User:Nsanghani/sandbox

Article Evaluation
The article on Amborellas includes important information on the plant, but seems to have some missing pieces as well. Everything in the article is relevant to the article topic. There were a couple of run on sentences that were distracting. The article is quite neutral. For example, when describing the relationship between Amborellaceae and the Nymphaeales, they noted that it is not completely known and therefore offered a couple different theories. There is very little information under the ecology section. There is a whole definition of dioecious presented in the description paragraph, but maybe it would be more useful to put in the ecology paragraph because that is where they state that it is dioecious in the first sentence. I don't see a point in mentioning it twice. The links do work and the information seems to match the article it comes from to an extent. The sources are mostly peer reviewed articles, which are neutral and reliable. The information looks pretty up to date, but it definitely could be better. The newest additions are from 2009 which was almost a decade ago. So, it may be useful to use sources that are within the 5 year range. Some of the conversations on the Talk page of the article have conversations about merging two articles. The article was a part of 2 WikiProjects. One was not rated yet and the other gave it a C class rating. The Wiki page described this article differently from in class because it studied several different aspects of the plant whereas we explored the evolutionary history part the most in class.

Juniper https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper The article on Juniper has a lot of good content in specific areas, but is missing content in broader areas. The topic of ecology and the understanding of the plant itself is not really mentioned. The majority of the article focuses on the uses of the "berries". I would add more details on the ecosystem the plant resides in, what kind of conditions it thrives in, the adaptations is has, and the interactions it has with its environment (such as with insects and pollinators). The links function, but source 13 appears to be a blog, which does not look like a reputable source to me. I am not sure why that was used to support the information mentioned in the article. It should be supported by a scholarly article. The sources have a huge range in terms of when they came out. Some of them should probably be updated or double checked because they are very old. So, I think I would go through them and try to see which topics I could update and find new information on.

Nymphaeaceae https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeaceae

The article on Nymphaeaceae has a lot of information with many little details. I thought that it was interesting that the subgenus Lotos and subgenus Brachyceras both had no articles. This made me think this was an interesting piece to work on. I am not sure if I would try to make a page for one of two, but rather just provide some more information on this page concerning both topics. It seems like there is a lot of information that can be added to the page since a lot of it is just describing the plant and taxonomy. I could maybe add more on the ecology, the invasive species part, and maybe the uses if there are any.

Sea Lettuce https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_lettuce

The article on Sea Lettuce and very little information on the page. There is barely any description on the algae. I'm not sure if this counts as pertaining to this class since it isn't a seed plant. Regardless, this page needs a lot of help. I think I could add a whole description subheading for this topic and include information on the life cycle. In addition, I could find more information on the subheadings already present, since there isn't much there at all.

Article Chosen: Juniper

The major areas of improvement I want to tackle on the Juniper article are adding an ecology section and improving the uses section. I think it would be helpful to have information on the page about the general understanding of the Juniper plant as well as how it survives in the environment. I found a lot of articles on how it interacts with the environment both positively and negatively, so it would be useful to put both viewpoints to keep the article neutral. In addition, there are several additional uses of the Juniper berry and oil apart from the ones listed. I think I will be able to expand that section as well as add a touch of Navajo history to that. These topics would help make improve the article, as I would be adding a lot of important information to it.

Bibliography

Belsky, A.J. 1996. Viewpoint: western juniper expansion: Is it a threat to arid northwestern ecosystems?. Journal of Range Management. 49(1):53-59.

Bombaci, S. and L. Pejchar. 2016. Consequences and of pinyon and juniper woodland reduction for wildlife in North America. Forest Ecology and Management. 365(1):34-50.

Chamber, J.C., S.B. Vander Wall., and E.W. Schupp. 1999. Seed and seedling ecology of pinon and juniper species in the pygmy woodlands of western North America. The Botanical Review 65(1):1-38.

Christensen, N.D., A.W. Sorenson, D.G. Hendricks, and R. Munger. 1998. Juniper ash as a source of calcium in the Navajo diet. Journal of the American Dietic Association. 98(3):333-334.

El-Ghorab, A., H.A. Shaaban, K.F. EL-Massry, and T. Shibamoto. 2008. Chemical composition of volatile extract and biological activities of volatile and less-volatile extracts of juniper (Juniperus drupacea L.) berry fruit. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 56(13):5021-5025.

Gallo, T., L.T. Stinson, and L. Pejchar. 2016. Pinyon-juniper removal has long-term effects on mammals. Forest Ecology and Management. 377(1):93-100.

