RE: GSMNP-ATBI Web Team
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 16:47:01 -0400 To: Carlos Mario Rodriguez <cmrodrig@inbio.ac.cr> From: pick@pick.uga.edu (John Pickering) Subject: RE: GSMNP-ATBI Web Team Cc: keith_langdon@nps.gov, sbt4@cdc.gov I'd like our organizations to keep sharing ideas and coordinating activities. I sent the info both to keep you informed AND seek your input. Could you please send us a contact at INBio who coordinates what information goes into your species Web pages? Have you any technical documents on the subject? Saludos, Pick >John, please let me know in what way I can help you in this matter. Are you >sending this information to keep us informed or you need additional help >from us?. > >Best regards, > >Carlos Mario Rodríguez >> From: pick@pick.uga.edu >> Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 8:51 PM >> To: sbt4@cdc.gov >> Cc: coralie@smokiesnha.org; flfitch@yahoo.com; cgaasch@randomc.com; >> albert.meier@wku.edu; paul_opler@usgs.gov; Dana_Soehn@nps.gov; >> Karen_Ballentine@nps.gov; rblanco@acguanacaste.ac.cr; >> mmchava@acguanacaste.ac.cr; Phil_Francis@nps.gov; whallwac@sas.upenn.edu; >> wfharris@utk.edu; djanzen@sas.upenn.edu; tkiernan@npca.org; >> keith_langdon@nps.gov; lockard@pick.uga.edu; cmrodrig@quercus.inbio.ac.cr; >> amasis@sas.upenn.edu; grsm_friends_of_grsm_np@nps.gov; >> bmclucas@bios.biosci.uga.edu; msharkey@southey.ca.uky.edu; >> stilley@science.smith.edu; pswhite@unc.edu; mjwillia@tricon.net >> Subject: GSMNP-ATBI Web Team >> >> Stephanie Ramsey >> >> Steph, >> >> Thanks for agreeing to form and coordinate a team to oversee the design >> and >> publication of Web pages for the GSMNP-ATBI. >> >> Your team's charge is to consider all issues related to presenting >> information on the Web. These include >> (1) defining the intended audience and objectives of these pages; >> (2) specifying the information that authors should work towards including; >> (3) developing presentation style guidelines that allow authors some >> creative freedom; >> (4) who should check, edit, and approve submitted material; >> (5) the procedures that we should follow to publish completed pages >> electronically, and >> (6) our legal liability for presenting misinformation or inadvertent >> copyright violation. >> >> Your team should seek input on these issues from a wide spectrum of >> society >> and be as inclusive as possible. With this in mind, we hope that the >> following individuals will serve as the founding members of this team. >> >> Coralie Bloom >> Natural History Association, GSMNP >> <coralie@smokiesnha.org> >> >> Letty Fitch >> Coile Middle School >> <flfitch@yahoo.com> >> >> Christi Gaasch >> Dekalb County Cooperative Extension Service >> <cgaasch@randomc.com> >> >> Albert Meier >> Western Kentucky University >> <albert.meier@wku.edu> >> >> Paul Opler >> Midcontinental Ecological Science Center >> <paul_opler@usgs.gov> >> >> Dana Soehn >> Inventory & Monitoring, GSMNP >> <Dana_Soehn@nps.gov> >> >> Your first concern should be issues (1) and (2) -- defining our audience; >> specifying what information should be included in the pages. This fall, >> Steve Tilley and Mike Sharkey are building species home pages and an >> interactive identification guide for the salamanders of the Great Smokies. >> At our 14-17 December meeting, these will showcase what we intend to do on >> the Web for all taxa. Obviously, Steve and Mike need a draft of your >> "Taxon Page Guidelines" ASAP. >> >> We suggest the following time table: >> (1) Your team produces a draft version of "Taxon Page Guidelines" >> by mid-October. >> (2) We put this draft on our Web site as an unlinked document and >> send its URL to an additional 20 folks for comment. >> (3) In mid-November, after you incorporate their comments, we seek >> additional comments by linking your updated version to our Web site so >> that >> everyone can easily find it. >> (4) At the December meeting, your committee presents its >> recommendations, seeks additional comments, and finalizes a document for >> the coming year(s). >> >> Many folks have started to build "species home pages." Students at UGA >> who >> were guided by our "Taxon Assignment" have created drafts of approximately >> 300 pages for various taxa. Some of these pages are linked under Flora & >> Fauna at www.discoverlife.org. The folks at ACG and at INBio in Costa >> Rica >> have also put considerable effort into designing and building pages of >> various groups. >> >> As a starting point for your "Taxon Page Guidelines," we suggest that you >> modify the "Taxon Assignment" (www.discoverlife.org/ed/taxon_assign.html). >> You should consider (1) Dan Janzen & Winnie Hallwachs's "Trial Species >> Home >> Pages" (<http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu>; contact Dan >> <djanzen@sas.upenn.edu>, >> Winnie <whallwac@sas.upenn.edu>), (2) what is being done with plant Web >> pages in the ACG (contact Roger Blanco <rblanco@acguanacaste.ac.cr>), (3) >> INBio's UBIs (Basic Information Units for species -- >> <http://www.inbio.ac.cr>; contact Carlos Mario Rodriguez: >> <cmrodrig@quercus.inbio.ac.cr>), (4) Dana's letter to Steve Tilley (see >> below), and (5) as may diverse opinions as possible, from taxonomists, to >> school children, to garden clubs, to Joe-fisherman and Jane-birdwatcher. >> >> Finally, to help you proceed, please copy relevant emails, drafts, >> minutes, >> etc. to Pick (pick@pick.uga.edu) and Bryan (dl@www.discoverlife.org). >> They >> will add them to a URL that will allow your team to keep track of what it >> is doing. This URL will be www.discoverlife.org/pa/te/web_team.html and >> will include this email. >> >> If they haven't already done so, please ask your team members to enter >> their phone numbers, postal addresses, etc. into our database through the >> "Get Involved" link on www.discoverlife.org. Actually, encourage everyone >> to do this! >> >> Have fun and again thanks. >> >> Cheers, >> Keith & Pick >> >> Keith Langdon <keith_langdon@nps.gov> >> John Pickering <pick@pick.uga.edu> >> >> _______________________________________________________________ >> The following extracted from Dana Soehn's email to Steve Tilley: >> >Subject: Salamander Key >> >Author: Dana Soehn at NP-GRSM >> >Date: 8/19/98 5:05 PM >> > >> > Keep in mind that the species pages should have an attractive photo >> > with catchy, interesting text for the general interest folks. >> > However, we would also like to include more detailed information on >> > subsequent pages or hot links for scientists or those inspired to >> dig >> > a little deeper. >> > >> > We do not have a good model for what a species home page should look >> > like. This work will potentially be the model so the format is >> open. >> > I'm going to toss some ideas at you which is a combination of >> thoughts >> > from myself, Keith, and Chuck: >> > >> > * Two-part approach: >> > >> > Part 1: >> > >> > * General information for species: >> > family, genus, relationship to other species >> > range (total) >> > description >> > habitat/habits >> > breeding/reproductive habits >> > best way to find them >> > care in handling, searching! >> > special protection status >> > >> > Part 2: >> > >> > * More specific information: >> > Range, distribution, abundance, etc... in the Park (I know this >> > will be incomplete for many, but we can state that work is in >> > progress). We can also produce a map of the park with location >> > information when appropriate (our database person could help here >> > or we can scan maps). >> > >> > habits specific to the park >> > ecology >> > research (perhaps just a bibliography which we can add to?) >> > >> > >> > I think we should include all park species and do the best job at >> > separating as possible. I agree that, generally, people won't be >> able >> > to separate D. ocoee from gray cheek D. imitator (unless they are at >> > Indian Gap!). However, I think we should treat them individually. >> > When you reach that point in the key where they are inseparable, >> both >> > will 'pop up', and we simply state how you would theoretically do >> it, >> > explain the difficulty, etc... Scientists in other disciplines will >> > certainly be using this key along with visiting herpetologists so I >> > think we should provide the best available information and allow >> room >> > to grow. It seems to me that we will have a tough time separating >> D. >> > ocoee/imitator, D. santeetlah/conanti, D. >> quadramaculatus/marmaratus, >> > Desmog larvae, and Eurycea larvae. My suggestion is that each >> species >> > will have a 'species page', however, the 'key' will lead you to both >> > choices and then describe the difficulty in separating between the >> two >> > (or more when it comes to the larvae). If you think the D. >> > ocoee/imitator and D. santeetlah/conanti groups could possibly be >> > confused, we should also allow for this interaction. >> > >> > The more I think about the complexities, the more confused I become! >> > I know you appreciate a good challenge as evidenced by your choice >> of >> > Desmognathus as a group to study, so I have a feeling you're up to >> > this endeavor! >> > >> > Let me know how I can help, >> > Dana >> _______________________________________________________________ >> >> >> >>
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