“Given increasing rates of habitat loss and global change, we believe that responsibly collecting voucher specimens and associated data and openly sharing this knowledge (for example, through GBIF, iDigBio, and VertNet) are more necessary today than ever before.”
The article “Specimen collection: An essential tool” was recently published in the journal Science in response to a critique on the practice of collecting voucher specimens. The article highlights the immense value of specimen data by summarizing the many uses of collections for research and by emphasizing the continuing emergence of new technologies that utilize collection data. The article also highlights the importance of sharing collection data openly through iDigBio and other sources such as GBIF and VertNet.
Please click here to find links to the full article.
