Multi-crop land use and a tidier census

We have deeply renewed the land-use editor, introducing the ability to assign several different crops to the same area starting from a file you upload yourself. You can now import the geometries of your parcels in numerous formats, including GeoPackage, KMZ, shapefile and GeoJSON, without having to convert them first. Once the file is uploaded, the platform automatically recognises the crops by reading the attribute column you indicate, matching them to the land-use categories quickly and consistently. For crops that do not find an immediate match, an assistant based on artificial intelligence suggests the most likely match, so you don't have to sort everything out by hand. The system handles large files and many parcels without difficulty, keeping the parcels and their information intact. This saves you a lot of time when you have to map complex land with many different crops. To use it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Map → Land use and open the multi-crop editor, then upload your file and follow the suggested steps. We recommend carefully indicating the attribute column that describes the crop, so the automatic matches are even more accurate.

In the Census section we have introduced the automatic grouping of consecutive sessions that concern the same species. When several close observations refer to the same animal or the same species, they are now brought together into a single tidy group, instead of appearing as many separate entries. This makes the list of sessions much more readable and lets you grasp at a glance how many times a species has been detected. It is particularly useful for those who manage long monitoring campaigns, with numerous recordings that follow one another over time. The grouping helps you keep your field journal tidy and focus on the information that really matters. Each group remains explorable anyway, so you can always drill into the detail of the individual sessions when you need to. To see it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Census and look at the list of sessions. You will immediately notice a more compact and organised field journal.

We have fixed several small issues with the land-use map to make it more accurate and reliable. Now, when you click on an area of the map, the corresponding card in the legend is automatically selected at any zoom level, so it is always clear which category the zone you are looking at belongs to. We have also fixed the selector that, in some cases, offered to regenerate a layer that was already available: it now correctly recognises the base version as already existing. When you colour the map starting from a KML file, areas with internal holes, for example ring-shaped polygons, are now displayed correctly, avoiding inaccurate representations. We have also made a land-cover label clearer, renaming it to better describe the level of detail. All these fixes are already active automatically and require no action on your part. To see them go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Map → Land use and try exploring the legend and the layers. Reading the map is now more immediate and correct.

We have fixed an issue in the month picker used for the map layers, which in certain cases did not align with the correct year. Now the picker automatically anchors to the year of the analysis of the polygon you are consulting, showing the available months in the right period. This way, when you choose a month to display an information layer, you are sure that the data shown corresponds exactly to your site's reference period. Previously it could happen that the selection pointed to a different year, generating a display that was inconsistent with the analysis in progress. This fix makes the experience more intuitive and reduces the risk of interpreting data referring to the wrong period. The fix is already active for everyone and requires no operation on your part. To try it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Map → Layers and select a month among those offered. You will see the data always aligned to the correct year of the analysis.

We have improved the behaviour of the tabs in the Metrics section of monitoring. Previously, when you opened the Metrics, an empty or unavailable section for that site could appear as the first tab, forcing you to manually look for the first one with content. Now the view automatically positions itself on the first section that is actually available, showing you useful data right away. This makes consulting the metrics faster and more immediate, especially on sites that do not have all the sections active. You no longer have to click looking for the right tab: the platform selects it for you. The fix is already active automatically for all users. To notice it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Metrics and observe which tab is opened first. You will always find a section with information to consult in the foreground.

We have fixed an issue whereby, in the Census section, the number indicating how many sessions are grouped together did not update after certain operations. In practice, after assigning a tag to a session or after deleting one, the counter stayed fixed at the previous value, showing incorrect information. Now the list updates automatically every time you edit or delete a session, so the count always reflects the real situation. This lets you trust the numbers you see and keep your field journal always aligned with the work carried out. The fix is particularly useful for those who manage many sessions and often reorganise them with tags. No action is required on your part: the fix is already active. To check it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Census, assign or delete a session and watch the counter update. The numbers shown will always be correct and reliable.

We have fixed an issue concerning the display of the role of some devices capable of performing several functions at the same time. In your site's sensor panel, a device with a dual role could appear with the wrong indication, not correctly reflecting the activity it was actually carrying out. Now the platform recognises and shows the correct role even for these more versatile devices, so the information about your sensors is always accurate. This helps you understand at a glance which function each device installed in the field is covering. Having the right role on screen is important to correctly interpret the data collected and to organise the monitoring in the best way. The fix is already active automatically and requires no action on your part. To check it go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Sensors and look at the installed devices. Each sensor will now show the correct role.

We have looked after many details of the land-use editor interface to make it simpler and more pleasant to use. The list of crops now scrolls in a single well-organised column, so it stays always visible while you work on the map, without the double scrolling that created confusion. The menus to choose the column and the resolution have become more compact and aligned, and the header of the list stays fixed at the top while you scroll. We have also gathered the buffer and resolution settings onto a single row, given more space to the settings block and prevented the version labels from being cut off. For those who use a screen reader, a spoken notice now signals when there are unsaved changes, improving accessibility. We have also fixed an issue whereby in some cases the map panel appeared empty: it now always loads correctly. To try the renewed editor go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Map → Land use and open the editing tool. You will find a cleaner, more readable and more reliable experience.

We have completed an important optimisation effort that makes monitoring faster and smoother, especially when a site contains a great many areas to draw on the map. Previously, on sites with a very high number of parcels, the map could slow down because it repeatedly redrew the same elements at every small interaction. Now this superfluous work has been eliminated, so moving, zooming and changing view feels much more responsive. We have also lightened the initial loading of the page, deferring the retrieval of the heaviest layers to when they are really needed, instead of preparing them all in advance. The result is a faster opening of monitoring and a smoother overall experience, even on slower connections and less powerful devices. You don't have to do anything to benefit from these improvements: they are already active automatically across the whole platform. To appreciate them go to XNatura → Monitoring → Site → Map and try navigating among the areas of your site. You will notice greater responsiveness right from the first moments.