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Role of historical material in biodiversity
Historic literature and archives identify species to protect by examining the historical record for evidence of change. In many cases these are the only available knowledge about the earth’s species and ecosystems profiles, and the historical perspective they provide of climate records, habitat alteration, species numbers and human exploration aids efforts to protect biodiversity.
The historic record of climate and its impact on habitat alteration and species abundance helps identify both the extent of climate change and which species will be best or least able to adapt. Learning about past extinctions informs the relationships within ecosystems and can identify keystone species critical to that ecosystem, which in turn can help predict future extinctions and inform protective strategies.
Finally, the embedded information in books is being added to modern databases and datasets to make Big Data that then informs present day research into the development of conservation measures and the creation of contemporary theories.
For more information on the importance of biodiversity literature and the role that books play in supporting conservation see this series of blogs that the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) posted in 2014
Rare Books and Special Collections at UBC has an extensive science collection starting from the 15th century and the early days of the printing press. Many of these are also digitally available
Zoological resources - Early books
Naturalis historia by Pliny the Elder
Call Number: QH41 .P73 1496
Publication Date: 1496
English translation at …..
Online Access in UBC Open Collections
Historiae animalium by Conrad Gessner
Call Number: QL41 .G46 1551
Publication Date: 1551
Check LRBS notes
Aristotle De Animalibus Michael Scot's Arabic-Latin Translation
Volume 1a: Books I-III: History of Animals
A Critical Edition with an Introduction, Notes and Indices | Brill
Call Number:
Publication Date:
An important source of zoological knowledge for the ancient Greeks and for medieval Arabs and Europeans
Online access to Books 1-3 on the History of Animals
The book of nature; or the history of insects by Jan Swammerdam (1637-80)
Call Number: QL362.S9613
Publication Date: 1758
18th century English translation of Swammerdam’s papers on insects that was published as Bybel der Natuur.
Online Access https://digital.lib.usu.edu/digital/collection/History_sci/id/72
The ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the county of Warwick by John Ray (1635-1672)
Call Number: QL673.W74
Publication Date: 1678
Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/fgoKUJZb9F7VusPB6
Botanical sources – Herbals etc.
The herbal or Generall historie of plantes by John Gerard (1545-1612)
Call Number: QK41 .G3 1597
Publication Date: 1678
Parkinson, John (1567-1650) Theatrum botanicvm=The theatre of plants, or An herball of large extent…
QK41 .P37 1640
Online access: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=gri.ark:/13960/t8gf7zw4n&view=1up&seq=17
[login in as University of British Columbia]
Kew Botanical magazine etc. species
Surveys, fieldbooks and travel
Surveys – see also specific geographical areas, countries with -Description and travel
Darwin, Charles (1809-1882).
The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N
QL5. B3 1839
Online access: http://darwin-online.org.uk/converted/pdf/1838-1840_FossilMammalia_F9.1.pdf
Observations topographical, moral, & physiological; made in a journey through part of the Low-countries, Germany, Italy, and France: with a catalogue of plants not native of England, found spontaneously growing in those parts, and their virtues. by John Ray(1635-1672)
Call Number: D915 .R25
Publication Date: 1673
BC botanical book with annotations
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Around the World in 80 Trees
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ISBN: 9781786271617Publication Date: 2018-05-29"An arboreal odyssey" - NATURE "One of the most quietly beautiful books of the year" - DAILY MAIL Discover the secretive world of trees in Jonathan Drori's number one bestseller... Bestselling author and environmentalist Jonathan Drori follows in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg as he tells the stories of 80 magnificent trees from all over the globe. InAround the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori uses plant science to illuminate how trees play a role in every part of human life, from the romantic to the regrettable. From the trees of Britain, to India's sacred banyan tree, they offer us sanctuary and inspiration - not to mention the raw materials for everything from aspirin to maple syrup. Stops on the trip include the lime trees of Berlin's Unter den Linden boulevard, which intoxicate amorous Germans and hungry bees alike, the swankiest streets in nineteenth-century London, which were paved with Australian eucalyptus wood, and the redwood forests of California, where the secret to the trees' soaring heights can be found in the properties of the tiniest drops of water. Each of these strange and true tales - populated by self-mummifying monks, tree-climbing goats and ever-so-slightly radioactive nuts - is illustrated by Lucille Clerc, taking the reader on a journey that is as informative as it is beautiful. The book combines history, science and a wealth of quirky detail - there should be surprises for everyone. Perfect for fans of Peter Wohlleben'sThe Hidden Life of Trees, this new book will certainly whet the appetite of any tree lover to take an around-the-world trip, or simply visit your local botanic garden. The perfect travel guide for nature enthusiasts. "An irresistible mix of science, culture, botany, history and vicarious travel" - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "Reads like a love song to the natural world, brimming with ancient anecdotes contained within the earth" - CULTURE TRIP -
Biodiversity
by
ISBN: 9780309567367Publication Date: 1988-01-01This important book for scientists and nonscientists alike calls attention to a most urgent global problem: the rapidly accelerating loss of plant and animal species to increasing human population pressure and the demands of economic development. Based on a major conference sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution, Biodiversity creates a systematic framework for analyzing the problem and searching for possible solutions. -
C. Plynius Secundus De naturali hystoria diligentissime castigatus
by
Call Number: QH41 .P73 1496Publication Date: 1496
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Pliny the Elder's Natural History
by
ISBN: 9780199262885Publication Date: 2004-05-20Pliny the Elder's Natural History, from first-century Rome, is the most important surviving encyclopedia of the ancient world. As a guide to the cultural meanings of everyday things in ancient Rome it is unparalleled. Concentrating on Pliny's accounts of foreign lands and peoples, monsters, and barbarians, Trevor Murphy demonstrates the political significance of this reference book as a monument to the power of Roman imperial society.
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Reliability
- How reliable is the information available about the AI technology?
- If it’s not produced by the party responsible for the AI, what are the author’s credentials? Bias?
- If it is produced by the party responsible for the AI, how much information are they making available?
- Is information only partially available due to trade secrets?
- How biased is they information that they produce?
Objective
- What is the goal or objective of the use of AI?
- What is the goal of sharing information about it?
- To inform?
- To convince?
- To find financial support?
Bias
- What could create bias in the AI technology?
- Are there ethical issues associated with this?
- Are bias or ethical issues acknowledged?
- By the source of information?
- By the party responsible for the AI?
- By its users?
Ownership
- Who is the owner or developer of the AI technology?
- Who is responsible for it?
- Is it a private company?
- The government?
- A think tank or research group?
- Who has access to it?
- Who can use it?
Type
- Which subtype of AI is it?
- Is the technology theoretical or applied?
- What kind of information system does it rely on?
- Does it rely on human intervention?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
To cite in APA: Hervieux, S. & Wheatley, A. (2020). The ROBOT test [Evaluation tool]. The LibrAIry. https://thelibrairy.wordpress.com/2020/03/11/the-robot-test