Why Are We Still Producing Paper Floras?1

Abstract

Advances in online resources and electronic publication provide the sciences with tools to revolutionize education and research (e.g., cataloging, data archiving and access, and identification). Older journals and monographs are being scanned and increasingly posted online quickly by book scanning projects, although even for new issues, there can be a “moving wall” or lag time (e.g., BioOne and JSTOR). Some scientific disciplines are providing the public with pre-print access to articles in digital libraries, while manuscript availability in other disciplines, such as nomenclatural botany, is often delayed until the time of print publication. Within botany, taxonomic treatments should be provided online at all stages of preparation and revision (in certain cases following initial editing). Now, many published floras can be browsed and searched online (e.g., Flora of North America, Jepson Manual, Flora of Australia). The Flora of China Project provides treatments at all stages, online, prior to printing of volumes. Because of this visibility, the Flora of China Web site regularly receives questions from the general public and helpful review comments from botanists worldwide. With pressing issues of cataloging biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable use of resources, botanists are challenged to prepare and revise online treatments, including interactive identification keys and images, for a worldwide audience of students and researchers.