Handbook:Example 9 Higher plants of Estonia
Contents |
1 Overview
Identify the trees and shrubs which grow in Estonia in natural localities, parks or orchards.
2 School level
Suitable for all three levels – primary (adopted version, see below), secondary, university levels.
3 Identification tools
The interactive Dryades-based tool is available online ( http://dbiodbs.univ.trieste.it/carso/chiavi_pub21?sc=176), having both the interface of dichotomus key and the interface of multi-entry query. The main tool presents 140 species, including the majority of spontaneous trees and bushes (except the species which are difficult to separate even for the specialists in genera Crataegus, Rosa and Salix). In addition, the most frequent introduced species of trees and bushes are also included, as well as the common fruit trees which are cultivated in orchards. The adopted version “Common trees and shrubs of Estonia” ( http://dbiodbs.univ.trieste.it/carso/chiavi_pub21?sc=35) is available for the pupils of primary school, presenting the interactive key of 56 species. The identification key leads to the species pages where the following information is presented for each species:
a)Estonian and Latin name
b)Familia
c)Characteristic features
d)Distribution and ecology
e)Remarks (uses, similar taxa etc)
f)Distribution map in Estonia
g)Numerous colour images (from the image archive of Dryades)
4 Further resources
Quiz “The main characters of plant leaves”
5 Preparation
a) Collect small branches with leaves representing various trees and bushes or set this task for the pupils. NB! Single leaves alone are not sufficient for the identification of species as the position of leaves on the stem (opposite or not) is one of the first characters.
b) Check that you are familiar with all terms used in the key. If not, use the additional materials to make this clear (e.g. Quiz). Decide, which terms should be explained to your pupils before starting the identification.
c) You can outprint the whole key for your own needs, if you want, using the command ‘Click here to create a key of these … taxa’ at the very beginning of the key. The outprint helps to understand in which step the wrong choice was made while helping the pupils to correct their identifications.
d) Reserve the computer class with online connection or download the key to the computers in use from the CD.
6 Summarising the experience
The key has been tested in four different occasions so far (November 2008) on all three levels.
7 Statements from the students
All participants appreciate the numerous coloured images and the possibility to magnify them. Some theses/antitheses were not possible to decide as there were no flowers available at that season.
