International Union of Biological Sciences

Taxonomic Databases Working Group

The TDWG Economic Botany Subgroup is part of the IUBS Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TWDG). The subgroup was organized in an effort to create a data standard for descriptions of the uses of plants. The standard later adopted by the group is:

Cook, F. E. M. (1995). Economic Botany Data Collection Standard.
Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1995. x + 146 pp. £15. ISBN 0947643710.

This Standard has been implemented in varying degrees by several institutions for their databases that contain information on the value and uses of plants.

The subgroup is now in the process of revising the Standard to better meet the needs of the expanding scope of the fields of ethnobotany and economic botany. Subgroup members and others who are interested in plant use data standards are discussing the issues they’ve encountered and recommending changes. Proposals are being compiled and additional input from anyone concerned with data on plant uses is welcomed.

When complete, our goal is to have a revision available that may be downloaded from the web site, as there are currently no plans for a revised print edition.

Daphne Christopher
Economic Botany subgroup convenor
The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, NY
Economicbotany@nybg.org

Economic Botany Data Standard

Archives

Meetings arranged for 2002
2002 new convenor announcement
1999 Subgroup Information
November 1999 Report
1999 Report and Questionnaire results
1999 Questionnaire