January Links

Scott's Botanical Links

Leigh's Links -- January 1998

Past Links:

January 30, 1998 - Scientific American

The Scientific American website could easily become a daily pastime, with free and clear access to selections from the current issue and a searchable archives of past article summaries. Featuring the magazine on the margin of the page, the really cool contents has weekly web features like "How Insects Walk on Water and Walls," online exhibits, interviews, editor's pick bookmarks, and "Explorations." Features are supplemented with links which further enhance the subject. For a touch of interactivity, hold onto that burning scientific question and come "Ask the Experts" at this site by Scientific American, New York, New York. (****) -LF

January 29, 1998 - Global Warming

The USEPA extends a warm welcome to their Global Warming infocenter for the latest news and data on greenhouse gases. An inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions discusses the origin and relative amounts of the individual components believed to be causing global climate changes. Biological impacts of temperature and precipitation changes on human health and ecosystems are presented in detail as are local, national, and world action plans for promoting energy efficiency to reduce remissions to the atmosphere. Of particular use for keeping up with atmospheric pollution and environment in the U.S., this is a bookmark for many walks of science, and for all living and breathing citizens of the globe. Site by the USEPA, Washington, D.C. (****) -LF

January 28, 1998 - Berkshire Biological

Berkshire Biological provides living organisms to school systems, specializing in curriculum for grades 1-12. Plant materials for terraria and "river tanks" including various algae and insectivorous plants are available along with beneficial insects and an array of invertebrates for putting together studies of life cycles and food chains, or a home for classroom pets. Care and handling instructions are provided for each organism, and Berkshire offers one-on-one instruction by trained staff members for problems and questions. Check out the ingenuity of a company that for 18 years has been selling aphids by the pound, at this site by Innoview, Northampton, Massachussetts, for Berkshire Biological, Westhampton, Massachussetts. (****) -LF

January 27, 1998 - Midwestern Wetland Flora

Agencies of the USDA must determine whether particular agricultural lands have eligibility for government program benefits for the management of wetlands. In consultancy with the Ecological Science and Planning Staff of the Soil Conservation Service Midwest Regional Technical Center, this illustrated field guide was created to aid the identification of wetland vegetation by persons regardless of their botanical background. Obvious wetland species such as floating and emersed plants are not included, the focus being 300 less easily recognized inhabitants of hydric soils. Pages provide a color image, an outstanding line drawing, U.S. distribution map and an array of field characters. As many of these plants enjoy a wide distribution, Midwestern Wetland Flora is useful for other geographical regions. This site is produced for the USDA Soil Conservation Service Midwest Regional Technical Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, by Biotic Consultants, Inc., of Carbondale, Illinois. (****) -LF

January 26, 1998 - BioChemNet

BioChemNet's directory of educational resources is organized into topics of General Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Biotechnology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Science News & Journals, Lab Safety, Science Careers, Words of Wisdom, and Free ClipArt. There are links for children through adults and teachers will find this a most desirable resource center for locating the aristocrats of internet science education projects. A great diversion is a hop over to Barnes & Noble from this site by Dyann K. Schmidel, Ph.D.(****) -LF

January 23, 1998 - Incredible, Edible Flowers

Students and others on a tight budget this spring will want to know which things around the campus grounds and along country roadsides can be used to brighten up their bill-of-fare. Amazingly good and good-looking foods can be prepared with flowers, and a little botanical resourcefulness paired with tips from a cooking expert can make for quite a sustainable as well as amusing dinner party. Find a list of flowers common to floral cuisine and links to flower recipes on the internet at this site by Peggy Trowbridge for the Mining Co.(****) -LF

January 22, 1998 - ScienceDaily

"ScienceDaily is a free, advertising-supported online magazine that brings you breaking news about the latest discoveries and hottest research projects in everything from astrophysics to zoology. The magazine's articles are actually news releases submitted by leading universities and other research organizations around the world. Each news release is posted in its original form, with a contact name and link to the organization's home page." The author's own description far surpasses anything imaginable, this webzine being the publication of a professional science writer/editor, teamed with his wife, an elementary science education specialist. The couple publishes a very cool daily digest of news releases from 70 contributing organizations, along with Headlines, Coolsites, Archives, and Information for becoming a Contributor. Be on the vanguard with a daily trip to this site by Dan and Michele Hogan, Sandy Hook, Connecticut (****) -LF

