Abstract Detail

Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS

Nash III, Thomas H. [1], Gries, Corinna [1], Rambold, Gerhard [2].

Interactive keys: the heart of a virtual flora.

Central to any flora is a character database and algorithms that provide the keying capabilities. Interactive keys offer huge advantages over traditional dichotomous keys in so far as one can utilize whatever characters are readily available and optimization strategies may be included such that keying within a set of say 1000 species can be accomplished in relatively few steps. An example of a successful on-line keying system, especially for teaching purposes is the 'LICHEN LAND', a fully illustrated key for beginners at the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering. Currently, the largest strides towards highly integrated, truly interactive, web-based keys are being established by 'LIAS' through the application of such open source tools as DIVERSITY DESCRIBE, a 'DIVESITY WORKBENCH' component, or INTKEY, a program of the CSIRO DELTA package (Dallwitz 1995). For example, a world-wide generic online database with descriptive data of lichens and lichenicolous fungi is available at 'LIAS', a global information system for lichenized and non-lichenized Ascomycetes, located at the Botanische Staatssammlung München (Rambold 1997, 2002, Rambold and Triebel 1995-2002).In addition, regional data sets for usage with DELTA compatible applications for keying species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are currently being developed. An application of INTKEY for the Greater Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora Project will be demonstrated and the background character dataset explained.

1 - Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, PO Box 874501, Tempe, Arizona, 85287-4501, USA
2 - University of Bayreuth, Lehrstuhl fuer Pflanzensystematik, Bayreuth, Bavaria, D-95447, Germany

Keywords:
Flora
interactive keys
lichens
Mexico.

Presentation Type: Paper
Session: 51-7
Location: Magpie (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Wednesday, August 4th, 2004
Time: 2:30 PM
Abstract ID:667