Of) and can be set on a weekly schedule so notifications are only sent during defined hours and days.
Contact Support Contact the Support Team to report an issue or request assistance.
Help Center A website where you can find helpful information, documentation, FAQs and videos.
Community A place to interact with other EarthRanger users, post questions, and share your experience.
User’s Guide A link to the User Guide of EarthRanger.
Field events Export a spreadsheet of the events currently filtered in the Events Feed.
Subject KML A Keyhole Markup Language export containing geographic data for all subjects on the site. The file uses a network link that pulls live data directly from EarthRanger, so it stays current when opened in tools like Google Earth. Export options include date range and whether to include inactive subjects.
Subject Summary Export a spreadsheet detailing your site’s devices and the subjects to which they are assigned.
Observations Downloads a spreadsheet of raw observation (location) data generated by subjects within the current filter period. Each row represents a single recorded data point from a source device.
App version Displays the current server version and web client version of EarthRanger running on your site. Found at the bottom of the App Menu (hamburger menu).
EULA End User License Agreement. The legal terms governing use of EarthRanger. Accessible from the App Menu.
Website Privacy Policy  Outlines EarthRanger's privacy practices for website visitors. Accessible from the App Menu.
Data Privacy Policy Documents how EarthRanger collects, stores, and uses data from users and connected devices. Accessible from the App Menu. 
ArcGIS Export  Sends subject observation data to an ArcGIS environment for advanced geospatial analysis and visualization.

Settings

Map Settings Fine-tuned controls for how your data is displayed.
General A general settings configuration. 
App Refresh When the site page is refreshed. 
Map Position & Zoom Level
When refreshing the page, the position and the zoom level you were last located in the map will remain the same.
Event Filters By selecting this setting, any change on the view of the reports filters will stay the same when refreshing.
Patrol Filters By selecting this setting, any change on the view of the patrol filters will stay the same when refreshing.
Map Layers Any active or deactivated layer from Map Layers will remain active or inactive when refreshing the page.
Experimental Features In here you will find the experimental features that you can activate and start experiencing.
Play Sound For New Events When a new report is recorded a sound will play to alert the user.
Map With Map Settings you will be able to configure how the information is displayed in the Map.
Lock Map
Locks the map in the exact position you have selected. Meaning that you will not be able to move the map or pointer.
3D Map Terrain Allows a 3D view of the terrain surface on map.
Simplify Map Data on Zoom When zooming in the data on the map will simplify.
Show Track Timepoints Shows or hides the track timepoints on the map.
Show Inactive Radios Shows or hides the radios that are inactive.
Cluster data when there is overlap for When the data starts to overlap, this options allow you to create clusters or groups of the data in similar locations. 
All Allows all the data to create clusters. 
Events Allows only Reports to create clusters.
Subjects Allows only Subjects to create clusters.
Show names on map markers for 
When a map marker appears on the map, you will be able to allow it to show the name of each marker or only appear as an icon.
All All of the options will appear with the name on the map.
Subjects Only subjects will have a visible name on the map.
Stationary Subjects Only stationary subjects will have a visible name on the map.
Reports Only reports will have a visible name on the map.
Patrols Only patrols will have a visible name on the map.
Show My Current Location Allow EarthRanger to show your current location.
Alerts Automated notifications triggered when an event meets specified conditions. Alerts can be delivered via SMS, email, or WhatsApp. Each alert rule can include one or more conditions (such as Contains, Starts With, Equal To, Matches RegEx, Is One Of) and can be set on a weekly schedule so notifications are only sent during defined hours and days.
Alert Conditions Logical rules applied to an event field that determine when an alert is triggered. Available condition types include: Contains, Starts With, Ends With, Equal To, Equal To (case insensitive), Is One Of, Is Not One Of, Non Empty, and Matches RegEx (regular expression pattern). Multiple conditions can be combined for precise targeting.
Alert Schedule An optional time-based restriction on an alert rule that limits notifications to specific days of the week and hours of the day. Useful for routing after-hours alerts to on-call staff only.
Language Setting Found under Settings > General. Allows users to change the display language of the EarthRanger interface.