January 21, 1998 - The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois

The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois serves as a general article about the prairie as the "Last evolved, first dissolved ecosystem in North America," and the prairie as a landscape no longer a part of many American memories. The text covers types of prairies and their formation, a history of prairie settlement, biota (especially plants), prairie plants that have become garden plants, and an introduction to prairie restoration. On the author's homepage find a number of excellent images, for he is also a specialist in photographs of plants for use in professional seminars, demonstrations, and lectures. A bonus link to the author's Rosaceae Homepage for a survey of the family as taught in Plant Biology 260 makes this a truly informative and stimulating site by Kenneth R. Robertson, Curator of the Herbarium, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois. (****) -LF

January 20, 1998 - Online Biology Book

Who could ask for more than a free 40 chapter online biology book with text, glossary, illustrations, and web links to everything needed for freshman biology? Fifteen good solid years of teaching the course are digested into the author's internet presentation, making this a must entry in biology link libraries everyhere! Individual chapters of Online Biology Book can be used to supplement a number of courses and thanks to the dedication of one hardworking botanist/geologist, many students and educators will derive benefit from this site by Michael J. Farabee, Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, AZ.(****) -LF

January 19, 1998 - The Tree Bark Pages

Addressing the question, "What is Bark?" here's a site for learning about the anatomy and physiology of tree bark, fungal canker diseases of tree bark, and bark wounds and defense mechanisms of woody plants. The section on angiosperm wounds has quite a detailed presentation on "Anatomical and Physiological Responses of Bark Tissues to Mechanical Injury." Find also a reprint of the paper "Heritability of Suberin Accumulation in Wounded Peach Bark " by A. R. Biggs, N. W. Miles, and R. L. Bell, published by the American Phytopathological Society. Take the link to the author's other coolsite for the Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center for more info about diseases and insects affecting fruit trees in the mid-Atlantic area. Teacher and course instructor input is wanted at this site by Alan R. Biggs, Professor of Plant Pathology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.(****) -LF

January 16, 1998 - IMSEnet

This is a netsite for and about successful use of the internet for science education. There's an active Sci-Teach Forum "to promote the exchange of ideas and methods for the improvement in teaching and learning science," an annotated list of educational science sites, and many resources to aid teachers or students in the development of their own educational web pages. A section on evaluating educational websites describes the requisites of good content and construction, while IMSEnet in general provides many pointers to creating a quality internet presentation of science topics. Site by Alec M. Bodzin, Lisa L. Grable, Susan Curtis and the SERVIT Group, Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. (****) -LF

January 15, 1998 - Alice's Web Booklets

People in many places will find Alice's Web Booklets for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension useful at one time or another, constructed to provide plant identification, quick facts, and when applicable, cultural information . Currently there are seven online: Poisonous Plants of North Carolina, with 344 potentially toxic plants and mushrooms; Trees of the Maritime Forest- 100 trees found in coastal North Carolina Forests; Urban Tree Identification of 80 commonly encountered trees; a hundred Perennials of North Carolina gardens and how to plant them; plant identification hints for the 4-H Horticulture Contest; Flowering Bulbs as Perennials and Fall Planted Spring Flowering Bulbs both for North American landscapes; and coming soon, Wildflowers ! The images are outstanding and include a display of several plant parts and vegetative features for identification along with examples of the whole plant. Information is presented scientifically yet is accessible to the consumer- a very successful educational program overall at this site by Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.(****) -LF

January 14, 1998 - Dan's Plant and Etc. Page

There are some dandy experiments for measuring plant growth over at Dan's place, which utilizing uncomplicated apparatus and easy statistical interpretation could look absolutely great at this year's science fair. In particular "Age of Corn and Coleus Seeds and Germination," "Entry Point of Water in the Germination of Sweet Corn Seeds," "Observations on Pinto Bean Plant Growth," and "Hydroponic Growth of Sunflowers in Distilled and Cleveland Tap Water" are easily simulated in the home laboratory, and using Dan's work as a template students will turn out a quality product. Also there are fifty some digital photos of the flora of college campuses and parks in the Cleveland area that Dan needs help identifying so here's a prime opportunity to test your plant recognition skills at this site by Daniel Deadmore, Baldwin Wallace College, Berea, Ohio. (****) -LF

January 13, 1998 - Gordon's Entomological Home Page

"Welcome to the Wonderful World of Insects" where Gordon's enthusiasm for his subject pops out on every page of his comprehensive and witty entomology website. "The Wonderful World of Insect Taxonomy" begins with the origin of the binomial system, provides a Key to the Insect Orders and a distribution table of the Orders linked to info on each. Insect Anatomy, Book Reviews, How to Raise Insects, and access to Bugnet, " a listserver or mailing list designed to let people like you ask entomological questions of those more entomologically expert, " are just a few of the informative features offered. This is a great place for students young and old to get going on the general biology of insects, and now that his work at University of Exeter is complete. Gordon is looking for suggestions on How to Save this Site by Gordon John Larkman Ramel, North Wyke, Devon, England. (****) -LF

