Bug #2609
openErroneous assignment of ambiguous status
0%
Description
These last two issues are philosophical ones, rather than anything deriving from errors in the software or problems in the data.
If a user enters a search for an infraspecific taxon that we recognize, a map is displayed with records for that taxon, along with any records determined to the species level for the “parent†species. The species-level records, however, are marked as having an ambiguous identification. This way of distinguishing the species-level records seems valuable and important to me, as long they are to be included in response to an infraspecific taxon search.
In contrast, if a user enters a search for a species which has recognized infraspecific taxa, the software thoughtfully displays a list with the species and the infraspecific taxa, requiring the user to choose among them in order to continue. Should the user select the species, the resulting map shows both species level records and appropriate infraspecific taxon records. The species level records, however, are marked on the map as ambiguous. Displaying the results in this way I think is not consistent with the search the user performed in this case. When the search requested, and the concept illustrated by a map, is a species, it seems most appropriate to me to treat records identified to the species level as not ambiguous, and to display them as not ambiguous. This can be explored by searching on Acer rubrum, and A. rubrum var. rubrum.