Patrols 

Patrols An organized field activity that collects subject tracks, notes, images, and events from one or more rangers over a defined time window. Patrols can have the following statuses: Scheduled (planned for the future), Ready to Start, Active (in progress), Overdue (past scheduled start), Done (completed), or Cancelled.
Create Patrol Button that creates a new patrol.
Patrol Feed List Patrols and their current status, and can be filtered to show specific results.
Patrol Patrol Item with basic details and controls for an individual Patrol. Open that Patrol Details by clicking on it. 
Patrol Details The expanded view for an individual patrol, displaying the patrol's description, tracked subjects, start/end times and locations, duration, distance covered, associated events, notes, attachments, and activity history.
Patrol Types Administrator-defined categories for patrols (e.g., "Foot Patrol," "Vehicle Patrol," "Marine Patrol"). Each type has its own icon, display name, and default priority. Selected when creating a new patrol.
Tracked By The subject (device) assigned to record the GPS track for a patrol. A patrol can have one or more tracked-by subjects, and their movement data forms the patrol track displayed on the map.

Events 

Events Records used to document specific occurrences in the field, such as wildlife sightings, poaching incidents, or situational reports (Sitreps). Each event has a type, location, date/time, priority, state, and optional custom fields defined by the event type.
Add Event Button that creates a new event.  
Events Feed A filterable, sortable list of all events in EarthRanger. Events can be sorted by Date Updated, Created Date, or Event Date, in ascending or descending order. Filtering options include state, priority, reported by, event type, and date range. Results shown in the feed are synced to the map.
Incident Collection  A container that groups related events together under a single record, useful for managing multi-part incidents. Individual events can be added to a collection from the event's action menu. Also referred to as a "Collection."
Event Types Are specific classifications or labels assigned to types of incidents or activities. Each Event Type provides information about a specific kind of occurrence in EarthRanger.
Event Categories Represent classifications that encompass multiple Event Types. Categories help in organizing and summarizing information for easier analysis.
Event Item for Events in the Events Feed with the Event name, date of created and based on the color of the priority of the Event.  
Event Details Detailed view of the Event that includes the dynamic data set by the Event Type selected. It also include Activity logs, History and Attachments. 
Reported By Represents the user who created an event.
State Current status of a documented event. An event can be Active (the observation is current and ongoing) or Resolved (it has been ended or closed). Events can also be configured to resolve automatically after a set number of days.
Priority A color-coded classification assigned to an event to indicate urgency. Priority levels are typically represented by color (e.g., red for high, yellow for medium, green for low). Default priorities can be configured per event type by an administrator.
Quick Filters  Preset one-click filter options in the Events Feed and Patrol Feed that allow users to rapidly narrow results to common views (such as "Active" or "Today") without manually setting filter criteria.
Map Sync When enabled in the Events Feed, events shown in the feed are simultaneously highlighted on the map, and vice versa, keeping the list and map views in sync.
Event Polygon Geometry  An option available on certain event types that allows the user to draw a polygon on the map to define the geographic area of an event, rather than marking a single point location.
Enumerated Field  An event field with a predefined list of selectable options (dropdown).
Text Field A free-text entry field in an event.
Number Field A numeric data entry field in an event.
Array A repeatable section in an event that allows users to add multiple instances of a sub-form (e.g., adding multiple animals observed in a single sighting).
Required Field An event field that must be completed before the event can be saved.
Read-Only Field An event field whose value is set by the system and cannot be edited by the user.
Dynamic Choices Field  A field whose available options change based on values entered in other fields.

Map Layers 

Map Layers List sets of map data and control their display. 
Tracks Button Switch on and off the display of tracks for a subject.
Jump to Location Click to center the map view on the associated item.
Heatmap Button Switch the display of heatmaps for a subject, set of subjects, or visible map events.
Analyzers Hide and show the features related to analyzers such as Geofences and Proximity Analyzers on the map.
Clear All Hide all layers on the map.
Subject A tracked person, animal, vehicle, or other entity associated with an integrated device or sensor. Subjects can be tracked (actively moving with GPS data being received) or stationary (fixed-location sensors such as camera traps). Subject attributes include name, subtype, sex, color, and assigned source(s).