January 12, 1998 - Medicinal and Poisonous Plant Databases

Hop over to UMD for James A. Duke's "How Plants Get Turned into Medicine," a 1998 winter short course co-taught with site author Michael Tims. Beginning with an introduction to synergy, the lectures proceed through the types of pharmaceutically active phytochemicals, aspects of modern natural medicine, medicinal plants from around the world, and the significance of molecular structures in therapeutic activity. Beyond the mini-course there are many top notch WWW links to ethnobotany and phytochemistry resources that have been selected as required reading for PBIO 485: "Medicinal and Poisonous Plants." Find Carbohydrate Chemistry, The Bean Improvement Cooperative, Strawberry Improvement: Past and Future, and a Student Paper Archives, all at this med-bot supersite by Michael Tims, Department of Plant Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.(****) -LF (This is a mirror site of the Old URL: http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mct/Plants/)

January 9, 1998 - PLANTanswers

Try out the new PLANTanswer Machine which searches Aggie Horticulture, the Texas Plant Disease Handbook, and the TAMU Entomology web site simultaneously for answers to PLANTquestions! Coupled with a Meta-Crawler search option and a link to Ohio State University's database of 13,000 Fact Sheets, here's a one-stop facility to find out just about anything on plants in agriculture and horticulture in the U.S. and Canada. Great for Plants and People Courses, Botany, and Hort, this site is created and maintained by Jerry Parsons and Dan Lineberger with graphic design by Gretchen Eagle, for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, San Antonio, Texas. (****) -LF

January 8, 1998 - Plants of the Southwest

Looking for a Penstemon that'll knock your socks off ? This website for a seller of the beautiful "unexplored" southwestern flora has an outstanding display of images online to promote plants for gardens where or when the rain doesn't fall. Along with the dazzling selection of Beardtongues, don't miss the High Plains Pinon-Juniper wildflower mix or the Prunus virginiana in full bloom! Each photo offered is a splendid example of the plant and a good composition, making this an excellent link for horticulture studies. Find out how to rate chiles and whip up some fresh salsa as well at this coolsite by Xynergy Interactive, for Plants of the Southwest, Santa Fe New Mexico. (****) -LF

January 7, 1998 - Plant Disease Fact Sheets

A well-rounded plant consultant can never have too many Fact Sheets at their fingertips. These, though described as concerning "plants frequently grown in greenhouses, interiorscapes, and in outdoor landscapes and nurseries in the northeastern U.S.," provide quick info which is useful almost everywhere for commonly encountered houseplants, florist and bedding plants. The list for woody ornamentals is equally well-chosen for its wide application, and the general title publications provide excellent coverage of everyday problems and techniques of horticulture. Well-organized and a snap to use, another must bookmark for 1998 is this site by Gary W. Moorman, Plant Pathologist, Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension, University Park, Pennsylvania. (****) -LF

January 6, 1998 - Welcome to the Penstemon Website

The "Home of the Beardtongue" is the place to go for both botanical and gardening information about the popular member of the snapdragon family Penstemon. The author's photo collection of this attractive subject for botanical study is featured with pages about her own and student Penstemon research (systematics, hybridization, and pollen presentation theory). To find out how to how to work a great plant into the perennial border, dig into an excerpt from the American Penstemon Society Manual for Beginners. Rock gardeners will want to subscribe to Alpine-L, the Electronic Rock Garden Society mailing list sponsored by the Netherlands Botanic Gardens. Impress the garden club with secrets of arranging Penstemon and the latest scientific facts gleaned from this site by Andrea D. Wolfe, Department of Plant Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. (****) -LF

January 5, 1998 - Botanical Glossary

"The Glossary of Botanical Terms currently contains 2178 terms relating to botany, gardening, horticulture and landscape architecture, and is regularly updated." The search form allows searching by one or more keywords, returning an alphabetical list of terms whose definitions directly pertain to or contain the keyword(s). Going a step beyond just words and definitions, terminology occurring within a requested definition is hyperlinked to additional entries in the Glossary to provide contextual examples relating to the query. This very nicely done e-dictionary is easy to use - a must bookmark for the New Year! Created by Spike Hernandez for Garden Web, published by Virtual Mirror, Highland Park, New Jersey. (****) -LF