1st Edition
Plant Identification Creating User-Friendly Field Guides for Biodiversity Management
296 Pages
by
Routledge
296 Pages
by
Routledge
256 Pages
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
An important prerequisite for successful conservation is a good understanding of what we seek to conserve. Nowhere is this more the case than in the fight to protect plant biodiversity, which is threatened by human activity in many regions worldwide. This book is written in the belief that tools that enable more people to understand biodiversity can not only aid protection efforts but also... Read more
Part I, Identifying biodiversity: Why do we need field guides? * How do we 'know' nature? Classifying, naming and recognizing * Field guides * How to use this book * Part II, Producing a successful guide: Principles, purpose, people and process * What makes a successful guide? * Purpose * Principles * People * Process * Part III, Planning and budgeting * Step 1: Identify the needs and purpose of the guide with the stakeholders * Methods for consulting * Step 2: Review the scope in relation to available resources * Step 3: Prepare an action plan and agreements with stakeholders * Summary: Checklist of questions for the planning stage * Part IV, Plant names and botanical publication * Naming, identification and classification * The spectrum of botanical literature * Landmarks in the spectrum of field guides today * Your field guide within the spectrum of types * Part V, Identification: Keys and other access methods * Types of guide: Types of access * Choosing access methods and the medium for your field guide * Part VI, Plant characters suitable for field guides * Characters of younger stems and leaves * Characters of whole plants or plant populations * Part VII, Information: Finding it and presenting it * Kinds of information * Managing information in a database * Nomenclature * Selecting, sampling and recording your sources of information * Primary data: Information direct from people * Secondary sources: Information from existing documented sources * Ownership, intellectual property rights and copyright * Accuracy and reliability * Writing * Part VIII, Illustration * The content of a picture: Some general principles * The options for illustrative material * Use of computers for handling illustrations * Conclusions: Choosing and using imagery * Part IX, Testing the field guide * Overview of the testing process * Methodology * Organizing workshops for testing * Preparing materials for testing * Documentation: Instructions and forms for the test * Using the results of
Biography
Anna Lawrence leads the Human Ecology Research Programme at Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute.
