_________________________________________________________________ ECOTROP International Database of Research Institutions in Tropical Ecology Version 1.0, March 1994 Copyright 1994 by the DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUER TROPENOEKOLOGIE (GERMAN SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY) Funded by the DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUER TECHNISCHE ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GERMAN AGENCY FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION) (GTZ) Data compiled by Project Coordinator Dipl.-Biol. Rudolf Specht, B. Sc. _________________________________________________________________ GERMAN SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY President: Prof. Dr. K. E. Linsenmair Zoological Institute III Biozentrum, Am Hubland 97074 Wrzburg Germany email: ecotrop@zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de Please direct all correspondence concerning the database project to: Database Project c/o Dr. G. Riethmacher GTZ, Tropenoekologisches Begleitprogramm PO Box 5180 65726 Eschborn Germany Tel.: +49-6196-793288 Fax: +49-6196-797413 __________________________________________________________________ PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! This text file includes: - Copyright notice - How you may use and how you may not use the database - Acknowledgements - Remarks on the history and contents of the database - Remarks on the structure of the database - Remarks on database searches (Q&A version) - Remarks on dbase and text versions - Other databases that may be of interest to you - What can you do if you have problems with this database? - Your opinion on the database project Appendix - The first version of the questionnaire we used (up to July 1992) - The new (improved) version of the questionnaire that was in use for data collecting The Appendix is for your information only; you do NOT have to fill out these questionnaires again! COPYRIGHT NOTICE ECOTROP ------------------------------------------------------------------ International Database of Research Institutions in Tropical Ecology Copyright 1994 by the DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUER TROPENOEKOLOGIE (GERMAN SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY) Funded by the DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUER TECHNISCHE ZUSAMMENARBEIT (GERMAN AGENCY FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION) (GTZ) ------------------------------------------------------------------ This database was established using the German language version of the commercial software package Q&A 4.0 by Symantec Corporation. Versions in dbase III, dbase IV (copyright by Ashton Tate) and ASCII text format were produced using Q&A export functions. Text files were processed using Microsoft WORD 5.5. The files on this diskette were compressed using LHA 2.13, copyright 1991 by Haruyasu Yoshizaki. IMPORTANT NOTICE: THE COPYRIGHT FOR THIS VERSION OF THE DATABASE ECOTROP LIES WITH THE GERMAN SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY. __________________________________________________________________ HOW YOU MAY USE THIS DATABASE ----------------------------- YOU MAY freely use this database and distribute unchanged copies of it (always including this text file with the copyright notice and the other files on the diskette given to you) to your colleagues. HOW YOU MAY NOT USE THIS DATABASE --------------------------------- YOU MAY NOT change the contents of the database and then pass on this changed version or parts of it to your colleagues YOU MAY NOT pass this copy of the database or parts of it on to another person and charge money for it. If necessary, you may only charge a small amount to cover expenses, e.g. for a diskette. YOU MAY NOT use this database commercially. YOU MAY NOT pass on information included in this database without indicating this database as the source. BY USING THIS DATABASE, YOU AGREE WITH THESE CONDITIONS. We suggest that you keep a separate copy of the original diskette, which you use only for making more copies that you pass to any other person who may be interested. PLEASE PASS THIS DATABASE (UNCHANGED) ON TO ANY PERSON INTERESTED IN IT. IF YOU DO SO, PLEASE ALWAYS INCLUDE THIS FILE WITH THE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND ALL OTHER FILES ON THIS DISKETTE. __________________________________________________________________ Acknowledgements ---------------- We wish to thank all persons and institutions who cooperated in this effort and supplied us with information. The database could not have been established in the present form without the aid given by the "Institute for Scientific Cooperation" in Tbingen, Germany", who allowed us to search for addresses in its vast address database of scientists in "developing" countries. The Department of Biology, University of Munich, Germany, and Professor Erwin Beck, Department of Plant Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Germany, enabled us to have access to the Internet and electronic