Exact locations of plants

From: Brian Williams pugturd at alltel.net> on 2006.09.26 at 12:04:08(14650) I thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is anyone using this in the field? Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices. http://earth.google.com/ +More http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=performics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices&OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29 _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Steve Marak samarak at gizmoworks.com> on 2006.09.26 at 15:30:50(14651) Brian, I'm sure you'll get lots of replies on this topic, I'll start things off with my $0.02 worth - these GPS units are GREAT! We have 2, in fact, one for my wife's car and one for mine. We aren't geocachers (I think the name for that game is geocaching) but we've been using them to note locations of plants and anything else interesting for years and it works very well. You get altitude information, too. Cathy happens to teach a high school class in which they use very expensive industrial GPS units, the type surveyors use, and apply corrections from ground based stations to get the accuracy down to inches. But the $150 units we have in our cars are just as good for what we do, especially since Bill Clinton turned off "selective availability" back in 2000. We typically see accuracy of about 10-15 meters (and we're not applying any corrections, of course). The technology has been around a while, and I know botanic gardens and other institutions have been using it, but I'm always surprised that among people I meet it seems to be the fishing, flying, or serious hiking enthusiasts that use GPS rather than the plant people. (People can be in more than one of those groups, but usually aren't.) Of course, it's so cheap it's showing up in cell phones now, so lots more people will be using it whether they know it or not. The newer hand-held units have lots more features and far better battery life - our older unit (7-8 years old) runs for a few hours - maybe 4 if you're lucky - on 4 AA batteries. The new one (2 years old) runs for around 20 hours on 2 AA batteries. Steve +More On Tue, 26 Sep 2006, Brian Williams wrote: > I thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I > am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen > anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of > mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt > using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person > with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this > and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when > collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My > friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing > they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map > made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global > positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the > area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in > the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to > someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the > cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is > anyone using this in the field? > > Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices. > > http://earth.google.com/ > > http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=performics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices&OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29 > > _______________________________________________ > Aroid-l mailing list > Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com > http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l > -- Steve Marak -- samarak@gizmoworks.com _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Bryant, Susan L." SLBryant at scj.com> on 2006.09.26 at 15:38:19(14652) They aren't exactly plant collectors, but I know farmers are using them now when plowing their fields to keep the rows straight (I'm assuming these are very, very big fields) Susan +More _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: Ron Kaufmann kaufmann at sandiego.edu> on 2006.09.26 at 15:42:49(14653) Hi Brian et al., Is geocaching the game you're talking about? There's been a lot of discussion in the plant community about the use and abuse of GPS coordinates that are collected in the vicinity of plants, especially rare and desirable ones. The main benefit seems to be that a botanist can know exactly where a plant or plant population is located, which can be invaluable for determining species identity, relationships among closely related species, community characteristics, etc. Basically, good geographical information can be very important in doing good science. The concern comes from the publishing of those coordinates, which (theoretically) allows anyone with a decent GPS unit to find the location of a particular plant or plant population and collect what they find. I'm sure we've all heard stories about collectors stripping desirable plants from their native habitat, and GPS technology facilitates this kind of behavior to an unprecedented degree. This problem may not be as relevant to aroids as to other groups that have the potential for greater economic return (cacti, orchids, etc.), but it's still an important consideration. Ron +More Brian Williams wrote: I thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is anyone using this in the field? Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices. http://earth.google.com/ http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=performics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices&OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29 _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: a san juan kalim1998 at yahoo.com> on 2006.09.26 at 19:44:46(14656) Forgot URL:http://www.blueboard.com/nfu/survey_rio_grande_texas.htma san juan wrote: I am currently testing this software for a friend (it is in testing phase):http://www.rimlife.com/products/dustynotes/It allows one to record plant data on mobile devices, then either:1. upload data to google maps (so people can view where you collected and what)2. email the data toy yourself or others as CSV or other file format.3. Export data as KML files so you can view your data using Google Earth.In this study i did i exported data as KML files then used Google Earth to view samples.Brian Williams +More wrote: I thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is anyone using this in the field?Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices.http://earth.google.com/http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=performics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices&OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29_______________________________________________Aroid-l mailing listAroid-l@gizmoworks.comhttp://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l_______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Steve Hatfield" sehatfield at insightbb.com> on 2006.09.26 at 21:33:24(14659) Its called geocaching and it is a blast Ive found many unusual plants (to me at least) while looking for a Tupperware container in the woods. Im sure some researcher out there somewhere has to be using a gps to keep track of a stand of some rare plant and if there not they should be!! They can help you get back to the car too!! See geocaching.com You can get a low end gps for as little as $87.00 Amazon.com or ebay has many. Steve +More -----Original Message----- On Behalf Of Brian Williams Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:04 AM To: Discussion of aroids Subject: [Aroid-l] Exact locations of plants I thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is anyone using this in the field? Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices. http://earth.google.com/ http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsession id/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mo de+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=perf ormics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices &OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29 _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006 _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

From: "Steve Lucas Exotic Rainforest" steve at exoticrainforest.com> on 2006.09.26 at 22:11:05(14660) I found all sorts of global tracking positions on TROPICOS for one plant I was researching. Someone is certainly using some sort of tracking device to pinpoint locations. Steve Lucas +More ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Hatfield To: 'Discussion of aroids' Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 4:33 PM Subject: RE: [Aroid-l] Exact locations of plants Its called geocaching and it is a blast Ive found many unusual plants (tome at least) while looking for a Tupperware container in the woods. Im suresome researcher out there somewhere has to be using a gps to keep track of astand of some rare plant and if there not they should be!! They can help youget back to the car too!!See geocaching.com You can get a low end gps for as little as $87.00Amazon.com or ebay has many.Steve-----Original Message-----From: aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com]On Behalf Of Brian WilliamsSent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 8:04 AMTo: Discussion of aroidsSubject: [Aroid-l] Exact locations of plantsI thought many of the botanist and others might be interested in this. I am not sure if this is something already in use? I have not seen anything on it personally being used in plant research. A few friends of mine play a game over the internet. It is basically a scavenger hunt using global positioning systems. This handheld device can get a person with in feet to were the treasure is hidden. I was fairly amazed by this and was wondering if anyone was recording plant positioning when collecting? The devices usually run from 150.00 dollars and up. My friends use fairly cheep ones and they tend to work well. Another thing they use is a very interesting map called google Earth. This is a map made up of satellite photos of the earth you can put in your Global positioning systems cordenance and it will show you a picture of the area with in a few feet in some cases you can see the cars and people in the photos. I would think both of these could be extremely useful to someone collecting plants and it would be interesting to add in the cordenance of a plant and get a image of exactly were it grows. So is anyone using this in the field?Here are some links to google earth and GPS devices.http://earth.google.com/http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/common/search/search-results1.jsp;jsessionid/4YDDWTDD0HCCWQNWSCCNIK0BW0KIWE?QueryText=gps&NH87&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=gps&noImage=0&rid 80101070502&cmCat=perf&cm_ven=performics&cm_cat=yahoo_nonbrand&cm_pla=boat_fishfindersgps&cm_ite=gps%20devices&OVMTC=standard&OVKEY=gps%20device&OVRAW=gps%20devices&_requestidd29_______________________________________________Aroid-l mailing listAroid-l@gizmoworks.comhttp://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l-- No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006 -- No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006 _______________________________________________Aroid-l mailing listAroid-l@gizmoworks.comhttp://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

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