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Links outside the PIC site to useful pages on botany  
Herbaria Directory Tree Identification Lesson Plans
Databases Education Material

Herbaria Directory

http://www.nybg.org/bsci/ih/

Index Herbariorum, hosted by the New York Botanical Garden, is a detailed directory of the 3000+ public herbaria of the world including staff members associated with it. The electronic searchable version includes up-to-date information on 2010 herbaria in 134 countries.

Databases

Gymnosperm Database: http://www.conifers.org/index.htm

Edited by Christopher J. Earle. This database has descriptions of 1000+ taxa of gymnosperms, i.e., conifers, cycads, and their allies. This database provides entry at the family level and guides to genus, species and sometimes variety for each taxon. Basic information on each species generally includes a picture, a distribution map, common names, taxonomic notes, description, range, "big tree", oldest, dendrochronology, ethnobotany, remarks, and citations.

Flora of N.A.: http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/Flora/flora.pl?FLORA_ID=12395

Production of the database proceeds simultaneously with the preparation of the hard-copy flora. The database will eventually contain all the information found in the published volumes as well as additional information, such as more detailed morphological data, information on type specimens, and documentation for chromosome counts. It will also incorporate information on habitats, precise distributions, populations, and plant communities.

NatureServe: http://www.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?init=Species

NatureServe is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada. NatureServe provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe is a product of the Association for Biodiversity Information in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

 

USDA: http://plants.usda.gov

The PLANTS Database is a single source of standardized information about plants. This database focuses on vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. The PLANTS Database includes names, checklists, automated tools, identification information, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, plant materials information, plant links, references, and other plant information.

Tree Identification

Dichotomous trees guide: http://osu.orst.edu/instruct/for241/dk/start.html

Developed by the College of Forestry, Oregon State University. Includes pages on What is a genus, a dichotomous key taken from an OSU extension service publication, a list of 15 common trees of the NW with a short description and small picture. This is linked to a species page with four pictures (foliage, size of leaf, bark, and distribution map. The last feature is a mystery tree identification to encourage folks to use the key for genus description, a nice feature.

Common trees of Ohio: http://www.oplin.lib.oh.us/products/tree/

Developed by the Ohio Public Library Information Network and the Ohio Historical Society. Uses two parts of the tree -- the leaf and fruit -- to identify the common trees of Ohio. A bibliography of reference works and keys is also provided. From an alphabetical list of tree names, dual pictures of the leaf and the fruit with a list of characteristics are shown. The tree and its scientific name plus something about it (history, growth habits) with pictures of the bark, a twig and a branch are provided.

Common trees of Iowa: http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/Pages/tree/

Created by the Iowa State University Extension. Includes a tree identification key, an index of Iowa trees linked to a page with small pictures and description, a definition of a few leaf and fruit terms with diagrams, descriptions of how a tree grows (roots, trunk, crown, and tree form), and a paper on the history of Iowa's trees.

Common trees of Pennsylvania: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/commontr/common.htm

Created by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This selection of 57 native, and 5 introduced trees is organized according to leaf shape and arrangement. Each tree is identified by popular name familiar to Pennsylvanians and its complete scientific name.

Common trees in Eastern and Central US: http://www.treelink.org/whattree/index.htm

The National Arbor Day Foundation, c1998. Found on the TreeLink site, a site intended for "people working in urban and community forestry." A simplified identification tree with diagrammatic illustration. Linked to a glossary and index.

Native pines of Eastern United States: http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/project/dendrology/

Created by the Department of Forestry at NCSU. The natve pines page is an on-line database designed to assist students studying eastern pines. Emphasis is placed on woody species native or naturalized in eastern North America

Vascular plants of Texas: http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/gallery.htm

This informatics system was developed with support from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. It has a list of Vascular plant families and species.

Virginia Tech Dendology: http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/biglist_frame.htm

The Dendrology homepage at Virginia Tech is where to find tree identification
fact sheets on over 450 species of trees, as well as other class information

Winter trees and shrubs: http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/MANHART/TWIGS/key.htm

Created by Christine Kirk as a Botany class project. Spring 1996. Fifty-four dichotomous characteristics to identify shrubs and trees common to the Brazos Valley (TX).

Education Material

Basics of tree ID: http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/Idtree.htm

Identification of a tree by following any of six possible paths: tree type, leaves, bark, fruit, twigs, and form or the overall growth pattern of the tree. Each topic is simply described and illustrated with large and beautiful examples. Very nice site for elementary school students

Adopt a Tree: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/departments/forestry/ext/adoptree.html

A great way to allow children the opportunity to learn about plants such as trees is to have them actually adopt a tree or group of trees and keep a "tree log" or diary with information about their adopted tree or trees. This site gives details on how to do this.

Earth awareness Environmental resources: http://www.earthballoon.com/resource.htm

This is a resource for teachers and students to find useful information in the subject areas of: social studies, geography, science, history, K-12 outreach programs, and the environment. This resource is updated on a weekly basis.

Environmental Education on the Internet: http://nceet.snre.umich.edu/ee-linkintroduction.html

The North America Association for Environmental Education created a classroom resource directory. Teachers can search for desirable activities through the database.

Lesson Plans

Smile Program Biology Index: http://www.iit.edu/~smile/biolinde.html

The Smile Program Biology Index has a collection of over 200 single concept plans. These lessons may be freely copied and used in a classroom but they remain the copyright property of the author.

 
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