Taxonomic and Taxonomic and Community Community
Classification Classification Resources and Resources and
StandardsStandards
Robert K. PeetRobert K. PeetUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel University of North Carolina at Chapel
HillHill
Beware of dangerously obsolete Beware of dangerously obsolete standardsstandards
A.E. Radford, C.R.Bell. H.Ahles. 1968. A.E. Radford, C.R.Bell. H.Ahles. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Manual of the vascular flora of the CarolinasCarolinas. .
J.K. Small. 1933. J.K. Small. 1933. Manual of the Manual of the southeastern florasoutheastern flora..
Resources for plant namesResources for plant names
Why we need to use new Why we need to use new floras and new resourcesfloras and new resources
• New names New names • New taxon concepts (lumps & splits)New taxon concepts (lumps & splits)• New discoveriesNew discoveries• Taxa new to scienceTaxa new to science• New collections & overlooked New collections & overlooked collectionscollections• New data sources (Plots, Heritage New data sources (Plots, Heritage lists)lists)• New determinationsNew determinations
Our preferred standard! Our preferred standard!
Alan S.Weakley. 2006 (or subsequent Alan S.Weakley. 2006 (or subsequent eds). eds). Flora of the Carolinas,Virginia, Flora of the Carolinas,Virginia, Georgia, and surrounding areasGeorgia, and surrounding areas. . http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Resources for plant names
Other modern standards: Other modern standards:
USDA Plants databaseUSDA Plants databasehttp://plants.usda.gov/
Flora of North America Flora of North America http://hua.huh.harvard.edu/FNA/
Resources for plant names
• Data integration requires Data integration requires unambiguous identification of unambiguous identification of organisms.organisms.
• Taxonomic names are ambiguous. Taxonomic names are ambiguous.
• Taxonomic concepts should be Taxonomic concepts should be represented by a name and a represented by a name and a reference.reference.
• Single largest impediment to large-Single largest impediment to large-scale synthesis in ecology is the scale synthesis in ecology is the failure to document taxonomic failure to document taxonomic concepts.concepts.
Species concepts & data
Abies lasiocarpa
Abies bifolia
Abies lasiocarpa
sec.sec. Little Littlesec.sec. USDA PLANTS USDA PLANTS
sec.sec. Flora North America Flora North America
Three concepts of subalpine Three concepts of subalpine firfir
Splitting one species into two Splitting one species into two illustrates the ambiguity often illustrates the ambiguity often associated with scientific names.associated with scientific names.
USDA Plants & ITIS
Abies lasiocarpa
var. lasiocarpa
var. arizonica
What are the fir trees of the West?
Flora North America
Abies lasiocarpa
Abies bifolia
What is Abies lasiocarpa?
Partnership with USDA plants to provide plant concepts for data integration
High-elevation fir trees of High-elevation fir trees of western North Americawestern North America
AZ NM CO WY MT AB eBC wBC WA OR
Abies lasiocarpa
var. arizonica
Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa
Distribution
USDA - ITIS
Flora North America
Abies bifolia Abies lasiocarpa
Minimal concepts
A B C
Which species occur with Which species occur with Andropogon glomeratus?Andropogon glomeratus?
• Record dataRecord data• Find dataFind data• Merge dataMerge data
Taxonomic headachesTaxonomic headaches The The Andropogon virginicusAndropogon virginicus complex in Carolina has complex in Carolina has between 1 and 9 taxa, with 17 different concepts between 1 and 9 taxa, with 17 different concepts variously applied by 8 important authors.variously applied by 8 important authors.
The challenge:The challenge:• Few large-scale compilations of Few large-scale compilations of concepts and their relationships are concepts and their relationships are available.available.
The good news:The good news: • Multiple organizations are Multiple organizations are developing tools for concept use developing tools for concept use and integration. and integration.
• The greatest progress has been The greatest progress has been made here in the Southeastmade here in the Southeast
Toward a new AtlasToward a new Atlas
Carya carolinae-septentrionalisCarya carolinae-septentrionalis, Radford et al. , Radford et al. 19681968
How to How to integrate integrate new new sources of sources of data??data??
http://herbarium.unc.edu/seflora/firstviewer.htm
Add dynamic access to NCU Add dynamic access to NCU collectioncollection
Carya carolinae-Carya carolinae-septentrionalisseptentrionalis
NCUNCU
RABRAB
Carya carolinae-Carya carolinae-septentrionalisseptentrionalis
NCUNCU
RABRAB
USDAUSDA
CVSCVS
Add USDA PLANTS records & Add USDA PLANTS records & CVS vegetation plot dataCVS vegetation plot data
But wait !!But wait !!There is a concept issueThere is a concept issue
• According to Radford 1968, USDA According to Radford 1968, USDA PLANTS v 4.0, & Weakley 2006PLANTS v 4.0, & Weakley 2006– Carya carolinae-septentrionalisCarya carolinae-septentrionalis– Carya ovataCarya ovata
• According to Stone 1997 in According to Stone 1997 in Flora of Flora of North America.North America.– Carya ovata var australisCarya ovata var australis– Carya ovata var. ovataCarya ovata var. ovata
Carya carolinae-septentrionalisCarya carolinae-septentrionalis
Some nominal occurrences might Some nominal occurrences might or or might notmight not represent the taxon represent the taxon
Community types with the Community types with the conceptconcept
Resources for Resources for community compositioncommunity composition
• Carolina Vegetation Survey website Carolina Vegetation Survey website http://cvs.bio.unc.edu/ http://cvs.bio.unc.edu/
• Mike Schafale & Alan Weakley. 1990. Mike Schafale & Alan Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. approximation. http://www.ncnhp.org/Images/Other%20Publications/class.pdf
• U.S. National Vegetation Classification U.S. National Vegetation Classification (NVC; see below)(NVC; see below)
T
NatureServe Explorer – current home of the NatureServe Explorer – current home of the NVCNVC
TCommunity descriptions with links to Community descriptions with links to
VegBankVegBank
www.vegbank.org
LinksLinksCarolina Vegetation SurveyCarolina Vegetation Survey
http://cvs.unc.edu
Weakley floraWeakley florahttp://herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
NCU Atlas of the SE floraNCU Atlas of the SE florahttp://herbarium.unc.edu/seflora/firstviewer.htm
ThanksThanks EEP, NSF (SEEK, VegBank), NC Bot. GardenEEP, NSF (SEEK, VegBank), NC Bot. Garden