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Northern Ontario Plant Database![]() ![]() What Information Can Be Found on the NOPD WebsiteInformation currently on the websiteThe Northern Ontario Plant Database (NOPD) documents information from herbarium specimens housed in our partner herbaria. To date, combined information from over 55,000 herbarium specimens has been received from Algoma University College (AUC), Great Lakes Forestry Centre (SSMF), Lakehead University (LKHD), Lake Superior State University (LSSU), Laurentian University (SLU), Ontario Forest Research Centre (OFRI), Quetico Provincial Park (QPP), the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and Sault College of Applied Arts and Technologies (SCAAT). Northern Ontario data from the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC), Northern Bioscience, and Nipissing University will be added before the end of this academic year. Data presented on the NOPD website is first entered on Excel Spreadsheets by students employed by each of our educational partners. Once entered, data is sent to the NOPD office at Great Lakes Forestry Centre, where Algoma University College students check for accuracy and formatting consistency. Edited data files are then downloaded to an Oracle database. Editing is complete for all records at Algoma University College, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Ontario Forest Research Institute, and Sault College and these have been downloaded. Each entry includes all information presented on the herbarium specimen label, including the species name, accession number, location, date of collection, habitat, and the collector's name and collection number. From this data, a digital map is generated showing the approximate location of where each specimen was collected. The map appears at the bottom of each specimen record, which can be accessed by clicking on the accession number of each specimen. To protect sensitive and rare species, location data beyond degrees and minutes is not displayed to assure that actual populations cannot be located though online sources. Persons who require more detailed distributions for legitimate research purposes should contact the curator at each herbarium. Information recently added to the website
Information to be added throughout the academic year 2004-2005As editing continues, several thousand more herbarium records will be downloaded to the database throughout the year, including the remainder of the entered herbarium records from Lakehead University, Lake Superior State University, Laurentian University, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Other information that will be added to the NOPD website this year includes:
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