Plant Identification Mobile Apps: Users’ Difficulties and Impressions

Abstract

In this study, four plant identification mobile apps, namely LeafSnap, PictureThis, Pl@ntNet, and PlantSnap, were tried by volunteer participants who are students, teachers, and plant enthusiasts. The participants were asked to take images of at least four plants and upload them to these apps for their identification. The participants were then asked about their impressions of and difficulties with the use of these mobile apps by a questionnaire. Their responses reveal that they found the use of mobile apps interesting, enjoyable, and very useful. It could add to their knowledge of plants, help them connect with nature and the world, and provide data for research purposes. There were, however, difficulties that they encountered with the use of the mobile apps, such as the slow Internet connection, some inconsistencies in identification, and the need to purchase the apps after the trial period. Despite these difficulties, the satisfaction of the users supports the need to explore the idea of using mobile apps in teaching taxonomy or systematic biology among students or even as citizen’s science tools.