Grieve, M. 2014. A modern herbal. Dover Publications, United States.

Lyons, R.K., M.K. Owens, and R.V. Machen. 2009. Juniper biology and management in Texas. DSpace software, United States.

Miller, R.F., T.J. Svejcar, and J.A. Rose. 2000. Impacts of western juniper on plant community composition and structure. Journal of Range Management. 53(6):574-585.

Rawat, Y.S. and C.S. Everson. 2012. Ecological status and uses of juniper species in the cold desert environment of the Lahaul Valley, North-western Himalaya, India. Journal of Mountain Science. 9:676-686.

Outline

Ecology

-Where do different species grow well – under what conditions

-Understanding how the Western Juniper is affected by its environment and how it affects its environment

-Interaction with environment

·      Effects of reducing juniper species in an ecosystem

·      How juniper plants have affected other organisms positively and netatively

Cultivation and Uses

-Navajo Uses

·      Juniper ash is an important source of calcium for the Navajo tribe

·      This group of people do not usually drink milk as a source of calcium

·      They use the juniper ash by incorporating it in blue corn bread and cereal

-Antioxidants

·      How the Juniper berries can be useful to humans for antioxidant purposes

-Wood and leaves

·      Uses of the wood and leaves in Lahual Valley

·     Vegetation of different species and what that can be used for

Description

-Seed germination and dispersal

·      Seed development takes 1 to 2 to 3 years depending on the species

·      Dispersal is by mammals that swallow it whole and then defecate it out

·      Germination can be delayed because of the hard seed coat, long dormancy, or other inhibitors in the environment

First Draft

Description

Junipers are gymnosperms, meaning they have seed s, but no flowers or fruits. Depending on the species, the seeds they produce take 1-3 years to develop. The impermeable coat of the seed keeps water from getting in and protects the embryo when being dispersed. It can also cause a long dormancy that is usually broken by breaking of the seed coat. Dispersal can occur from being swallowed whole by frugivores and mammals. The resistance of the seed coat allows it to be passed down through the digestive system and out without being destroyed along the way. These seeds last a long time, as they can be dispersed long distances over the course of a couple years. Junipers are known to encompass open areas so that they have more exposure to rainfall.

Ecology

Juniper plants thrive in a variety of environments. The junipers from Lahaul valley can be found in dry, rocky locations planted in stony soils. These plants are being rapidly used up by grazing animals and the villagers. There are several important features of the leaves and wood of this plant that cause villagers to cut down these trees and make use of them. Additionally, the western juniper plants, a particular species in the juniper genus, are found in woodland s where there are large, open spaces. Decreases in fires and a lack of livestock grazing are the two major causes of western juniper takeover. This invasion of junipers is driving changes in the environment. For instance, the ecosystem for other species previously living in the environment and farm animals has been compromised. When junipers increase in population, there is a noticeable decrease in woody species like mountain big sagebrush and aspen. Among the juniper trees themselves, there is a lot of competition. The cost of this is a decrease in berry production. The herbaceous cover has decreased and often times junipers are mistaken to be weeds. As a result, several farmers have thinned the juniper trees or removed them completely. However, this reduction did not result in any significant difference on wildlife survival. Some small mammals found it advantageous to have thinner juniper trees, while cutting down the entire tree was not favorable.

Cultivation and Uses

Ethnic and Herbal Use

Juniper ash is considered to be one of the main sources of calcium for the Navajo people. It is usually an ingredient in blue corn meals. They incorporate the juniper ash because of the flavor it provides. Therefore, it can be found in different kinds of corn-based foods such as pancakes or dumplings. The use of juniper ash is important because many Navajo people refuse to drink milk, which is a major source of calcium in diets. One teaspoon of juniper ash can contribute the same amount of calcium in one cup of milk. The majority of the calcium was derived from woody branches of juniper plants.

Antioxidants

Juniper berries can be useful because of their antioxidant properties. In folk medicine, they believe it is helpful with diseases such as bronchitis and arthritis. Similarly, the juniper berry oil contains antimicrobial activity. Specifically, it responds well against fungus. Common features it has that are useful in medicine are diuretic properties, gastrointestinal irritant properties, and antiseptic properties.

Wood and Leaves

Local people in Lahaul Valley present juniper leaves to their deities as a folk tradition. It is also useful as a folk remedy for pains and aches as well as epilepsy and asthma. They are reported to collect large amounts of juniper leaves and wood for building and religious purposes.