Don,

Perhaps you are right.  

How to Generate a Tree List and Open it in Excel

1) Go to the form http://plants.usda.gov/adv_search.html 

2) Fill in the checkboxes and pull down lists with the options you want.  In 
the example I attched in the previous post, I chose New York under State or 
Province, but did not chgeck the display box.  Under scientific names I 
included "Accepted names only" and checked the dispay box.  Under National 
Common Name - I entered a wildcard *  and checked the display box.  Under 
Ecology- Growth Habit - I chose tree and checked the dislay option.   Under 
Ecology - Native Status I left the choice at any and checked the display box.  
I did not select or change anything else.

3) At the bottom of the page I hit the display results button to see if the 
sort selections worked, or if they were the ones I wanted.  
  a) If they are not what you want or you get no results, hit the previous page 
button in you browser (In Windows Explorer it is a back arrow at the upper left 
corner of the page) go back through the selections and look for what is missing 
or needs changed.

  b) If they are acceptable then hit the back buttom to return to the 
selecetion page.

4)  Don't change anything  On the bottom right of the page check the box 
"Download text file without formatted display" box and then hit the Diplay 
results button.

5) You will see a text listing of the data i your browser.  Select everything 
and save it as a text file.  In Windoews Explorer at the top pull down the menu 
under edit and choose "select all.'  Then under the file menu choose "save 
as.." and then choose text file on the next screen.  Give the file a name and 
take note of where you save it.

You can now import the file into Excel.  I am using 2007, but the process is 
the same in other versions and spreadsheets, just the buttons may not be in the 
same place.

6) Open Excel

7) Go to the Data Tab and click it.

8) In Excel 2007, the third icon from the right reads "from Text" click it.  In 
other versions you are looking for the option to import data from a text file.  
  This opens a window where you can select the text file you saved in step 5.

9)  This opens the Text Import Wizard.  Choose the option Delimited, then hit 
the next button.  

10)  Under the delimiters button check other, and then type in the " symbol.  A 
rough sorting will then be shown in the small window in the wizard.  There will 
be some extra columns, but so long as the data is organized right, that doesn't 
matter.

11)  Click Next. Under column data format the general optio is already 
selected.  That is fine.Click finish.  Tell it you want to import it into 
existing spreadsheet (it should be balnk at this point).  Click OK

12)  Voila!    The Tree list appears in the spreadsheet.  sorted into columns.  
You can go through and delete the columns that have only commas or blank 
columns, and the list is ready for editing.

Ed Frank

Check out my new Blog:  http://nature-web-network.blogspot.com/ (and click on 
some of the ads)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: DON BERTOLETTE 
  To: [email protected] 
  Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 5:48 PM
  Subject: RE: [ENTS] Observing nature...


  Ed-
  You might need at some point to explain about entering comma delimited 
data...;>}
  -Don
   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: [email protected]
  To: [email protected]
  Subject: Re: [ENTS] Observing nature...
  Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:35:02 -0500


  Carolyn,

  You can generate a tree or a tree and shrub list for any state or any county 
in any state from this page:  http://plants.usda.gov/adv_search.html  These are 
based upon the USDA distribution information, and perhaps could use some 
editing. I have attached a  "quote" delaminated  text file that can be imported 
into Excel as a spreadsheet for what the USDA says in in New York State as a 
whole as an example .  Once in a spreadsheet format it can be edited to remove 
extraneous information or add things that should be there.  It is a quick start 
to generate a checklist.  You need to play with the options for awhile until 
you figure out how to get it to give you specific information you want.  

  Ed

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