Overstory #153 - Online species references for agroforestry

Online species references

Although some of the best species references for agroforestry and forestry are still only found in book form, several very useful species databases have appeared online during the past few years. This is a list of some of the online species resources that are most useful. Feel free to send additional web site recommendations to us at: overstory@agroforestry.net.

Listings are arranged in no particular order.

Agroforestree (AFT) database by the World Agroforestry Centre (formerly the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)) is a tree species reference and selection guide for agroforestry trees covering more than 500 species.

FACT Sheets (formerly NFT Highlights) by Winrock International, Morrilton, Arkansas, give concise summaries about many multipurpose tree and shrub species (many available in Spanish, French, Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer).

Forage Tree Legumes in Tropical Agriculture (Editors: R. Gutteridge and M. Shelton, 1994 [republished 1998]), published by The Tropical Grassland Society of Australia, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia (previously published by CAB International, Wallingford, UK) covers a number of multipurpose tree legumes that can serve as ruminant forage in silvopastoral agroforestry systems.

The Forestry Compendium (2005 Edition) [commercial subscription site] by CAB International (CABI) includes detailed information (text, maps and pictures) for over 1,200 tree and shrub species of importance to forestry and agroforestry and basic information for over 20,000 additional species. Tropical, subtropical, temperate and boreal species are included.

The USDA PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the US and its territories . The site also provides excellent links pages such as to invasive plants, links to Floras, Databases, and Nomenclature, and general USDA plant FAQ.

The Native Plant Network is devoted to the sharing of information on how to propagate native plants of North America (Canada, Mexico, and US) and has propagation protocols for US, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, US Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands.

Seed Leaflets published by Danida Forest Seed Centre are aimed at seed technicians, extension workers and farmers, and contain information on practical seed handling for about 90 tropical tree species.

Protabase published by Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) provides information primarily on species of tropical Africa.

Grass Genera of the World: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval; including Synonyms, Morphology, Anatomy, Physiology, Phytochemistry, Cytology, Classification, Pathogens, World and Local Distribution, and References (includes of course bamboo species).

The Silvics of Native and Exotic Trees of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands (Spanish version) published by the USDA Forest Service.

The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of all seed plants.

Species Database published by Plants For A Future is an extensive, searchable database of useful species.

Invasive Species Related Links by the US Geological Survey.

Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) is a database and enquiry service about useful "wild" and semi-domesticated plants of tropical and subtropical drylands, developed and maintained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The Traditional Tree Initiative—Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry published by Permanent Agriculture Resources (also publishes The Overstory E-journal) provides detailed information on some of the most important Pacific island agroforestry tree species.

The USDA National Plant Germplasm System catalogs species biodiversity in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

NewCROP(tm) by The Center for New Crops & Plant Products at Purdue University provides windows to new and specialty crop profiles.

The PRELUDE database concerns the use of plants in different traditional veterinarian and human medicines in Africa.

A Database of Foods, Drugs, Dyes and Fibers of Native American Peoples, Derived from Plants.

Cornell University's Poisonous Plants Informational Database includes plant images, pictures of affected animals and presentations concerning the botany, chemistry, toxicology, diagnosis and prevention of poisoning of animals by plants and other natural flora (fungi, etc.).

Related editions to The Overstory

• The Overstory #115--Agroforestry Resources-organizations, periodicals, and web links (Part 2 of 2)
• The Overstory #114--Agroforestry Resources-agroforestry references, species references, and book sources (Part 1 of 2)