veldkaarten

Veldkaarten, literally "field maps" in Dutch, are standardized documents used during fieldwork to record observations and measurements tied to precise locations. They are employed in disciplines such as ecology, geology, archaeology, agronomy, and geography, and can exist as paper sheets, bound forms, or digital templates. A veldkaart typically combines a site map or sketch—with a scale and north arrow—with a data section that records date, observer, coordinates, habitat or land cover, soil type, weather conditions, sampling method, and the variables measured (for example plant species, counts, plot size, soil pH). Additional notes on disturbances, GPS accuracy, and references to photographs may be included.

The records provide spatially explicit, reproducible data that can be analyzed later, compared across sites, and integrated into databases or Geographic Information Systems (GIS). They facilitate data quality control and provenance, linking observations to exact locations and times.

Field teams plan the sheet design, collect data in the field, and then transfer or enter it into digital systems for storage and analysis. In modern practice, digital veldkaarten on tablets or smartphones allow real-time syncing with GIS and cloud storage, increasing efficiency and consistency.

Variations and context: While conventions differ by discipline and organization, the core concept remains: a structured field record that blends cartography with tabular data. In the Netherlands and Belgium, veldkaarten are common in environmental science, soil surveys, vegetation mapping, and archaeological field surveys, serving as a practical alternative or complement to traditional field notebooks.