Museums & Species Page 4

(ECP and CTSP grantees, reports, and other sites of interest for conservation geography, mapping and GIS. Grantees are coded by program and year of grant at the end of their name/state, i.e. e91 means ECP grant in 1991. c=cstp, cm=ctsp-mac, cs=ctsp-software)

Native Fish Australia. (PO Box 235 Mortdale New South Wales 2223 AUSTRALIA Phone: (02) 9626 9938 (A/H) International: +61-2-9626-9938 (0800 - 1200 HRS GMT)). Is a volunteer organisation that is open to anyone who cares about the well-being of Australia's native freshwater fish and the rivers, streams and other waterways that they inhabit.

NODC Taxonomic Code CD-ROM, Version 8.0, (J.D. Hardy, Jr. National Oceanographic Data Center NOAA/NESDIS E/OC1 SSMC3, Room 4649 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282 Telephone: (301)713-3272 ext.118 Fax: (301)713-3301 E-mail: dhardy@nodc.noaa.gov) The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) is pleased to release version 8.0 of the NODC Taxonomic Code, which now contains approximately 244,000 records. The NODC Taxonomic Code is the largest, most flexible, and widely used of the various coding schemes developed over the past two decades to adapt the Linnean system of biological nomenclature to modern methods of data storage and retrieval...Up to now the NODC Taxonomic Code was based on 12-digit "intelligent" code numbers. By "intelligent" code numbers we mean that information about taxonomy was built into the codes through the use of 2-digit couplets to represent one or more levels of the taxonomic hierarchy. (Version 8) also introduces non-intelligent Taxonomic Serial Numbers (TSNs) that will be used in future editions of the NODC Taxonomic Code...As new taxa are added to the file they will be assigned Taxonomic Serial Numbers. The TSN remains with the taxon to which it was assigned, even though the taxon itself may go in or out of synonymy or be entirely reclassified.

North American Native Fishes Association. (Bob Bock, P.O. Box 2304, Kensington, Maryland 20891). "We serve to bring together professional and amateur aquarists, educators, students, anglers, fish and wildlife officials, and researchers — anyone with an interest in the appreciation, conservation, and study of these wonderful and important inhabitants of our lakes and streams."

Taylor Arboretum, Natural Lands Trust, Inc., Media PA cm96. Defunct? Natural Lands Trust, Inc., a non-profit conservation organization based in Media, Pennsylvania, has managed the Taylor Memorial Arboretum since 1986.

University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web. (Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, 1109 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079 tel:734-764-0476 fax:734-763-4080 Contac: Phil Myers et al, pmyers@umich.edu. general email:ADW_Feedback@umich.edu) "The Animal Diversity Web is a collection of pictures and information about animals. Accounts of individual species include information on distributions, natural history, conservation, and economic importance, along with pictures and sounds if available." SEARCH

NEODAT II. Defunct? The Inter-Institutional Database of Fish Biodiversity in the Neotropics (NEODAT) is an international cooperative effort to make available systematic and geographic data on neotropical freshwater fish specimens deposited in natural history collections in the New World and Europe...Currently 29 institutions in South America, Central America, North America, West Indies, and Europe participate in the project. Over 400,000 records have been captured and are accessible through project databases.

North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The NC Botanical Garden is a regional center for research, conservation, and interpretation of plants, particularly those native to the southeastern United States, but also including those with special botanical interest or horticultural plants with traditional uses."

North Carolina Zoological Society e98y (4403 Zoo Parkway Asheboro, NC 27203, Tel: (800)488-0444 or (336)879-7000 GIS Contact: Michael Robert Loomis,Chief Veternarian, Email: mike__loomis@mail.enr.state.nc.us) GIS PROGRAM: "A five year elephant tracking and conservation program. This program, spearheaded by the Zoo's chief veterinarian, Dr. Mike Loomis, will identify land use and migratory needs of Cameroon's few remaining elephants. In so doing, the program will help local planners develop strategies and set aside natural areas that will reduce crop losses, human injuries, deaths and other devastating consequences of elephant-human interactions." Live GIS Elephant Tracking Site Now ONLINE! See Live Maps of Cameroon Elephant Positions.

Oregon State University Dept. of Botany, Corvallis, OR e96. (Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-4501, USA. tel:541-737-1000 Herbarium Email: herbarium@scarab.cordley.orst.edu) The ultimate goal of the Oregon Flora Project is to produce an illustrated Flora of Oregon in text and electronic forms...The Oregon Plant Atlas Project, a partnership between the Oregon Flora Project and the Native Plant Society of Oregon (NPSO), was launched at Oregon State University on April 11. The goal of the project is to produce an atlas of Oregon vascular plants in conjunction with a new Flora of Oregon. The atlas will include dot maps for each species, a series of map overlays (e.g., ecoregions, actual vegetation, potential vegetation, climate zones), and an introductory chapter on factors that influence plant distributions. Carex Working Group: With the aid of Dr. Jon Kimerling (Geosciences) and the Oregon Atlas Project, they have used this database to produce Oregon distribution maps of 130 Carex taxa. SEARCH