communication. __________________________________________________________________ HISTORY AND CONTENTS OF THE DATABASE This database project was carried out in the scope of a project funded by the GTZ, a large German agency for technical and development cooperation primarily funded by the German federal government. Work on this database began in September 1991. The aim was to establish a database of institutions in tropical and non- tropical countries that carry out research in tropical ecology. It was not easy to define the two basic concepts of "tropics" and "ecology". Many different definitions were obviously used by you, our informants. In the latest version of the questionnaire, we defined "tropics" as the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer as well as "those parts of the adjoining regions similar in climate and vegetation". By "ecology" we understood not only the biological sciences, but also other sciences that contribute to a deeper understanding of tropical ecosystems (terrestrial and marine), their conservation and a rational management of their resources. We find that the distinction between "basic" and "applied" science should be overcome in practical work. We have tried not to make such a distinction in this database. Research "institutions" included in this database are mainly universities, museums, botanic gardens, governmental and non- governmental research bodies. Very few do not carry out research by themselves, but either provide funding or carry out management tasks; they have been included as well. We did not reject any questionnaire that was returned to us. A first questionnaire was sent to over 500 institutions until July 1992. We then had to redesign the questionnaire; this improved version was sent to all institutions that had answered the first one in early 1993 and sent to over 1600 more institutions until November 1993. It was also circulated with the newsletter of the German Society for Tropical Ecology (around 500 copies) to gain a thorough overview of activities in Germany. Both these questionnaires are included in the Appendix. Because of the use of two questionnaires (early and late format), there are a number of entries from 1991 and 1992 that may be partly incomplete regarding the information. This is because not all informants who had answered the first questionnaire also answered the improved version. The information contained in these entries is thus already over two years old. Besides, the two sets of keywords used for the two questionnaires do not match exactly. These entries can be recognized by the DATE OF INFORMATION being from 1991 or 1992. We are sorry for any inconvenience and loss of time that may have been caused by sending two different questionnaires. The addresses to which we sent our questionnaire were compiled from a great variety of sources, especially handbooks of universities, museums and research institutions. A large number of addresses were obtained at the Institute for Scientific Cooperation in Tbingen, Germany (acknowledged above). The most important handbook sources were the following: - The World of Learning. 40th edition, 1990. Europa Publications, London. - International Research Centers Directory 1990-91. 5th edition. Gale Research Inc., Detroit. - International Handbook of Universities. 12th edition, 1991. International Association of Universities, Paris; Walter de Gruyter, New York, Berlin. - World Guide to Scientific Associations and Learned Societies. 5th edition 1990. K.G. Saur, Mnchen. - American Universities and Colleges. 14th edition 1992. Walter de Gruyter, New York, Berlin. - Students'Guide to Graduate Studies in the UK 1993 - Commonwealth Universities Yearbook 1992. Association of Commonwealth Universities, London. - World Directory of Environmental Organizations. California Institute of Public Affairs, 1992. A considerable number of further addresses were given to us by the informants themselves. Most of the entries rely on information gained by direct contact through the questionnaire. A few entries were gained by information from other persons or institutions. These can be recognized by the description in the field SOURCE OF INFORMATION. When writing to universities, we contacted departments for biology, forestry, agriculture, fisheries, marine science (if they existed). We did not regularly contact departments of anthropology, earth sciences, geography. We tried to make one entry for each institution and department. In a few cases, there are 2 entries for one and the same institution and department because two individual researcher sent us a questionnaire. Since these were only a few cases, we entered the information for each individual separately. In a very small number of further cases, the persons providing us with information on their activities could not be related to an institution, but work as independent consultants. Since they may be valuable as resource persons, they were also included. In the course of our work, we have not come upon an exactly similar database. Should one exist, we would