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  • From: Heide Hermary <heidehermary@pacificcoast.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re: Localized Plant DB
  • Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 20:58:49 -0700

This is pretty much what we will be creating for the SOUL (Society of Organic Urban Land Care Professionals) website, because those are everyday considerations for us. It'll be up by the end of the year, with the first 20 plants, and I'm hoping that we can link it to the percaculture Wiki. I still haven't figured out how to accommodate different regional information: for instance I know how a plant will perform along the Southern Coast of British Columbia, Canada, but I have no idea what it will do in Australia or heaven knows where. I know that's where the Wiki comes in, but I'm not clear how to set up the database so it can be searched and amended intelligentl. If anybody has experience with this I would appreciate some advice. I've got a bunch of plant information all ready, just need to do the database.
Heide

BK wrote:

Hi,
Reguarding the suggestions on the plant DB I had 2 ideas:

First, perhaps a Plant DB (database) could primarily focus on the habitat
conditions it likes to grow in, versus the region. With the changes likely
to occur in climate due to global warming, etc, might it be best to describe
plants as: Grows well between (50-60 degrees F). (Frost hardy). Grows well
with (little water)-(x inchs/year). Prefers shade. Invasive in (warm)
(humid) climates. Invasive problem in (Kansas, Tenn., Colorado US,
Argentina). Native to (Asia).
Etc, etc. Perhaps a map of the globe, nation, state, region, watershed, has
more detailed climatic info, which could then be used to hone a list of
plants, suited to the region. This leaves open the possiblity of searching
for microclimatically suited plants, etc. Perferrably, the DB could be added
too by the users.

Secondly, how about an interactive plant identification system. A page opens
with drop down menus, Leaf Shape: small pictures with ovate, etc terms
ilustrated. Growth Habit: illustrations from which to choose. Flower
color:...Flower shape:....all the other things used to id plants. Perhaps
(server intensive) as more info is added, a list of the top five matchs is
shown that relate to the info so far. Info about where it was found could be
added (GPS, or region, state). Plants that grew with it, etc.

I'm sure all these ideas have been hashed over before by professional
fields. Though while searching sourceforge, I note that they seem to be
focused highly on technical issues. It'd be nice to get a few programmers
interested in creating a opensource plant db of the sort above. It seems the
opensource community has an ethic of the public good, perhaps it could be
applied toward these things.

Cheers,
BK _______________________________________________
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