Scott's Botanical Links--October 2000

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Past links:

October 31, 2000 - All About Plants

"All About Plants" is a site by 11 and 12 year olds (6th grade) presenting a children's perspective on what there is to know about plants. A fun site with all original art, it features pages on how plants grow, make food and reproduce, strange things plants do, plant books, plant jokes, plant movies, plant poetry and plant songs. This is not an authoritative site, but may be a good place to start discussions if you are asked to talk about plants with children at 1st to 5th grade! This site was a contestant in the 1998 ThinkQuest Junior contest. (***1/2) -SR

October 30, 2000 - Wildlands of Cal Poly Pomona

Within the Cal Poly Pomona campus are wildlands untouched by urbanization, marginally impacted by agriculture, areas that (as the writer notes) follow the sun, the rain, and the wind. This site serves as "a celebration of the wildlands, and a warning, and a memory." Images and commentary make it a memorable virtual tour. Part of the site is linked with the "Guide for Common Native Plants of the Cal Poly Pomona Campus" (aka BIO 115 Field Guide), which is worthy of a bookmark in its own right. Using line drawings from The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California and images from three photographers and the Brousseau Collection of California Wildflowers, this is an excellent, easily navigated an well-linked sub-site! Site by Curtis Clark. (****) -SR

October 27, 2000 - Web Atlas of Cellular Structures Using Light and Confocal Microscopy

Subcellular structures and organelle images are shown on these pages, viewed using fluorescent probes for nucleic acids and specific proteins. Six topics are currently included: the nucleus & microtubules, actin & microtubules, nucleus & actin, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and stages of mitosis. The images are excellent (and in some cases irreplaceable), but the text content is incomplete and perhaps best complemented by a more complete textbook (or cell biology site). Site by Imaging Technology Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (****) -SR

October 26, 2000 - Copyright and Fair Use

Stanford University Libraries has created this site on copyright laws, their historical basis, court cases and trends as this affects the idea of "fair use." Classrooms everywhere depend on reproduced material to some extend, and this site gives current information on when copyrighted material may be used and what constitutes unfair use. Currently, copyright laws are being revised that may severely restrict fair use privileges for copyrighted digital materials. Bookmark this site to find out about the law. (****) -SR

October 25, 2000 - Antiquariaat Jan Meemelink

Antiquariaat Jan Meemelink is a commercial seller of classical books on botany, gardening, horticulture and nature, in general. Located in The Hague, Holland, there is excellent access to the European market for old books. This site is featured for those who have such an interest! Books are divided into 15 categories and are listed with detail on the condition of the volume, age, edition, defects and repairs. Also, some carry a third party collector's review. Site by Jan Meemelink. -SR

October 23, 2000 - Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System

This browsable database of over 250 plants includes common and scientific names of plants that may be found outside and around the home in Canada (although many cultivated plants are increasingly becoming cosmopolitan. Each entry has information and references on human and non-human effects of poisonous plants. Needless to say, use this database to select plants for your garden - not as a substitute for medical attention in case of poisoning. Site by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada. (***1/2) -SR

October 20, 2000 - BOTNET: North Carolina Botanical Information Network

BOTNET has the goal of providing information for botanists on all public, professional and student levels, beginning with the Gymnosperms of the Southeastern United States -- a relatively small group of families, genera, and species, indexed by common name, scientific name and family. Their idea is to collect and manage disparate stores of botanical data and information and provide internet access to them. Well-organized data and images of herbarium sheets are displayed attractively on the site. This is a nice model that would make herbaria much more accessible. BOTNET is a joint project of the UNC Herbarium, the UNC School of Information and Library Science, and the North Carolina Botanical Garden. (***1/2) -SR

October 19, 2000 - The Travels of William Bartram

This principally historical site commemorates William Bartram, a revolutionary war era naturalist with influence in anthropology, art, writing and botany. The Bartram Trail Conference was established to preserve and popularize his pioneering travels through the Southeastern US in the late 1700's. Notable on the site are the Bartram Heritage Report (a detailed history), the Bartram Trail, and Bartram's extensive botanical discoveries. From the discoveries page, David Rembert's "Botanical Explorations of William Bartram in the Southeast" is presented -- an essay on Bartram's legacy. Site by Bartram Trail Conference. (****) -SR

October 18, 2000 - SANS Institute Online

As computers become more powerful, more computers become servers and more neophytes become system administrators, so the 2000's will increasing become an age of hackers. SANS stands for "System Administration, Networking, and Security" Institute -- an organization of >96,000 security professionals who share their information on computer security challenges. There is a wealth of information here. Particularly noteworthy is Ten Most Critical Internet Security Threats. If you supervise a server, might want to, or you want to learn about hackers, this is an excellent site to visit! (Today's interest in this site was stimulated by setting up a computer that was hacked within 12 hrs of hooking it to the Internet...!) (****) -SR

October 17, 2000 - A List of World Herbaria

Herbaria from 26 countries are given on this one page site. I don't know of any other like it, so it should get a bookmark! Site by the Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel. (***) -SR

October 16, 2000 - Charlie's Mid-Atlantic Plant Identification Guide

Charlie's Mid-Atlantic Plant Identification Guide features links for plant names (meanings, naming rules, lists of plant names & rare plants), observing and collecting plants, identification keys, resources to confirm names (pictures & drawings, plant descriptions, reference collections, atlases and distribution lists, finding plant experts), library resources, glossaries, and quizzes and learning aids. This site is designed as a resource for amateurs with a continuing interest in identifying plants. (***1/2) -SR