welcome any information about it. We are willing to cooperate in any possible way with similar efforts. We have tried our best to present the information given to us in the best possible way. Please excuse any errors in entering information for which we may be responsible. We also apologize for any incorrect statements that may have occurred in our correspondence (like at one point putting down Australia as a non-tropical country - sorry for that, it was due to an oversight). The definition of geographical regions (continents) has no political significance. We would also like to state that the number of entries per country does not necessarily reflect the true state of scientific research in tropical ecology in these countries. ----------------------------------------------------------------- STRUCTURE OF THE DATABASE We have tried to keep the structure of the database as simple as possible. In order to export the database from Q&A format to dbase and text formats, we have used the data export functions of Q&A itself. While this caused no problems for the IBM ASCII or the Macintosh ASCII text file, it was not possible to make an exact dbase copy of the Q&A database for the following reasons: - the field names were cut in length to dbase field names - large text fields (especially the fields ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION and REMARKS) were cut in length, since Q&A cannot export data to dbase "memo" fields. For this reason, if you are using dbase format, first take a look at the ASCII text file that is included with every dbase file to get to know the structure of the database! Searches in the dbase file using the subject keyword fields and the field GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS are still possible, but the information in the fields ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION and REMARKS will in many cases have to be looked up in the ASCII file. The original Q&A database has the following fields and uses the following abbreviations: NO.: Number for internal use. Each entry has one separate number; no two numbers are the same. DATE OF INFORMATION: Date of information. Either date of accompanying letter or of postal stamp. Tells you how old the information is. TYPE: Type of institution. The following abbreviations are used: uni: university or similar institution of higher education mus: museum bot: botanic garden gov: governmental research institution priv: private research institution nat: national organization/society int. international organization/society ACRONYM: Acronym, if existent. Acronyms are name abbreviations like "FAO, UNICEF" etc. NAME: Name of institution, mostly in original language. SUBDIVISIONS: Subdivision of institution (e.g. faculty, department). CONTACT: Contact person. Mostly the person who filled out the questionnaire, if permission to include the name was not withdrawn. ENGLISH NAME: English translation of name and subdivision of institution given by the informants. ADDRESS1: First line of address of institution. ADDRESS2: Second line of address. CITY: City (part of address). TELEPHONE: FAX: TELEX: e-MAIL: Address for electronic (computer) communication. SOURCE OF INFORMATION: E.g. letter, questionnaire, brochure etc. REGION: Location of institution (continent). The following abbreviations were used: AF: Africa AS: Asia (from Gulf of Suez eastwards, incl. Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Philippines, Indonesia) EU: Europe CA: Central America (Mexico to Panama) and Caribbean SA: South America NA: North America (Canada and USA) OC: Oceania (Australia, Pacific region, including Papua New Guinea) The Russian Federation was entered as EU/AS. COUNTRY: Location of institution. GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS: Describe geographical area where research is being carried out. Abbreviations of continents; names of countries or regions. In a few cases, this field was not filled out. Subject keywords: these correspond to keywords given in questionnaire (Subjects, Ecosystems, Organism Groups). Subject keywords exist as a list of separate fields (one keyword expression = one field) and as a text field (SUBJECT KEYWORDS) to make reading easier. Entries in the separate keyword fields (e.g. AGGRICULTURE, FORESTRY etc.) are marked as an "x"; often more detailed descriptions or exact information on the countries concerned is also entered in this field. Some subject keywords are hierarchical. These are: AGRICULTURE; BOTANY/VEGETATION SCIENCE; FORESTRY; ZOOLOGY/FAUNISTICS; TROPICAL LOWLAND RAINFOREST; OTHER TROPICAL FOREST. This means that every entry where the field AGROFORESTRY is marked also has the field FORESTRY marked, since in this database AGROFORESTRY is considered a part of FORESTRY. In many questionnaires, our informants marked e.g. AGROFORESTRY, but not FORESTRY; in these cases, we also put a mark in the field FORESTRY. Because we had used a first, less detailed version of a questionnaire in the beginning, entries from 1991 and 1992 may be incomplete compared with the rest. ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION: Freely formulated additional information on the fields of research, either given by the informants or taken from brochures. The information included here does NOT describe the activities in every detail, it only includes additional and more specific information. Read this field TOGETHER with the subject keywords that were marked. REMARKS: General remarks, additional information on the institution, either given by the informants or taken from brochures. ------------------------------------------------------------------ CONCERNING DATABASE SEARCHES (Q&A version) The following suggestions for conducting searches in the database apply especially to the original Q&A version. They work in principle for the dbase versions as well. We must assume that you know how to handle the software programs. This short description cannot tell you how to operate the software itself. Before trying out searches in this database, take a good look at the text files and at the latest version of the questionnaire we used (at the end of this file) because they give you an idea about how the information is entered. If you have experience in database searches, you should have no problems in seeing the structure of the database and how the information can be searched. Information on the activities of an institution are entered in two ways: - as a series of keywords that could be marked in the original questionnaire; these marks were transferred to the same keyword fields in the database. The marked fields also appear in written form in the field SUBJECT KEYWORDS. Research activities of an institution are marked as an "x" in the appropriate keyword field; the same word appears in written form in the field SUBJECT KEYWORDS. - in the form of additional, freely formulated texts in two text fields (ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION and REMARKS). The information in ADDITONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION does not give a detailed description of activities, it only includes additional descriptions that are not included in the subject keyword fields. A lot of the information has been entered more than once in different fields. This may seem unnecessary to you, but it allows more ways of conducting searches in the database. We have tried to keep the same spelling for country names in the whole database. If a word can be spelt in different ways, try both. Example: "Brazil/Brasil" is spelt "Brazil" in the database. The most important fields for conducting searches in the database are GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS and the subject keyword fields. When conducting a search, first take a look at the keywords and try to decide how you would mark the institutions you are looking for. If you are looking for institutions doing research in "agroforestry", search for an "x" in the field AGROFORESTRY. If you are looking for institutions that do ecological research in savannas, search for an "x" in the field SAVANNAS. Searches can be combined; you may search for European institutions doing research in tropical ocean science by searching for "EU" in the field REGION and an "x" in the field OCEAN SCIENCE. Another example: search for institutions doing research in agriculture in Brazil by searching for an "x" in the field AGRICULTURE and "Brazil" in the field GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS. Not all informants could give us the names of all the countries their institution is active in, so you will find entries with "global" or "worldwide" in the field GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS. We have tried to at least enter continents for every entry (as abbreviations: AF, AS, CA, SA, NA, EU, OC). When you get a group of entries doing one search, you may get a better idea of the activities going on at the institutions by reading ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION and REMARKS. IMPORTANT: Often several searches are possible and may lead to slightly different sets of entries. Example: you want to find out who does research on pollination ecology of plants pollinated by bats in tropical rainforests. Combined searches for "x" under MAMMALS and TROPICAL LOWLAND RAIN FOREST may result in one set of entries with some of interest to you; another search for "x" in GENERAL ECOLOGY (ZOOLOGY) and GENERAL ECOLOGY (BOTANY) will result in another group of entries, some of which may be the same as in the first search. IMPORTANT: Please remember that in many cases the information concerning an institution may not be entered in the way you would do it, so that the result of a search may not be satisfactory. This is because your colleagues understood the questionnaire in a different way. This is to be expected, considering the large number of people involved in gaining the information. Since the number of subject keyword fields is limited to keep the questionnaire from becoming too long, searches will probably produce a lot of entries of no interest to you. You may find it necessary to have a