This is truly an all-in-one information source about the new scourge of U.S. dams and other water control operations, recreational areas and ecological zones: zebra mussels and quagga mussels. In this CD, you'll find well-organized and easy-to-use interfaces to: larval and adult identification of zebra and quagga mussels, including many pictures; complete hot-linked text; impacts on industry, recreation and ecosystems; life history diagrams and text; comparisons to several other species of mussels; distribution maps over time; risk assessment software; detection and monitoring systems; management and control options; case studies; molluscicide issues; hundreds of references according to topic; a separate picture list... The creators of this CD knew what they were doing. It works.
The authors of this CD are working on two more: Aquatic Plant Information System (APIS), ID information on 60 aquatic plants, including biocontrol information on 18 of them; and the Noxious and Nuisance Plant Management Information System (PMIS), ID and control information on 34 terrestrial and aquatic weeds. Both are due for release in 1997.
Order from Dr. Michael Grodowitz, CEWES-ER-A, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180; (601/634-2972). E-mail: GrodowM@exl.wes.army.mil
Sixty-eight plants are indexed and depicted in this CD. Each plant treatment includes a photograph and a sometimes too-brief description, plus a line drawing. The plants are indexed by common name, or may be searched by category: floating, algae, emersed, shoreline/marginal or submersed.
Order from Prof. James Davis, Extension Specialist, 102 Nagle Hall, College Station, TX 77843-2258; (409/845-7473). E-mail: jdavis21@tamu.edu
"This CD contains almost 1600 color photographs, detailed descriptions and distribution maps of 300 weeds of the continental United States. The program also includes illustrated lessons and quizzes on the principles of plant identification and an illustrated glossary of botanical terms that is hot-linked to the lessons and weed descriptions." This CD does not feature an identification key; you simply must know the name of the plant you want information about. This product does feature a unique and thorough collection of photographs of seeds and seedlings of weeds, which farmers presumably would come across first in well-maintained fields, but there is a noticeable dearth of photos of mature weeds in their habitats, nor does the CD include drawings of these plants.
If this CD, with its good-looking interface to plant identification information and its intensive hyper-linking, could be combined with Plant-ID, the computerized "key" (described below) that enables users to sort 2,000 weed species by their characteristics but has no pictures or other information, then you'd really have a weed CD!
Order from Southern Weed Science Society, 1508 West University Avenue, Champaign, IL 61821-3133; (217/353-4212). $90.00.
This computer program acts as a key to aid the user in identifying more than 2,000 species of weeds growing in fields, lawns and gardens of North America. By selecting a few of more than 50 possible characteristics for "non-grass-like" plants, or more than 40 characteristics for "grass-like" plants, the user automatically takes advantage of the computer's ability to combine and re-combine, thus making it more likely for a non-botanist to identify a plant. The program includes a good manual that depicts the possible characteristics. What the program does not include are plant descriptions, pictures, graphics and drawings --users are expected to refer to other media for these.
Order from Weed Diagnostic Lab, Department of PSES, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2339; (208/885-7831). $99.95.
This video is a primer about the exotic nuisance marsh plant, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), its impacts on North American wetlands, previous attempts since the 1970s to control its spread and infestations, and the new emphasis on identifying and introducing biological controls to help manage it. The video includes details on several weevils and other insects being studied as biocontrol agents, and includes footage showing how to augment and enhance field populations of the insects. This video is very instructive for viewers interested in biological control of any aquatic plants, whether loosestrife or hydrilla. The only problem is, there is no conclusion: it will be "several years" before the scientists and video makers will know whether the released insects have any effect on the target plant.
Order from Cornell University, Media Services Center, 7 Cornell Business & Technology Park, Ithaca, NY 14850; (607/255-2090). $24.95 plus S/H.
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