What's New?
Jan-2023: Started a Facebook Page to provide these updates on the Database and to toss out other tidbits that come my way. Give it a "Like". Otherwise I have been doing a deep dive into Podocarpus for the last several weeks, writing many new species accounts and revising many old ones.
Dec-2022: Completed a comprehensive review and revision of Torreya, which is a fascinating genus; nearly every species has at least one remarkable story. Posted an updated piece on Future Forests of Washington. Revised many species of Juniperus, particularly in the J. oxycedrus and J. virginiana species complexes. I did this in part to fulfill a promise to Bob Adams, who passed away earlier this year. Most recently, I prepared a very comprehensive page on Tetraclinis, which has one of the oldest and most complex records of human use.
Aug-2022: Eric Van Buskirk has provided a Topics article on the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing and some of its unexpected health benefits.
Apr-2022: I gave a presentation on the Future Forests of Washington, now on Youtube (here's the presentation file). The bottom line is, climate change is bad news for forests, to the point where nearly every tree species is going to need human help if it is going to survive the next century. Washington is a microcosm of the global ecological disaster. You should watch this, because this is based on peer-reviewed science and it shows that the popular media still doesn't understand how severe this problem is, because they report the little pieces of bad news but not the big picture. Here's the big picture.
Moto pages
Welcome to the Gymnosperm Database, the web's premier source of information on conifers and their allies. Since we went online on 1997, the Database has attracted worldwide attention as a readily accessible, scientifically accurate source of information on the classification, description, ecology and uses of this culturally and ecologically important group of plants. This home page gives some hints about how to navigate the Database, as well as providing background information for the curious.
There are three major sections of the site:
| Species |
Descriptions of all the species and higher-rank taxa of gymnosperms. See Example Species for more information on the format of these pages. For each taxon I provide information on classification, description, ecology, ethnobotany, and various other topics of interest. |
| | |
| Topics |
Things that are not strictly tied to a particular species. For instance, pages on the gymnosperms of Australia (and other regions), the largest and oldest trees in the world, why trees have spiral grain, and conifers in musical instruments. |
| | |
| Bookstore |
Most of the books sold here are linked through Amazon, and if you buy them through this site, the price is the same to you but some of the proceeds come to me, to help support the Database. |
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Shade foliage of Abies procera.
Background on the Site
The Gymnosperm Database was established as an online entity in the summer of 1997 and has since grown steadily, getting its own URL (Conifers.org) in the summer of 1999. The Database provides information for all species and higher-ranked taxa of the gymnosperms, i.e., conifers, cycads, ginkgo, and the gnetophytes. You enter the taxonomic tree at the Family level and then navigate to the Genus and Species. It's sort of like a blog that runs through a tree instead of a straight line.
How to Use This Site
See the Description of Database Fields and the Example Species.
If you have a specific question, use the search box (top of page at right). Otherwise, I suggest you start with the Topics page, or browse the family, genus, and species accounts. The site covers conifers, ginkgo and gnetophytes (Ephedra, Gnetum, and Welwitschia) in detail. Although they are gymnosperms, in recent years I have neglected the cycads because an excellent site, the World List of Cycads, exists to provide the same sort of information that I would otherwise have to collect.
Appeal for volunteer assistance
People sometimes write and say, "Who writes the database?" The answer is, I do. I have assembled most of the database and done essentially all of the computer-based work: typing, scanning images, writing code, etc. Any assistance is welcome! To date I have received helpful advice from a variety of recognized taxonomic authorities, as well as information on individual taxa from persons scattered across the globe. Many visitors have sent photos or even fine art drawings of gymnosperms. In fact, I have to say that running this website has introduced me to new friends, provided opportunities to travel to memorable places, and provided opportunities to share both my writing and photography. The correspondence related to this site provides one of the greatest rewards of maintaining this site. However, if you would like to increase those rewards, you could buy some books (from Amazon.com) via my gateway/bookstore located HERE.
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