close look at the entries to find out if any are what you are looking for. REMARKS ON dbase AND TEXT VERSIONS Entries in the dbase and text versions have been ordered by continents (AF, AS, CA, NA, OC, SA) and then by countries. The suggestions for database searches given above apply in principle to the dbase version as well. However, data export from Q&A to dbase did not work perfectly. dbase versions of the database have the following problems: - the field names are cut in length - fields with long entries of text are cut in length, since Q&A does not export long text fields to dbase "Memo"-fields. However, since the address fields and the subject area fields normally do not contain long texts, the searches described above should still be possible in most cases. If you want to read the full text in a field that contains long texts, you must use the ASCII text version. Following is a summary of field names in the Q&A version and their equivalent in dbase: Q&A dbase NO.: NO DATE OF INFORMATION: DATE_OF_IN TYPE: TYPE ACRONYM: ACRONYM NAME: NAME SUBDIVISIONS: SUBDIVISIO CONTACT: CONTACT ENGLISH NAME: ENGLISH_NA ADDRESS1: ADDRESS1 ADDRESS2: ADDRESS2 CITY: CITY TELEPHONE: TELEPHONE FAX: FAX TELEX: TELEX e-MAIL: E_MAIL SOURCE OF INFORMATION: SOURCE_OF_ REGION: REGION COUNTRY: COUNTRY GEOGRAPHICAL KEYWORDS: GEOGRAPHIC TROPICAL LOWLAND RAIN FOREST TROPICAL_L PRIMARY RAIN FOREST PRIMARY_R SECONDARY RAIN FOREST SECONDARY_ OTHER TYPES OF TROPICAL FOREST OTHER_FOR OTHER PRIMARY FOREST OTHER_PRIM OTHER SECONDARY FOREST OTHER_SECO TROPICAL SAVANNAS AND SAVANNA WOODLAND TROPICAL_S TROPICAL DESERTS AND ARID LANDS TROPICAL_D RIVERS AND STREAMS RIVERS_AND LAKES LAKES OTHER TYPES OF WETLANDS OTHER_TYPE TROPICAL OCEANS (incl. coral reefs and atolls) TROPICAL_O COASTS AND COASTAL AREAS (incl. mangroves) COASTS_AND ISLANDS ISLANDS MOUNTAINS AND HIGHLANDS MOUNTAINS_ OTHERS OTHERS AGRICULTURE AGRICULTUR SHIFTING CULTIVATION SHIFTING_C OTHER TROPICAL FARMING SYSTEMS OTHER_TROP OTHERS OTHERS1 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY/LIVESTOCK ANIMAL_HUS ANTHROPOLOGY/ETHNOBOTANY/ETHNOZOOLOGY ANTHROPOLO BOTANY/VEGETATION SCIENCE BOTANY/VEG GENERAL ECOLOGY (BOTANY) ECO_BOT SYSTEMATICS/TAXONOMY (BOTANY) SYST_BOT OTHERS OTHERS2 CONSERVATION/PROTECTED AREAS/ WILDLIFE RESOURCES CONSERVATI ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH ECOSYSTEMS FISHERIES FISHERIES FORESTRY FORESTRY AGROFORESTRY AGROFOREST AFFORESTATION, REAFFORESTATION AFFORESTAT DEFORESTATION, EROSION DEFORESTAT FOREST MANAGEMENT FOREST_MAN FOREST PRODUCTS FOREST_PRO OTHERS OTHERS3 LIMNOLOGY/HYDROLOGY LIMNOLOGY/ OCEAN SCIENCE OCEAN_SCIEN SOIL SCIENCE SOIL_SCIEN ZOOLOGY/FAUNISTICS ZOOLOGY/FA GENERAL ECOLOGY (ZOOLOGY) ECO_ZOOL SYSTEMATICS/TAXONOMY (ZOOLOGY) SYST_ZOOL OTHERS OTHERS4 OTHER OTHER_CATE MAMMALS MAMMALS BIRDS BIRDS FISH FISH REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS REPTILES_A INSECTS INSECTS OTHER INVERTEBRATES OTHER_INVE HIGHER PLANTS (angio- and gymnosperms) HIGHER_PLA FERNS/MOSSES/LICHENS/ALGAE/PROCARYONTS FERNS/MOSS FUNGI (Mycology) FUNGI_MYC SUBJECT KEYWORDS not necessary ADDITIONAL SUBJECT DESCRIPTION ADDITIONAL REMARKS REMARKS __________________________________________________________________ OTHER DATABASES THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU IUCN Consultant Register IUCN (World Conservation Union) has a Consultant Register, a computerized database containing details of the expertise and experience of over 2500 specialists in the field of conservation and development. Each individual's record includes details of his/her qualifications, areas of expertise, knowledge of specific habitats, work experience in particular countries, and current availability. Individuals do not pay to be listed in the Register. IUCN offers a search service to identify personnel with experience in conservation and development in less developed countries. The service is free to all members of IUCN and to the governments of less developed countries. For other agencies using the service, there is a small charge. Contact: IUCN Consultant Register, Avenue du Mont Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland; Tel. +41 22 64 91 14, Tlx. 419 605 iucn ch, Fax +41 22 64 29 26. Directory of Limnology and Wetland Science in the Tropics The International Association of Theoretical and Applied Limnology (SIL) is currently preparing a directory of individuals living and/or working in the developing countries, especially the tropics. The Directory is planned to be published in printed form in 1994 and on diskettes. The Directory will include information about the training, experience, contributions and areas of scientific and geographical interest of individual scientists and consultants working in universities, research institutes, government or private organizations and industries. Included will be individuals from developing/tropical countries as well as those from developed/extra-tropical countries who have worked in a developing country. The Directory is being compiled by the SIL Committee on Limnology in