Description of the Los Amigos Plant Collection Database 2001-2003
New! Search the Los Amigos Plant Collections Database (August 2003)!
The Los Amigos Botany Databases have grown rapidly based on all
collections that have been made in the Los Amigos area during
2001-2003. Collectors include John Janovec, Fernando Cornejo, Piers
Majestyk, Piher Maceda, and Pedro Centeno. Robin Foster and Hamilton
Beltrán conducted preliminary studies at Los Amigos early in 2001.
Their plant lists are maintained here in searchable format.
The Los Amigos Plant Collections Database is now available for
searching, with approximately 2700 collection records, including
vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. We are in the process of
adding many new collection records and integrating about 4000 images
from the Los Amigos Botany Project with specimen searches. Databases
are operated using a combination between Filemaker Pro, MS Access, and
MSSQL. Updates are made on a regular basis.
We have entered into Phase II of the Los Amigos Botany Project, which
involves continued exploration of the Los Amigos Conservation Area, a
400,00 acre (140,000 hectare) wildland protected by a private
conservation concession and management plan. Phase II also involves
the development a database of information about taxa of the Los Amigos
flora. This includes general information and descriptive
characteristics for the >1000 species we have collected mostly from
about 500 hectares of forest around the Los Amigos Biological Station.
These >1000 species represent about 130 families and 475 genera of
plants. A database is being developed to handle character information
and other information about families, genera, and species of the Los
Amigos flora.
We are also working with Dr. Bryan Heidorn of the University of
Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Library and Information Science to
develop a web-based Los Amigos Botanical Information System that will
provide new innovative search engine techniques and a collaborative
working environment for continued documentation of plant diversity of
Los Amigos, Madre de Dios, Peru, and the Andes-Amazon region of SE
Peru in general.
Feedback
We will appreciate any comments, corrections, preliminary
determinations we can get. This website is becoming part of the
communication system between taxonomic experts and the Los Amigos
Botany Project as we develop plant guides to the Los Amigos Biological
Station and Conservation Area.
Please search through your favorite families and view the images we
have available. If you can help with preliminary names, name
corrections, we will appreciate and acknowledge your input. And if you
need herbarium specimens, images, or special collections of particular
plants for morphological, anatomical, or molecular research, please
contact us about cooperation and collaboration. Please e-mail John
Janovec at jjanovec@brit.org.