Conspectus of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar - Phase II (final) The Conspectus of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar Project is an international, multi-institutional endeavor involving the Missouri Botanical Garden (MO), the Mus?um National d'Histoire Naturelle (P), the Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza (TAN), and the Centre National de la Recherche Appliqu?e au Dev?loppement Rural (TEF), whose goal since 1991 has been to make information on the diverse, endemic and highly threatened vascular plant flora of Madagascar widely accessible. Serving as an immediate interim resource for biodiversity conservation efforts, and a complement to the ongoing monographic Flore de Madagascar series, the Conspectus carefully assimilates verified nomenclatural and bibliographic data from primary source literature, as well as historical and contemporary specimen data. Information is accessible both in a PC version in Madagascar, and as part of MO's Internet/World Wide Web resources. During the second and final Phase of the project, core taxonomic data capture will be completed. Specimen data capture will also conclude with the entry of all adequately labeled specimens at TAN and TEF, effectively computerizing those two herbaria. Type specimens, as well as additional representative collections at P that voucher the occurrence of taxa in each province and Protected Area, will be captured. Painstaking post-facto assignment of geographical coordinates to historical specimens throughout the project will allow automated mapping of species distributions and full accessibility of data for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. Geo-referencing of collection data has also resulted in the compilation of a Gazetteer to the Botanical Collecting Localities in Madagascar that will go on-line during the first year of Phase II. Specimen-vouchered images, historical illustrations associated with types, and the types themselves, will be incorporated into the database and linked to core specimen and nomenclatural data. Images will also be utilized in the production of an Interactive Identification System for the families and woody genera of Malagasy vascular plants. The Madagascar Web (www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Madagasc) will continue to serve as an effective means of disseminating information on Malagasy biodiversity. The completed electronic Conspectus of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar will reach a broad diversity of end-users, from international specialists preparing monographic treatments for the Flore de Madagascar series, to Malagasy NGO's charged with assessing, conserving, and sustainably managing Madagascar's rich plant biodiversity. -- aê ? ; ᪠ªá = ÓaOÀ h¢µ +'ª`0 ·  ª & , 8 D P X ` l Ù µ ó áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá > Meredith's MacHD:Applications:Microsoft Word:Templates:Normal National Science Foundation National Science Foundation '@ Ãv+=ªt @ Ãv+=ªt @ ˻ Ãa+ @ Microsoft Word 6.0.1 S u m m a r y I n f o r m a t i o n ( áááááááááááá 9 + áááááááááááá áááááááááááá áááááááááááá 3 ; ᪠-- aê ? ; ᪠áá᪠áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá_Ãh O+ e Û Û l l l l l l l ¹ ¹ ¹ ¹ ¹ ¹ ß ¹ * = ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ & g X + J * l ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ * ¼ l l ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ ¼ l ¼ l ¼ Ã Û l l l l ¼ ¼ X ¼