Developing countries and the SIL-Wetland Working Group. Contact: Dr. Brij Gopal, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawarhalal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India, Tel. +91-11-652438, Fax. +91-11-686-5886 email: brij%jnuniv@shakti.ernet.in University of Glasgow, Amazonian Register The Centre for Amazonian Studies of the University of Glasgow (United Kingdom) has created an Amazonian Register of European Specialists in Tropical Forestry, funded by the European Commission of the EC. It includes entries on individual researchers as well as institutional information. Contact: Centre for Amazonian Studies, University of Glasgow, 69 Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LP, United Kingdom, Tel.: (44-41) 339-8855 ext. 5025, Fax: (44-41) 330-4808. Primate Database of the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Bel‚m, Brazil The Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi has established a database on primate research that contains bibliographical references, a database of institutions conserned with primate research and an individuals'database (a "Who is Who" of primatology). Contact: Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, Av. Perimetral s/n, Campus de Pesquisas, Departamento de Zoologia, Bel‚m, PA 66040, Brazil, Fax (091) 241 7384, (091) 226 1615, email: Bitnet: PRIMATAM@MPEG.ANPA.BR Directory of Forestry Research Organizations, FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) has very recently published in book form a list of forestry research organizations of the world, arranged alphabetically by country. The list contains about 600 entries and gives the address, telephone, fax, telex, number of graduate staff, establishment date, main areas of research (in keywords) and the name of the director. The publication (FAO Forestry Paper No. 109) can be ordered from Publications Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy. The "World Directory of Environmental Organizations" (Thaddeus Trzyna and Roberta Childers, eds.) is an impressive source of information on around 2600 organizations and institutions (governmental and non-governmental) dealing with the environment. The 220-page book can be ordered for US$ 70 at the California Institute of Public Affairs, PO Box 189040, Sacramento, CA 95818, USA, Fax: +1 (916) 442-2478. __________________________________________________________________ WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS DATABASE If you have problems using this database, PLEASE try to find help among your colleagues at your own or other institutions. Ask colleagues who have worked with databases. If you have questions that cannot be solved with your colleagues, we will do our best to help you. However, since this project is coming to an end with the mailing of this diskette, we may not easily be able to maintain rapid correspondence. __________________________________________________________________ YOUR OPINION ON THE DATABASE PROJECT We are considering ways of how to ensure a future updating of the database. This may take place in 1995 or 1996. In order to know what should be improved and whether you are interested in such an updating, we would welcome your comments and opinion on this database and the project. For this purpose, please write us a letter (using the address given at the beginning of this file for correspondence with the Database Project ) and use the short list of questions below: Did you or do you use this database? If so, how often? Which format do you use? Do you find the database structure easy to understand and use? If not, where are the problems? Would you suggest using more keywords, and if so, which ones would you include? Do you have more suggestions about how to improve the database? Would you be interested in an updated version of this database at a later stage? Would you be willing to contribute new information to this database later on, if there is to be an update? Please do not hesitate to make any comment or criticism (or, of course, to tell us if you find ECOTROP a good project). Thank you for your contribution! Rudolf Specht, Project Coordinator for Database Project German Society for Tropical Ecology __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Appendix: The two versions of questionnaires used; you do NOT have to fill them out again! The first version of our questionnaire (September 1991 - July 1992) Database on Tropical Ecology This short questionnaire is intended to give you an idea of the kind of information we are seeking. We kindly request you to make use of it, but if you want to present any information in another and maybe better way, please feel free to do so. Countries or geographical regions where research in tropical ecology is being carried out: Major fields of research in key words (please tick): __tropical rain forest __other types of tropical forest __tropical savannas __tropical deserts __rivers, streams __lakes __wetlands __tropical oceans (incl. coral __coasts, coastal areas reefs) (incl. mangroves) __islands __mountains __zoology/faunistics __botany/vegetation science __systematics/taxonomy __conservation, protected areas __general ecology __behaviour __mammals __birds __fish __reptiles/amphibians __insects __other invertebrates __agriculture __animal husbandry __forestry __fisheries __soil science, erosion __limnology/hydrology __ocean science __ecosystems research __anthropology/ethnobotany/ethnozoology others, or more detailed specification: additional remarks and explanations (e.g. field stations in the tropics, collaborating local institutions or individuals etc.): The latest version of the questionnaire we used (1993); for your information only, you do NOT have to fill it out!! DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FšR TROPEN™KOLOGIE (GERMAN SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY) Database of Tropical Ecology Research Institutions QUESTIONNAIRE If your institution engages in research in tropical ecology, please fill out and return (by regular mail or email) to the Project Coordinator INSTITUTION (name, address): SUBDIVISION (e.g. department, faculty): TEL: FAX: TELEX: E-MAIL: ENGLISH NAME for institution and subdivision, if the original name is given in another language: TYPE of institution: __ university or similar institution of higher education __ museum __ botanic garden __ governmental research institution __ private research institution __ national organization/society __ international organization/society CONTACT PERSON / this questionnaire filled out by: If you sign the following statement, your name will not be included as the name of a contact person in the final edition of the database; we will only use it for the ongoing correspondence. I do not want my personal name to be included in the final version of the database. Signature: __________________________________________________________________ Please tick or mark otherwise the appropriate categories in the following list. Try to make sure that it becomes clear in which countries research in the marked category is being carried out so that we know precisely WHAT IS BEING DONE WHERE. The keywords fall under three different categorization systems (SUBJECTS, ORGANISM GROUPS and ECOSYSTEMS). Please mark the appropriate keywords in each one of these three groupings, if possible, as this will increase the usefulness of the database. __________________________________________________________________ Categories Countries/Regions __________________________________________________________________ SUBJECT AREAS (in alphabetical order) __ AGRICULTURE __ SHIFTING CULTIVATION __ OTHER TROPICAL FARMING SYSTEMS __ OTHERS (please specify) __ ANIMAL HUSBANDRY/LIVESTOCK __ ANTHROPOLOGY/ETHNOBOTANY/ETHNOZOOLOGY __ BOTANY/VEGETATION SCIENCE __ GENERAL ECOLOGY (e.g. population dynamics) __ SYSTEMATICS/TAXONOMY __ OTHERS (please specify) __ CONSERVATION, PROTECTED AREAS, WILDLIFE RESOURCES __ ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH (e.g. nutrient cycling; Global Change) __ FISHERIES __ FORESTRY __ AGROFORESTRY __ AFFORESTATION, REAFFORESTATION __ DEFORESTATION, EROSION __ FOREST MANAGEMENT __ FOREST PRODUCTS __ OTHERS (please specify) __ LIMNOLOGY/HYDROLOGY __ OCEAN SCIENCE __ SOIL SCIENCE __ ZOOLOGY AND FAUNISTICS __ GENERAL ECOLOGY (e.g. food chains, population dynamics) __ SYSTEMATICS/TAXONOMY __ OTHERS (please specify) __ OTHERS (please specify) ORGANISM GROUPS __ MAMMALS __ BIRDS __ FISH __ REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS __ INSECTS __ OTHER INVERTEBRATES __ HIGHER PLANTS (angio- and gymnosperms) __ FERNS, MOSSES, LICHENS; ALGAE, PROCARYONTS __ FUNGI (Mycology) ECOSYSTEMS __ TROPICAL LOWLAND RAIN FOREST __ PRIMARY FOREST __ SECONDARY FOREST __ OTHER TYPES OF TROPICAL FOREST (please specify): __ PRIMARY FOREST __ SECONDARY FOREST __ TROPICAL SAVANNAS AND SAVANNA WOODLAND __ TROPICAL DESERTS AND ARID LANDS __ RIVERS AND STREAMS __ LAKES __ OTHER TYPES OF WETLANDS __ TROPICAL OCEANS (incl. coral reefs and atolls) __ COASTS AND COASTAL AREAS (incl. mangroves) __ ISLANDS __ MOUNTAINS AND HIGHLANDS __ OTHERS (please specify) __ OTHER CATEGORIES NOT TO BE FOUND ABOVE (please specify) If possible, please add additional information on the institution's research to this questionnaire in a few sentences in your own words (e.g. short project descriptions, additional clarification, field stations in the tropics run by the institution, international collaboration etc.). If you have any brochures, please send them as well; we would try to include information contained in these in a short form, if you do not want to do it yourself. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Do not forget to mark your choice of the format you would like for your copy of the database (3,5" diskette for IBM-PC; no software included): I would like my final copy of the database in the following format: Available database formats: ____Q&A 4.0 ____dbase III ____dbase IV Available text formats: ____ASCII (IBM) ____ASCII (Macintosh) __________________________________________________________________ End of Appendix and of file