Scott's Botanical Links--December 2000

Past links:

December 14, 2000 - ClimateTrend.Com

This website reports monthly climatic data trends (high, low and average temperatures) in 30-year blocks from the year 1900 to 1990. Currently, that is all that is available, but the database notably covers most of the land on earth, interpolating data values for a 0.5 degree grid. Only seas, oceans and Antartica are excluded. This could be a very useful site for studying plant ecology and climatic trends. The data are based on available records from the IPCC Data Distributon Centre at the University of East Anglia. (***1/2) -SR

December 13, 2000 - Biopolymers: Natural Rubber

Part of a Year 12 Chemistry project, this one page site is an excellent introduction to the chemistry and ethnobotany of rubber production from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Topics include the chemistry of rubber, a brief history of rubber production, processes used to make rubber, properties & uses of rubber, future developments in rubber production and environmental impacts & concerns. This site is by Andrew Gillen. Nice job. (****) -SR

December 12, 2000 - Land Use History of North America (LUHNA)

LUHNA has supported a number of pilot projects examining past and present patterns of vegetation types in North America. These include forest clearing and reforestation in New England, natural fire and timber harvest in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, vegetative change in the arid Southwest, a continental perspective on the spread of exotic species, among other topics. This is also available as a USGS/NASA technical report from 1998. This work provides perspective on large-scale ecological change and is quite thorough in its coverage of the pilot projects. (***1/2) -SR

December 11, 2000 - Global Invasive Species Database

The Global Invasive Species Database allows searches by species, location and/or plant & animal categories or habitats. Detailled information is then available by species. The database was developed by IUCN’s Invasive Species Specialist Group as a contribution to Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP). Sponsors include Landcare Research—Manaaki Whenua, New Zealand; University of Auckland, New Zealand; United States’ Geological Survey and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. (***1/2) -SR

December 8, 2000 - Methods in Plant Histology

"Methods in Plant Histology" is extracted from a book of the same name published early in the 1900s about the preparation of plant materials for microscopic observation. A wide assortment of techniques are presented at the site. Although some are outdated, much remains usable. This could be useful in beginning classes because this describes the same technology used to prepare most slides used in botany labs. Most outdated may be the chemical names (xylol = xylene, for instance). This is a specialized site, with just text (~no images) but useful for the most classical of structural botany techniques. (***) -SR

December 7, 2000 - JSTOR

JSTOR is a non-profit organization that is converting journals to digitally archived format from early volumes with a 3-5 year moving wall on recent volumes. Newly introduced botanical holdings include the American Journal of Botany, International Journal of Plant Science (formerly Botanical Gazette & Botanical Bulletin), Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Brittonia, Systematic Botany, Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society (formerly Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club), Missouri Botanical Garden Annual Report, and New Phytologist. These are fully searchable and available at institutions that are subscriber/supporters. This provides valuable access to archival holdings. (****) -SR

December 6, 2000 - Mycorrhizas Webpage

This is an encyclopedic site on plant-associated fungi or mycorrhizas, specializing on but not restricted to, Australian plants. This site has an online-book format including chapters on roots, VAM (vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas), ECM (ectomycorrhizas), roles, Australian plants, Eucalypt associates, methods and references. Each chapter is described in a short phrase with a download size (a good warning if you have a slow modem). With excellent illustrations and detailed text this is a great model for an online textbook. Site supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and CSIRO. (****) -SR

December 5, 2000 - Plants of the San Gabriel Mountains

Information is available on plant communities (including Coastal Sage Scrub [Soft Chaparral], Chaparral [Hard Chaparral], Valley and Foothill Woodland, Riparian Woodland, Montane Forest, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, and Joshua Tree Woodland), road guides, wildflower locations, plants blooming now, bloom identification guide (w/photos), culinary plants and images. This site is part of a larger Natural History of the San Gabriel Mountains by Jane Strong, & Tom Chester that also includes butterflies, mammals, maps and climatic data. A nice model for others to follow. (****) -SR

December 4, 2000 - Rare Plants of Ontario

Rare Plants of Ontario presents a compilation of the various governmentally-declared plants that are rare, threatened or endangered. Background information is provided on Ontario's flora, vegetation zones and plant geography (climate, glaciation, vegetation, geology, soil, etc.). Also at the site are a nice glossary, links, contacts, help page, and a poster. The menu at the bottom of the page is a good guide to the site. (***1/2) -SR

December 1, 2000 - Photography of Southern New Jersey

Michael Hogan specializes in collecting images of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, Delaware River & Bay and the New Jersey Shore. Although this is a "commercial" site, the collection of images is extensive enough to allow a significant free virtual tour. Images are about 1/2 to 1/3 page in size (300-350 pixels in their largest form) but are high quality and factsheets provide interesting data for the naturalists among us. The large collection of wildflower images makes this a welcome site as flowers disappear from the world's northern regions. (***1/2) -SR

Past, past links (by date):

2006: January

2005: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2003: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2002: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2001: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

2000: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

1999: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

1998: January*, February*, March*, April*, May*, June*, July, August, September, October, November, December (*Leigh's links)

1997: January, February, March, April, May, June, September*, October*, November*, December* (*Leigh's links)

1996: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Or search by: Subject Index

http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/bot-linx/dec00.shtml