21 st CENTURY FLORAS New technologies to speed the process Arthur D. Chapman

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to available names Access to publications Access to adequate collections Access to ancillary information Speed of the taxonomic process Re-inventing the wheel Size of the task With thanks to George Shepherd Problems in beginning a new Flora

where are we now? where are we going? 250 years of Endeavour

Using emerging technologies What emerging technologies? How are they being used? How can these be used to solve the problems of beginning a new Flora Using emerging technologies

Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools Changing Technology Changing Technologies

Internet New high-speed parallel networks –From gopher to grid Distributed systems –From Z39.50 to XML, SOAP Interactive Mapping –From Imap to ArcIMS, Mapserver The Internet From

Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools Changing Technology Changing Technologies

256 Mb USB 160 Gb USB/Firewire 20 Gb USB/Firewire 1 Gb smartcard Computer Storage

Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools Changing Technology Changing Technologies

P4 P3 P2 P Chip Development

Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools Changing Technology Changing Technologies

GPS Geocoding Manual coding Automated georeferencing GPS

Australian Bird Atlas Atlas of Australian Birds From Atlas Newsletter No. 9, 2002

Changing Technologies Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools

Changing Technologies Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools

Type collections INBIO Costa Rica

Type Collections US National Herbarium

Type Collections University of Florida

Type Collections

With thanks to Barbara Thiers, NYBG

Changing Technologies Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools

Digital Imagery

Changing Technology Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools

Video Imaging

Changing Technology Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Digital Libraries Presentation Tools

Digital Libraries With thanks to Barbara Thiers, NYBG

Changing Technologies Internet Computing –Storage –Processing speeds GPS Analysis Tools Imagery –Scanners –Digital Photography –Digital Video Presentation Tools

Flora of Australia

Using emereging technologies Access to available names Using emerging technologies

Using emereging technologies Access to available names –Catalogue of names (authority files) –Distributed access Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to publications Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to publications –Digital libraries –Scanning Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to adequate collections Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to adequate collections –Virtual Herbaria –DiGIR Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to ancillary information Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Access to ancillary information –Flora Braziliensis revisited –Digital libraries Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Speed of the taxonomic process Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Speed of the taxonomic process –Databases –Protologues –Types –Electronic publications Names, check lists, floras, etc. –Working smarter –Sharing data, pooling descriptions Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Re-inventing the wheel –Other floras and electronic floras Flora of Australia/XML –Distributed systems –Species Plantarum? –Utilising the resources Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Size of the task Using emerging technologies

Problems in beginning a new Flora Size of the task –What type of Flora? –Who wants a Flora anyway? –Electronic Flora –Check lists, guide books –What are the priorities –Australian experience –Orchids – are they really plants? –250 years of taxonomic endeavour Using emerging technologies

If Linnaeus was starting today would he do things the same way? Working Smarter

The future – Linking distributed information –A distributed flora? Searching interactively ‘on demand’ Floras Up-to-date information Quicker, more efficient taxonomy Working Smarter

Taxonomic process –Searching for names –Searching for original descriptions –Searching for recent revisions –Searching for specimens/types –Creating a character set –Writing descriptions –Publishing Working Smarter

How can we improve efficiency Writing Floras –Gathering information from revisions –Re-keying information –Re-checking specimens –Geo-referencing –Checking other treatises, floras, etc. –Writing up –Mapping –Illustrating –Publishing –Data validation tools Working Smarter

LUCID Working Smarter

A fantasy Person in field with a GPS and satellite link Upload location Download key and descriptions Type in vegetation type – use interactive keys Upload photograph or video Get identification – or notification of possible new species New description, photograph, etc. on spot added to database – perhaps with code rather than formal name. Information is immediately to other researchers and taxonomists.

Questions?

Arthur D. Chapman