1 Topic by ser

  • ser
  • ser
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  • From: Staffordshire Ecological Recor
  • Registered: 24-09-2008
  • Posts: 603

Topic: Hierarchy problems

I have just tried to do a report on all "ferns" s.l. including clubmosses & horsetails

I used the VASCULAR PLANTS list and selected "Pteridophyta", "Lycopodiophyta" & "Equisetophyta" - The report only returned true ferns
Individual searches for "Lycopodiophyta" and "Equisetophyta" resulted in zero records, although "Lycopodium clavatum" reported 4 records for an otherwise identical search

I subsequently repeated the search using "Pteridopsida", "Lycopodiopsida" & "Equisetopsida" from the Recorder 3 list - this only returned horsetails!

I think there are problems with the hierarchy of the VASCULAR PLANTS and Recorder 3 lists

Craig

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

ser's Website

2 Reply by MikeWeideli

  • MikeWeideli
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  • From: Littlefield Consultancy
  • Registered: 05-07-2006
  • Posts: 2,645

Re: Hierarchy problems

Unfortunately the structure of the Recorder 3 list isn't reliable and never has been. If you look at it the taxon ranks are not correct, with everything at the top level called an 'Order' when this is clearly incorrect in many cases.  It is best to use a preferred list as a starting point if you wish to expand the hierarchy. We had hoped to put a warning when an unsuitable start point is selected, but this has had to wait.

Mike Weideli

MikeWeideli's Website

3 Reply by ChrisR

  • ChrisR
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  • Registered: 27-08-2011
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Re: Hierarchy problems

Hi Craig,

As Mike says, I update the Recorder 3.3 when I spot really major errors that are causing problems with R6 or other systems but the actual taxonomy in that checklist is a giant can of worms so take it with a pinch of salt. It is a popular list because it contains so many taxa but it isn't a reliable checklist by a long way.

BW, Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)