Map Features

Features User-defined geographic features. These can be important sites, areas, buildings, points of interest, etc.
Feature Properties View properties of the selected feature such as location, name, and date created. 
Tracked Subject Properties View the properties of the selected subject such as location, the date of the most recent update, and enable the tracks or the heatmap of the subject. This could include Rangers, Tracked Subjects, Subjects, etc. 
Tracks Button Display the tracks the subject has recorded. It has three states starting with the “Tracks off” where the tracks are invisible, when clicked, the button will change to “Tracks on” making them visible and displayed on the map. When clicked again, they will change to “Tracks pinned” and stay visible on the map even if you close the Tracked Subject Properties.
Heatmap Button Heatmaps can be activated and deactivated to be visible on the map from the Tracked Subject Properties.
Cluster Refers to a grouping or concentration of data points on the map. These data points may represent various events, observations, or incidents that have occurred in a specific geographical area.
Tracks A line visualizing the recorded movement of a subject over a period of time, drawn by connecting its observation points in chronological order.
Geofence Warning Fence A virtual boundary set up around a geographic area, where an alert of warning is triggered when a device enters or exits this predefined zone.
Geofence Critical Fence A virtual boundary set up, where a critical alert is triggered when a device enters or exits this predefined zone.
Boundaries Delimitations of certain areas on the map.
Heatmaps Heatmaps are colored circles that show the location and the intensity of their associated events.
Tracked by Represents the device that is being tracked on a Patrol.
Reported by Represents the user who created an event.
Track Detail Panel  When a subject's track is active on the map, clicking the track endpoint icon (informally called the "popsicle stick") opens a panel showing the subject's icon, name, number of observation points over the track period, and a configuration icon to adjust the track length.
Track Length The time window of location history shown for a subject's track on the map. Can be set to match the current Event Filter date range, or set to a custom number of days. Adjustable from the Track Detail Panel.
Subject Additional Data  Supplementary information associated with a subject beyond its location, such as collar status, speed, heading, battery level, or other provider-specific attributes. Visible in the subject's detail panel on the map.
Subject Historical Data Past location and attribute records for a subject, accessible from the subject's detail panel. Allows users to review a subject's data beyond the current track display window.

EarthRanger Mobile

EarthRanger Mobile

 

 The iOS and Android companion app for EarthRanger, used by rangers in the field to submit events, conduct patrols, and enable GPS device tracking directly from their smartphone or tablet.
Tracking A mobile app feature that uses the device's GPS to record and transmit the user's location to EarthRanger in real time, making the device a tracked subject on the map. Tracking can operate independently of a patrol.
Patrol Live Indicator A status icon displayed on the mobile map when both tracking and a patrol are active simultaneously, confirming the device is recording a patrol track.
Patrol Drawer A slide-up panel in the mobile app that appears when a patrol is active. Displays the patrol name, type icon, ID, start time, distance covered, duration, start location, and an End Patrol action button.
Slide Up Drawer A bottom panel on the mobile map screen that provides quick access to the New Event button and other contextual actions.
Sync The process by which the mobile app sends pending events, patrol data, and track points to the EarthRanger server. The Sync Status screen shows counts and timestamps for pending and last-synced events, patrols, and tracks, as well as image sync progress.
Save Draft An option when creating an event in the mobile app that saves the event locally on the device without submitting it to the server. Draft events can be edited and submitted later.

 

Conservation Context 

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES is an international agreement, signed by 184 parties in 1973, designed to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild
IUCN Status International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world's most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species.
Remote Imagery Visual data or images captured from a distance using satellites, or other remote sensing devices. This type of imagery is obtained without direct physical contact with the object or area being observed.
Remote Sensing The use of satellites or other remote technologies to collect data about the Earth's surface, often used in EarthRanger for environmental monitoring.


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