User:Babethoven/Choose an Article

Article Selection
Please list articles that you're considering for your Wikipedia assignment below. Begin to critique these articles and find relevant sources.

Option 1

 * Umbellularia : C-class and Mid to Low-importance
 * The article is fairly well written and concise. The information conveyed is done so in a neutral tone, and all of the sections are clear and accessible. The introductory sections does a good job of presenting background information on the California bay Laurel; however, there is some information included that is fully explained (ie. sudden oak death pathogen). This is a trend seen throughout the content of the article. In particular, the section regarding the California Bay Laurel's ecology presents an overview of information, but lacks detail and can be expanded upon. This can be improved by expanding the Ecology section of the article to better explain the role California Bay Laurel plays in its niche, and its interactions with other local animals and plants. The other sections of the article are more complete in their information, although I am sure some details can still be added. In terms of sourcing, the article is successful in referencing several relevant and reliable sources. These include the USDA, Urban Forest Ecosystem Institute and American Forests. Some of these sources are slightly outdated, and occasionally no longer available at their linked source. However, besides this fact, most of the information and citations used are fairly comprehensive.
 * Sources that can be used:
 * Overview of California Bay Laurel (information on relation to woodrats) - https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/California-Bay-Laurel
 * Ecological Relationships of California Bay Laurel (Specific to Gualala River) - https://gualalariver.org/nature/trees/california-bay-laurel-umbellularia-californica/
 * Insects Supported by California Bay Laurel (and general information) - https://calscape.org/Umbellularia-californica-(California-Laurel)?srchcr=sc57619e3ebcd13
 * Associated Vegetation, Interactions with Wildlife and General Information - https://owic.oregonstate.edu/california-laurel-umbellularia-californica
 * Associated Vegetation, Interactions with Wildlife and General Information - https://owic.oregonstate.edu/california-laurel-umbellularia-californica

Option 2

 * California Oak Woodland: Start-class and High-importance
 * To begin, the article is concise and clear, and is written in a neutral tone. The introductory and California oak-woodland communities sections did a good job of creating a strong base understanding of this type of community, and providing relevant and varied examples. I believe the key factor that is missing from this article is the mention of the biodiversity and ecology of these communities. The article briefly mentions the biodiversity of California oak-woodland ecosystems, but makes no mention of the types of animal life it sustains. Additionally, there is no mention of the interactions between the different species of trees in these communities and how they collectively contribute to the larger ecosystem. Regarding sourcing, this article has far fewer sources than the article of the California Bay Laurel, and most of these sources are slightly outdated (10-20 years old at least). An increased amount and variety of sources would help strengthen the article; however it should be mentioned that all of the current sources are reliable.
 * Sources that can be used:
 * Plants and Animals of California Oak Woodland Communities (and general information) - https://wrangle.org/ecotype/north-american-oak-woodlands
 * Coastal Oak Woodland and Wildlife Habitat - https://oaks.cnr.berkeley.edu/coastal-oak-woodland/
 * Fire in California Oak Woodland Ecology - http://polyland.calpoly.edu/overview/archives/derome/woodlands.html
 * Associated Plants of California Oak Woodlands in Morro Bay - https://www.mbnep.org/2018/06/22/native-plant-series-4-coast-live-oak-woodlands/
 * Associated Plants of California Oak Woodlands in Morro Bay - https://www.mbnep.org/2018/06/22/native-plant-series-4-coast-live-oak-woodlands/

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This article is successful in covering the evolution of modern Redwoods, but lacks some key information. To begin, the introductory section is only a sentence long; and while it gives a general idea of what Redwoods are, it lacks some details. Additionally, little to no information is given about the Redwood’s ecological niche, associated plants and animals, and there is no graphic visualisation of the regions they occupy. There are, however, a lot of detailed images that convey the different physiological features of Redwood trees from different parts of the world. The citations for this article are quite extensive, and are all from reputable sources. I believe the main areas of improvement for this article would be centred in adding more information about Redwood trees’ habitats, and the ecological role they play. =====
 * Sources that can be used:
 * Redwood forest habitat - https://www.pacificforest.org/habitat/redwood/
 * Redwood habitat relationships - https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=67326
 * Coast Redwoods - https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/California_forests/http___ucanrorg_sites_forestry_California_forests_Tree_Identification_/Coast_Redwood_Sequoia_sempervirens_198/
 * Coast Redwoods - https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/California_forests/http___ucanrorg_sites_forestry_California_forests_Tree_Identification_/Coast_Redwood_Sequoia_sempervirens_198/