Electronic Field Guides

1
Electronic Field Guides

• By Teheitha Taylor
• Lawson State Community College

2
What are Field Guides?

• Field Guides are documents that contain
  photographs or accurate drawings along with clear
  descriptions of plants or other species.
• Field Guides are used by scientists, students,
  and citizens to help them identify species they
  encounter
• Field Guides vary by size based on the intended
  audience and the geographic area covered

3
Electronic Field Guides

• Field guides that are put into an electronic
  (digital) format are called Electronic Field
  Guides. There are field guides on CDs and on Web
  sites on the Internet.
• Electronic field guides can be created through
  the use of scanners, digital cameras, image
  processing software, and Web site creation
  software.

4
Electronic Field Guide Examples

• http//www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/fi
  eld_guides/animal_homes.shtml
• http//www.rom.on.ca/ontario/fieldguides.php
• http//www.enature.com/

5
Use of Personal Digital Assistants

• Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) can be used
  to view electronic field guides as well as
  collect species information in the field
• http//www.cybertracker.co.za/

6
Use of Electronic Field Guides to Help Preserve
Biodiversity

• This link provides an excellent explanation of
  what biodiversity is http//www.nrcs.usda.gov/Tec
  hnical/ECS/wildlife/primermedres.pdf
• Authors R. D. Stevenson, William A. Haber and
  Robert A. Morris believe that proper
  identification of species is critical to the
  conservation of biodiversity. They believe that
  with the use of new technologies and electronic
  field guides that citizens can participate in
  biodiversity monitoring. This increase in
  monitoring can help the scientific community
  gather more data in a timely manner and it helps
  citizens connect with the environment.
  http//www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol7/iss1/art3/ma
  in.html

7
Other Types of Field Guides

• There are other types of field guides that
  provide pictures and concise information about
  various things such as products.
• Companies use guides to explain the uses their
  equipment. For example http//www.cabelas.com/in
  formation/cabelasfieldguides.html?cmCATstatic_mic
  rosite
• There are buying guides located on the Internet.
  For example http//www.epinions.com/buyers_guide
  /Digital_Cameras_buyers_guide_p1.html

8
Creation of an Electronic Field Guide

• Project Students will create an Electronic Field
  Guide with Microsoft Word

9
Works Cited

• Alonso, A., F. Dallmeier, E. Granek and P. Raven.
  2001. Biodiversity Connecting with the Tapestry
  of Life. Smithsonian Institution/Monitoring and
  Assessment of Biodiversity Program and
  Presidents Committee of Advisors on Science and
  Technology. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
  lthttp//www.nrcs.usda.gov/Technical/ECS/wildlife/p
  rimermedres.pdfgt
• "BBC - Science Nature - UK Wildlife - Animal
  homes field guide." BBC - bbc.co.uk. BBC. 27 Jun
  2006 lthttp//www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbrit
  ain/field_guides/animal_homes.shtmlgt.
• "Cabela's Field Guides - Outdoor Information."
  Cabela's Official Website - Quality Hunting,
  Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear at competitive
  prices. Cabela's Inc.. 27 Jun 2006
  lthttp//www.cabelas.com/information/cabelasfieldgu
  ides.html?cmCATstatic_micrositegt.
• "CyberTracker." CyberTracker. CyberTracker
  Conservation. 27 Jun 2006 lthttp//www.cybertracker
  .co.za/gt.
• "eNature America's Wildlife Resource." eNature
  America's Wildlife Resource. National Wildlife
  Federation. 27 Jun 2006 lthttp//www.enature.com/ho
  me/gt.
• "Epinions.com - Digital Camera Buyer's Guide."
  Reviews from Epinions. Epinions, Inc.. 27 Jun
  2006 lthttp//www.epinions.com/buyers_guide/Digital
  _Cameras_buyers_guide_p1.htmlgt.
• "Ontario's Biodiversity Field Guides." Explore
  Ontario's Biodiversity . The Royal Ontario
  Museum. 27 Jun 2006 lthttp//www.rom.on.ca/ontario/
  fieldguides.phpgt.
• Stevenson, R. D., W. A. Haber, and R. A. Morris.
  2003. Electronic field guides and user
  communities in the eco-informatics revolution.
  Conservation Ecology 7(1) 3. online URL
  lthttp//www.consecol.org/vol7/iss1/art3/gt