Tool updates
Edition 3.0 changes
This edition is a major update to the tool's content.
TAXA
- 129 new taxa were added to reflect new introductions to the aquatic plant trade, including new fact sheets and images for all of them.
- The tool's scope was expanded to include some terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
plants that can tolerate some inundation and some plants peripheral to the trade but associated with ornamental ponds
- New images were added for many existing taxa to replace outdated images.
- Six additional aquatic federal noxious weed species are now represented.
KEY
- The interactive key was updated to the latest Lucid Javascript version, which features an improved image viewer.
- Several new features (and feature pages) were added, and some existing features got additional states, to better accommodate the 129 new taxa added to the key.
- The key's structure was modified to be more useable.
OTHER PAGES
- The gallery now enables filtering images by keyword.
- The glossary has many new terms and illustrations.
- Many new references were added. This page now includes an alphabet to facilitate navigation.
- Several of the "about" section pages were revised and updated and one ("Terrestrial plants not included") was removed.
- The home page and several "about" pages display new photos.
Edition 2.1 changes
WEBSITE UPDATE
Edition 2.1 was primarily an update in technology, appearance, and navigation. The key and fact sheet content was unchanged from the 2007 2nd edition, as was that of most of the other pages.
- Updated theme with new menu.
- Website made dynamic, so fact sheets are created on the fly from a database.
- An image gallery was added to the tool.
- The key was updated to a server-side version, so there is no longer a Java applet to download.
- A few of the "about" section pages were edited or eliminated to reflect updates.
- Pages were rearranged to fit format of ITP's newer tools.
- System requirements page for the Lucid v 3.4 key matrix Java applet was removed since it was no longer necessary.
- Copyright, citation, and disclaimers information was updated.
Edition 2 changes
TAXA
- 16 new taxa were added, along with fact sheets and images for all the new taxa. The new taxa are: Arundo, Butomus, Caltha, Caulerpa, Damasonium, Hibiscus, Littorella, Lythrum, Mentha, Mimosa, Neptunia, Murdannia, Oenanthe, Ranunculus, Rorippa, and Zantedeschia.
- New images were added for some existing taxa, to cover gaps in illustrating e.g. flowers.
- Descriptions on all fact sheets completely revised.
- Other fact sheet categories revised as needed.
- Diagnostic information was inserted to help in identifying aquatic species on the United States federal noxious weed list and to distinguish them from other, similar looking taxa.
FEATURES/STATES
- The interactive key matrix was significantly altered to make it more streamlined and useable; most of the features were modified: some features were combined, some split; features and states reorganized; feature and state text substantially reworded, a few new features created, and some eliminated.
- Many of the state illustrations were then replaced with new, diagrammatic drawings to improve clarity.
- "Feature pages" were created in order to display all the state illustrations for each feature together on one page, along with explanatory notes about how to best use the feature.
MATRIX
- The interactive key was updated to the latest Lucid version -- 3.4, which has fewer bugs than previous versions, and, most importantly, an elegantly designed, highly functional image viewing window.
- A good chunk of the interactive key matrix was rescored or newly scored, and the entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
matrix reviewed and edited as needed.
- Matrix thumbnail images were modified to improve visual clarity.
PAGES
- The entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
tool has a new look; page format was redesigned and reformatted and the tool has a new home page.
- Opening page is now an "entry" page; upon entering the tool, you are on the Home page, providing access to all pages in the tool.
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New informational pages added:
- Best Practice Guidelines for making an identification using Lucid Player.
- System requirements for the Lucid v 3.4 key matrix Java applet.
- Copyright, Disclaimers, and Citation information.
- About Aquarium and Pond Plants of the World page providing publisher, author, and content information.
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Other pages were modified:
- Introductory information reorganized and updated into a "How to Use" page, covering tool components, taxonomic scope, fact sheet content, and other topics, and a page giving background about "Aquatic plants and the aquarium and pond plant trade."
- Glossary: page reformatted using frames so that glossary illustrations can be viewed on the same page; some definitions and illustrations revised; many more definitions added to better cover their usage here.
- "Fact Sheets" page (for browsing independently of interactive key) reformatted and a second browse page, sorted by family, created.
- Acknowledgements revised and updated.
- References: additional entries inserted.
