Plant Biology

Collection Development Policy Statement

Library's Collection Development Objectives

Support faculty and student research and the curriculum through Doctor degree level in the disciplines of Chemistry and Biochemistry; also to support research projects and programs conducted on behalf of the researchers in the College of Basic Sciences; departments of agronomy, biochemistry, chemistry, horticulture, experimental statistics, forestry, and plant pathology and crop physiology.

Curriculum Program Descriptions

The Plant Biology Department is in the College of Basic Sciences. There are seventeen faculty members in the department and all have Ph.D. degrees. There are six adjunct professors and one director of the Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Resources (CCEER) . Listed below are the number of degrees awarded to students in Plant Biology/Botany for the past five years:

E (Empty String)      - (Info unavailable)

The following degree programs are offered which the Library collection supports:

New and Expanding Areas of Interest

• Mycology -- Fungal systematics and evolution.
• Phycology -- Algal ultrastructure and phylogeny.
• Plant Community Ecology, structure and dynamics of tropical and warm temperate forest communities.
• Physiological Ecology, carbon fixation and gas transport in different wetland species, in relation to the development of aerenchyma tissue.
• Plant physiology, biogenesis of plant membranes.
• Plant development genetics.
• Plant Population Biology/Ecology -- plant populations in southeastern coastal-plain habitats.
• Development Anatomy and Morphology, Inflorescence development in maize and its relatives.
• Vascular Plant Systematics -- Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Orchidaceae.
• Louisiana and Gulf Coast floras and conservation biology.
• Ecology, dynamics of tropical and sub-tropical plant communities
• Ecology, community ecology -- competition, plant-animal interactions, and environmental stresses on community structure
• Coastal Plant Ecology and Ecophysiology
• Evolutionary Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Molecular Evolution
• Isolation of the GL3 gene, which appears to participate in both the initiation and the differentiation phases of trichome development.
• Ecological and physiological genetics of trichomes in the Brassicaceae, and the control of flower development in maize and Arabidopsis.

Areas of Specialization/Major Faculty Research Interests

• Mycology; Fungal systematics and evolution; life histories; arthropod-dispersal of fungi
• Phycology -- Algal ultrastructure and phylogeny; biology of the Trentepohliaceae (Chlorophyta); ribosomal gene sequencing and molecular evolution in algae and bryophytes
• Plant Community Ecology -- structure and dynamics of tropical and warm temperate forest communities.
• Physiological Ecology -- mechanisms by which plants respond to environmental variation.
• Plant Physiology -- biogenesis of plant membranes.
• Plant developmental genetics.
• Plant Population Biology/Ecology -- long-term field study of plant populations in southeastern coastal-plain habitats. (longleaf and south Florida slash pine savannas, as well as temperate and subtropical hardwood forests)
• Development Anatomy and Morphology -- Inflorescence development in maize and its relatives.
• Vascular Plant Systematics -- systematic and evolutionary studies of various plant groups such as the Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Orchidaceae.
• Louisiana and Gulf Coast floras and conservation biology.
• Ecology -- dynamics of tropical and sub-tropical plant communities, especially processes associated with disturbances (Florida uplands, Costa Rican lowlands and Amazonian Brazil.)
• Ecology -- community ecology, particularly the importance of competition, plant-animal interactions, and environmental stresses on community structure.
• Coastal Plant Ecology and Ecophysiology -- basic and applied coastal plant ecology.
• Evolutionary Ecology, Conservation Biology, and Molecular Evolution -- evolutionary ecology of insects in relation to agriculture and habitat conservation.

Treatment of Subject Depth

The goal of collection development activities in Plant Biology is to support the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, sustained independent research of students and faculty, the LSU Herbarium and Mycological Herbarium, and Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Resources (CCEER). The existing collection strength for Microbiology is at level 4 and current collecting intensity is at level 3 / 4 (See Attachment A -- Classed Analysis for detailed statement.)

Specific Delimitations

Type

Collected Extensively: Specialized reference tools, such s indexes, abstracts, encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, major secondary works (monographs); monographic serials.

Collected selectively: Proceedings, popular treatments, biographies, catalogs, undergraduate and upper division textbooks, laboratory manuals, workbooks, curriculum guides.

Physical Format

Collected extensively: Traditional print formats, I.e. monographs, serials; microforms, microfilm.

Collected selectively: CD-ROM, Audio-cassette packets, phonodiscs, charts, pamphlets, loose leaf services.

Imprint Date.

Collected extensively: Materials published during the last ten years.

Collected selectively: Materials published more than ten years ago.

Place of Publication

Collected extensively: United States, Great Britain, Netherlands, Canada, West Germany.

Collected Selectively: All others.

Languages

Collected extensively: English, and translations of foreign language works.

Collected selectively: All others.

Chronological Periods

Collected extensively: The contemporary science as defined by developments of the past ten years.

Collected selectively: All other periods more than ten years ago.

Geographical Focus

Collected extensively: United States, Canada, Great Britain, West Germany, Netherlands.

Collected selectively: All others.

Overlap with Other Subjects of Collections

Primary: Four overlapping subject areas have been identified for which this statement assumes the primary collection development responsibility.

• Plant ecology (Plant Physiology)
• Plant breeding (Agronomy and Horticulture)
• Plant physiology (Agronomy, Plant Pathology/Crop Physiology)
• Crop breeding and physiology (Agronomy and Horticulture)

Secondary: In four other areas only occasionally will selections be made by the Plant Biology selector.

• Evolutionary and systematics biology (Zoology/Physiology)
• Genetics (Microbiology, Zoology/Physiology)
• Plant pathology (Plant Pathology/Crop Physiology)
• Crop physiology and production -- crop breeding (Plant Pathology/Crop Physiology)

Shared:

• Plant physiology (Plant Pathology/Crop Pathology)
• Plant genetics (Micorbiology)
• Molecular biochemistry (Biochemistry)

Cooperative Programs

Louisiana State University relies on document delivery from Knight Ridder - UnCover to supply serial documents. LSU is part of the South Eastern Library Association (SELA) to foster inter-library lending and borrowing practices. The Clair A. Brown Fund to support collection development and special activities of the LSU Herbarium, which is one of the oldest in the South. The Lowy Mycological Herbarium Fund to support the special activities of the LSU Mycological Herbarium including the acquisition, preservation, and use of mycological specimens and/or references.

Other Considerations

The Clair A. Brown Fund to support collection development and special activities of the LSU Herbarium, which is one of the oldest in the South. The Lowy Mycological Herbarium Fund to support the special activities of the LSU Mycological Herbarium including the acquisition, preservation, and use of mycological specimens and/or references. The department also interacts with the Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Resources (CCEER), Audubon Sugar Institute, the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the developing Louisiana Biotechnology Institute, and the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.

Classed Analysis

LC Classification	Descriptor	Collecting Level		Comments
		Existing Strength	Current Intensity
QK 1-100	General, History, Technique	4	4	QE 901+ Paleobotany SB Plant culture SD Forestry
QK 101-474	Geographical Distribution	4	3	CCI4: Louisiana, Central & South America
QK 475-495	Spermatophyta. Phanerogams	3	3	CCI4: Herbarium
QK 504-635	Cryptogams. Myxomycetes	3	3	CCI5: Mycology Herbarium
QK 640-673	Plant anatomy	4	3
QK 710 -899	Plant physiology	4	3
QK 861-899	Plant biochemistry	4	4
QK 900-989	Plant ecology. Evolution	4	3	CCI4: CCEER

Prepared: January 15, 1998
Updated: March 15, 2003