A geospatial database management system for the collection of medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are increasingly used, both for medical applications and personal healthcare. However, existing herbal database systems for plant retrieval offer only basic information and do not support real-time analysis of the spatial aspects of plantations and distribution sites. Moreover, data records are usually static and not publicly available as they rely on costly proprietary software packages. To address these shortcomings, including limiting the time needed for collection and data processing, a novel medicinal plants geospatial database management system is proposed. The system allows localization of plant sites and data presentation on an interactive heat map displaying spatial information of plants selected by the user within a specific radius from the user's location, including automatic presentation of an itinerary giving the optimal route between user location and plant destinations selected. The approach relies on dynamic and role-based data management, an interactive map that includes graphics and integrated geospatial analyses thanks to cross-platform, geographical a JavaScript library and Google API. Both spatial data and attributes are available in real time. The system would support effective collaboration, among herb farmers, government agencies, private investors, healthcare professionals and the general public with regard to various aspects of medicinal plants and their applications.