Gymnosperm Database: Links

Essential Links

These are links that provide significant additional information on many of the species addressed in the Gymnosperm Database. Because they are so comprehensive, it is not practical for me to add them to each page of each species concerned.

CalFlora -- A comprehensive database on the flora of California. Photos of most California gymnosperms.

Climate-Vegetation Atlas of North America: Conifers -- Online version of USGS Professional Paper 1650-A, with PDF files showing range and climatic requirements of most species of North American conifers. Very useful graphic presentation of climate requirements. See also THIS LINK, which has both distribution maps and downloadable ArcView shapefiles.

The Cycad Pages -- Provides information on all described cycad species, and extensive supplemental information.

Africa Cycads -- Provides good photos, distribution maps and descriptions for all African cycads, i.e. Encephalartos and Stangeria.

Bibliography of Dendrochronology: Search Page -- Searchable database that includes virtually everything ever published on the subject of dendrochronology.

University of Michigan Native American Ethnobotany Database -- A database of foods, drugs, dyes and fibers of native american peoples, derived from plants.

FEIS database -- FEIS was developed at the USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station's Fire Sciences Laboratory (IFSL) in Missoula, Montana. Among other things, it includes a database featuring many plant species found in the western United States, providing information on distribution, fire effects, value, ecological characteristics, and references for each species treated. I believe it includes all conifers of the western U.S.

Flora of China

Flora of North America

Plants Database -- The PLANTS Database is a single source of standardized information about plants. This database focuses on vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories. The PLANTS Database includes names, checklists, automated tools, identification information, species abstracts, distributional data, crop information, plant symbols, plant growth data, plant materials information, plant links, references, and other plant information.

Online Databases

Virtual Cycad Encyclopedia -- Administered by the Palm & Cycad Societies of Florida (PACSOF).

USDA Integrated Taxonomic Information System -- Taxonomic information (authors, synonyms, common names, etc.) for most species native to or ornamental within North America. Generally very useful and recommended.

USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) -- Another excellent source of taxonomic information (authors, synonyms, common names, etc.) for most plant species of the world. Particularly handy for the obscure species.

NCBI Taxonomy Homepage -- Similar to the above pages, but with links to information on genetic research (it's a National Institutes of Health page). Fewer species than the USDA sites, and a less effective search engine, but with a more international selection of species.

ICE Flora and Fauna Database -- Slow and unwieldy, but provides a fairly complete listings of all plant and animal species found in units of the US National Parks system.

NOAA Paleoclimatology Program Tree-Ring Data Page

Vascular Plant Image Gallery

Reforestation, Nurseries and Genetic Resources -- Page dedicated to providing information on how to grow seedling for forestry and conservation. Especially see the "publications" page, which contains full-text articles from such relevant publications as Tree Planters' Notes and the Tropical Tree Seed Manual.

Other Online Data Sources

Yahoo "Trees" Discussion Groups -- From this page you can link to the following relevant discussion groups:

• conifer_forum: focus on conifers, common, dwarf and unusual types and anything that would be of interest to conifer lovers.
• conifer_obsession: focus on conifers, including dwarf and unusual cultivars.
• conifer_collectors: focus on conifers, common, dwarf and unusual cultivars.

Arboretum de Villardebelle -- Provides a fine selection of conifer photos, including a substantial cone collection.

Conifers of the Pacific Northwest

Conifers of the Western U.S. -- Photos of many western conifers. Nice pictures, but no other information.

Gardenweb: Conifers -- This is the 'get-together' for horticultural conifer people. If you are looking for plants, seeds, or advice on why your pet conifer is sick, someone at this site can probably help you out.

Web Garden World -- "The web site focuses on the magnificient Gems of the Plant Kingdom: Orchids - Bromeliads - Cacti/Succulents - Conifers."

Western Forest Insects and Diseases -- A large collection of links, this is the place to go for all sorts of information on the subject.

Botanical Gardens

Arboretum de Villardebelle -- French arboretum devoted to conifers.

Fairchild Tropical Garden -- Especially noteworthy for its cycad collection.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew -- Particularly good for publications, and a good links page.

New York Botanical Garden

Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

Glossaries

These links will help you with the sometimes rather obscure terms used in this database.

Biology-Online -- Has a comprehensive glossary, as well as much information on general biology (2008.04.22).

Botanical Glossary -- About 2400 terms, searchable.

Dictionary of Botanical Epithets -- Will help you to determine the meaning of species names, such as nidulum.

Google Translate -- This page has Google's translation service, which provides automated translations. You can enter text or a URL. This site will be useful for anyone pursuing links on non-English pages, and may also be helpful to non-English speakers using the Gymnosperm Database.

Miscellany

Forest Giants -- Bob Van Pelt is obsessed with finding the biggest trees in the world. He has written two books on the subject (available via his website) and now has a web page featuring his photographs and drawings.

The Mountains of California: The Forests -- This chapter from John Muir's 1894 book, the Mountains of California, describes the awesome conifers of the Sierra Nevada in terms both inspiring and scientifically accurate. The website (which is part of the John Muir Website, maintained by the Sierra Club) includes the full text of the book, with illustrations.

The American Conifer Society -- A good website but entirely focused on horticulture, mainly of unnatural forms.

The Cycad Society

The International Dendrological Research Institute (IDRI). They have published some good but expensive books, particularly focusing on temperate and northern conifers.

Gigantopteroid.org. If you think the relationship between different types of gymnosperms is confusing, take a look at the jungle of hypotheses attempting to describe the origin of the angiosperms.

Gondwana Gardens -- Although primarily a commercial nursery, their selection includes many S Hemisphere gymnosperms and they provide useful (chiefly horticultural) information on most stocked species.

Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research

Ultimate Tree-Ring Web Pages -- The first place to go for information on any aspect of dendrochronology. Much useful information and an extraordinary array of links.

The Tree-Ring Society -- The only formal association of dendrochronologists worldwide. Publishes a journal, Tree-Ring Research, sponsors international meetings, archives tree-ring data, etc.

Central America and Mexico Coniferous Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE).

Timber -- Names and conservation status of many different timber trees.

Vladimir Dinets -- Vladimir Dinets has been sending me conifer photos since 1998. He is one of the best-traveled people I know, and everywhere he goes he appreciates the area's natural history with fascinating accounts and many fine photographs - including a fair number of trees. It's a pleasure to browse his website.

Annotated links to internet resources, especially for palaeobotanists (with an Upper Triassic bias).

The Ecological Role of Fire in Sierran Conifer Forests