PDB: add region of origin per species?

Dave, I think it would be interesting to add a line at the PDB to identify country/area of origin of each species and maybe also if this is an endemic species or not.

What do you think?

Ursula

Hi Ursula,

I moved this thread to the DG forum and will wait to see what Terry thinks. She's the main editor. :)

dave

Thanks.

I like that idea.

Ugh. We've hashed this one over numerous times. It's a deceptively easy-looking piece of information to add, but here are my concerns:

1) Just how many regions are we talking about? The size of the checklist/pulldwon list could be very long;

2) There isn't always consensus on what's native to where. The way plants were hauled all over the world during recorded times is enough to make us dizzy. And I'm really not up for refereeing arguments over which country gets to claim which plants ;o)

3) We have nearly 70,000 entries, and that is a staggering lot of plants to go back through and add another detail.

Now before certain nameless members (whose initials are Ulrich *grin*) weigh in on this matter and chastise me for using this as an excuse, I invite you one and all to add details to a few entries. After all, if every member here edited just one entry, the PDB would be instantaneously complete with information ;o)

I'm not Terry (evidently) but have a view on this.

I agree that origin is important for many reasons, in the majority of my comments I make a mention of the plant's native or naturalised range.

How to present this in a clear manner is another thing. Sometimes a species may occur almost all over one of the hemispheres, certainly plants regard no country borders. Then again, some species occur only in a very small area i.e. S.W France.

I'm going to take Great Britain as an example because I think it illustrates a main point but is by no means unique in this. GB has had long term trade links with a large variety of countries and cultures, it's also been invaded and settled in quite a bit in it's long term history. Much of our flora is, in fact, not native but naturalised by escaping into the wild. The extent of true GB native flora is as yet unknown despite being an island and having clear borders from other land masses.

If we were to have a list of regions or countries, we would either need to be very specific (looong list) and an ability to select multiple choice or fairly unspecific which lessens the value of the information. If we can come up with something workable, it would be interesting to have.

ooopps sorry Terry, I didn't see your answer!

Gee, how many Ulrichs are there anyway?
(~:

I only know of the one we all know and love! :-)

Going by countries might be a bit too much so how bout going by continents with maybe some sub devisions for larger ones, or something similar to Zoogeographical Regions?

Aw shucks, Brenda, that made my day.

My plant bible gives Region of Origin, such as 'Central and South America', 'Eastern Mediterranean', etc. (For all it's worth).