A primary objective of the research proposed here is to place high quality scientific data (documented, curated, peer developed and reviewed) on the network as digital 'content'.  While potential applications are extensive and the potential user base is global, the education relevance is direct and obvious.  The page below (from proposal URL 8) is an example.  Biology seminars allow the student to explore, as an independent researcher, defined topics and convey information gathered via a verbal and written report to the class and instructor.  This group of students elected to pursue this enterprise using the WWW as a medium for both data development and reporting.  This is the medium of the future and our students are quite interested in developing skills required for its use as an information and communication resource.  As an example of how products generated by the research proposed here can be employed, the follow two pages (Additional Materials Pages 5 and 6) are taken from Mary Huckabee's report on the Slender rush-pea (Hoffmannseggia tenella of the Fabaceae or Bean family).  Her 'ecology and distribution' section (page 6) includes, at the base of the page, a link 'Texas counties'.  Selection of this produces Additional Materials page 6 which incorporates a map that is derived - directly via embedded URL - from the FTC endemics project.  A similar county-level distribution map could also be obtain from the Herbarium Specimen Browser system and this would provide additional information on specimens documenting the known distribution of this species in Texas.
Biology 481 - Section 503 - Spring, 1999
Endangered Plant Species of Texas
Wednesday 10:20-11:10, Butler Hall 004

All done!! - great set of pages - have a great Summer!


Topic Species (from US-FWS)
Researcher
Ancistrocactus tobuschii (Tobusch fishhook cactus) Justin Custer
Astrophytum asterias(Star cactus) Nilda Calimano
Ayenia limitaris(Texas ayenia) Anjuli Sinha
Coryphantha (=Escobaria) minima(Nellie cory cactus) Parmis Khatibi
Coryphantha ramillosa(Bunched cory cactus) Kelly Cassell
Echinocereus lloydii(Lloyd's hedgehog cactus) Brian Fernandi
Frankenia johnstonii (Johnston's frankenia) Amy Roberts
Hoffmannseggia tenella(Slender rush-pea) Mary Huckabee
Hymenoxys texana (Texas prairie dawn-flower) Atiya Husain
Manihot walkerae (Walker's manioc) Veronica Gonzalez
Phlox nivalis ssp. texensis (Texas trailing phlox) Valerie Nethery
Thymophylla tephroleuca(Ashy dogweed) Joaquin Montes
Zizania texana (Texas wild-rice) Regina Davidson

note:  Science Citation Index is now available on line from the tamu domain

Also see:  Class/Project Information 

Updated by Hugh Wilson on 10 May 1999
 

Digital Biodiversity - The Flora of Texas Project (010366-0041-1999) - Additional Materials Page 4