October 13, 2000 - NatureServe

NatureServe bills itself an an online encyclopedia of >50,000 common, rare and endangered species of the United States and Canada. This site has conservation information that is searchable by common or scientific name, location, and conservation status. Information is provided on the species, its conservation status, distribution maps and other online reports. Site produced in collaboration with the Association for Biodiversity Information and the Natural Heritage Network. (***1/2) -SR

October 12, 2000 - Grass Images from Texas A & M Bioinformatics Working Group

This site features 389 taxa of grasses that have been gathered in collaboration with the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation and the Texas A&M University Press. Whole plant and spikelet illustrations are given for each grass. These images link to high quality, full-screen jpgs. Many images are from Hitchcock's "Manual of the Grasses of the United States" and other classics. If you ever wanted a good botanical illustration of a grass, this is the best place that I have found. Some training in agrostology might be desirable, as there is no text, no common names, no search engine. (***1/2) -SR

October 11, 2000 - The Problem of Species Extinction

This site is designed for high school to introductory undergraduate students, with reasonably sophisticated discussions of the problems that extinction presents. Within the site are detailed discussions on "Threatened Species Around the World," "Extinctions Past and Present," "Why Species are Important," "A History of Attempts to Save Species," "The Science of Preventing Extinctions," global warming, and an interview with Peter Raven. There are also classroom activities and a quiz. This is an open site by World Book Encyclopedia. (****) -SR

October 10, 2000 - Enchanted Gardens

This is a graphically-rich government-sponsored digital image site of Allan Gardens in Toronto that makes demands on browser plug-in collections that are not up-to-date (seconds after leaving the home page, I was asked to update my Apple Quicktime!). The site includes history, education, horticulture, links and bibliography. The horticulture pages include virtual gardens and panoramic views of a number of the major attractions at the garden. A well constructed site, but one that might be viewed best during slack Internet times! (***) -SR

October 9, 2000 - Cellupedia

This model site on the cell is graphically oriented, including all of the major topics that one would like to cover during an introductory course in cell biology. The site has 14 chapters, including: basics, before cells (molecules), origin of cells, cell basics, cell functions, cellular processes, cell metabolism, cell signaling, to name a few. The most interactive part - CellEv - is a Java applet that is currently down. CellEv is a strategy game to be played with others on the Internet, where the object is to out-evolve your cellular competition. Other interactive elements (in addition to CellEv include message boards, news and a timeline history of cell biology. There are also well chosen links, a search engine and ~1300 word glossary. (****) -SR

October 6, 2000 - The Ig™ Nobel Prizes

The Ig Nobel Prize honors individuals whose achievements "cannot or should not be reproduced." Ten prizes are given to people who have done the unusual and imaginative that cannot help but attract attention in society. This site describes the whole process and even has a webcast of the entire event (held last night) for the true devotee. A satiric parallel to the Nobel Prizes, which will be given soon, these prizes are awarded at Harvard. The "Ig Nobel" is part of the good fun that is part of the fabric of scientific culture. (****) -SR

October 5, 2000 - Plant Evolution

"Plants onto land - The algae through the gymnosperms" is a single-page site on the origin of land plants, posted as part of Biology 160 - Evolution and Biodiversity. This is content rich, summarizing vascular plant diversification succinctly and illustrating it without wasting links or time. At the end is a free online warm-up quiz. A high quality beginning site on land plant origins. Site by Thomas J. Herbert, Department of Biology, University of Miami. (****)

October 4, 2000 - Plant Viruses Online

Plant Viruses Online is a database of the various viruses that attack plants. An encyclopedic site, databases are provided by viral species, acronyms and genera, and by their hosts as well. Entiries are aggressively hyperlinked. Each viral entry has a section on nomenclature, host range, transmission and symptoms, physical and biochemical properties (often DNA sequences), taxonomy and relationships, comments and references, and sometimes an electron micrograph. This is a mirror site of the original at Australian National University, but they forbid downloads of the images. Supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAC). (****) -SR

October 3, 2000 - pDRAW32 DNA analysis software

pDRAW32 DNA analysis software is designed for easy mapping of DNA plasmids. The software lets you enter a DNA name and coordinates for genetic elements, such as genes, to be plotted on your DNA plots. Annotations, DNA cloning, Sequence editing, Analysis, Enzyme selection, Graphical output, Textual output, XY plots, a TM calculator and Scientific helpfile are available as part of this program. pDRAW32 appears to be a full-featured small Windows PC program that could be useful for understanding plasmid construction. This program is a new concept in software: not freeware, but "beerware" - if you meet the author, you are to buy him a beer! Site and program by Kjeld Olesen, Ph.D. (A long 3 MB download.) (***1/2) -SR

October 2, 2000 - Cactiinfo.Com

This commercial site's main purpose is to "gather and distribute knowledge about succulent plants and their care." The online services include an online encyclopedia, form for information submissions, tip-of-the-day, links and messageboard. The strongly visual web interface may prove difficult to use for older browsers. Data are available on many species, but no pictures yet. The attractive pages (white on a red background) use a lot of ink to print and the data fields did not print on my inkject printer! This is a fast site, hosted on the server of Talens Tekst & Beeld located in Nijmegen, Arnhem and Veenendaal, The Netherlands. (***) -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/oct00.shtml