PLANTS Database Project, USDA NRCS. (National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Director: J. Scott Peterson tel: 225/775-6280 email: speterson@npdc.usda.gov.) Plants provides a single source of standardized information about plants. PLANTS provides standardized plant names, symbols and other plant attribute information. PLANTS contains a list of the plants known to occur as native or naturalized within the boundaries of the United States, including its territories. This currently encompasses approximately 45,000 individual taxon, plus synonyms. These taxa include vascular and nonvascular plants. PLANTS is providing the plant portion of the taxonomic backbone within the ITIS system. ITIS will provide a taxonomic backbone encompassing the biota of the United States to US Federal agencies...The vascular plant information in PLANTS was developed and is being maintained in cooperation with the Biota of North America Program, North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina under the direction of John Kartesz, plus the input of over 700 botanists familiar with the North American flora...PLANTS works to implement the botanical data standards put forth by the following organizations: International Union for Biological Science-Taxonomic Databases Working Group, International Association for Plant Taxonomy, International Botanical Congress (current International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and its revisions), and International Organization for Plant Information. For further information see the page on Standards and TDWG...The geographical (country, state, and county) data, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) codes, have been acquired electronically directly from the US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Plants Photo Gallery: "The images in PLANTS are free for scientific and educational uses provided the photographer (if known), copyright holder, institution, and the PLANTS Database are properly credited. " The USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center is currently working to scan plant photographs for the PLANTS Photo Gallery.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA e96. (1500 North College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711-3157 General tel:(909) 625-8767 Education Department: (909) 626-1917 Fax: (909) 626-7670. Email: Ann.Joslin@cgu.edu. alternate url) Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is dedicated to the collection, cultivation, study and display of California native plants. In addition to its living plant displays, the Garden maintains three significant collections: a one-million specimen herbarium (the thirteenth largest in the U.S., and the third largest west of the Mississippi) that focuses on native California plants and plants of arid regions; a 42,000 volume botanical library with emphasis on plant systematics, evolution and native plants; and an ex-situ seed storage program associated with the Center for Plant Conservation. RSABG has an active research program and, in conjunction with the Claremont Graduate University, the Botanic Garden offers masters and doctoral degrees through a graduate program in botany. The Garden also offers a wide range on non-degree classes for the general public. Call (909) 625-8767 for more information. -- Richard M. Chute, Director of Development, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Avenue Claremont, CA 91711, Phone: (909) 625-8767, FAX: (909) 626-7670, email: chuter@cgs.edu. Web: http://cgsweb.cgs.edu/inst/rsa/

San Deigo Zoo: Zoological Society of San Diego e99. (Zoological Society of San Diego, P.O. Box 120271, San Diego, CA 92112-0271 Fax: (619) 685-3290) Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species. "CRES is the research department of the Society, and since its founding in 1975, the basic and applied research done by CRES is a major reason for the acknowledged excellence of the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Projects in the field and here at home in San Diego are an important part of the Zoological Society's total conservation effort.. Example Projects: Cuban Iguanas: "Since 1992, CRES scientists have been studying Cuban iguanas on the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Their research...has helped to design conservation strategies for the recovery of depleted iguana populations. In 1995, CRES ecologist Dr. Allison Alberts and her field team released 45 juvenile Cuban iguanas that had been reared at CRES into their native habitat." Botanical Gardens: "Obviously, when it comes to the World-Famous San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park, most people think of our animal collection. But an equally important - and essential - component are the botanical collections of both the Zoo and Park. In fact, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park are both fully accredited botanical gardens, which is an important and impressive distinction."

Smithsonian Institution, Wash DC e94. (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560 U.S.A. Phone: (202) 786-2518, FAX: (202) 786-2563) The Smithsonian Natural History Web is an internet resource compiled and maintained by the staff of the National Museum of Natural History. Here you will find documents and data about Museum research and the national collections, which comprise more than 120 million scientific specimens and cultural artifacts from around the world. Collections Databases: Type Specimen Holdings, General Holdings (NMNH Fish Collection, US National Herbarium Wood Collection), Scientific Illustrations and Images: (Catalog of Botanical Illustrations, Fish Images Demo Page), Collections Summary Information: ( Index of the USNM Birds Collection, Index of the USNM Mammals Collection, USNM Entomology Collections Profiles), Anthropological Collections...Reference Databases: Mammal Species of the World, World List of Insect Families, Index Nominum Genericorum. In support of the these areas of emphasis the Museum has undertaken a program to develop a modern, integrated Collections and Research Information System (CRIS) (alternate url) and foster similar efforts within the international collections community. CRIS is a distributed, multimedia system supporting the documentation, management, analysis, and delivery of the collections and research resources held and produced by the Museum. The foundation of the system is a series of databases describing: specimens and their current and past uses; observations taken in the field; collecting sites and habitats; geographic areas; species and higher taxa; cultural groups; and, relevant literature. The system is based on a multi-server architecture, integrating text databases, digital image and sound recordings, files containing results of scientific analyses, geographic information, and data thesauri: CRIS Logical Data Model for Museum Collections Transaction Management. Smithsonian Natural Science Links: mostly other museums. See also: SEARCH

All text by the respective organizations/authors
January 2, 1997

Web layout & design: Charles Convis, ESRI Conservation Program
April 2, 1996