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The Key to the Cabinets: Building and Sustaining a Research Database for a Global Biodiversity Hotspot: Difference between revisions
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The Key to the Cabinets: Building and Sustaining a Research Database for a Global Biodiversity Hotspot (view source)
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=== Other project documentation === | === Other project documentation === | ||
== PENs == | == PENs == | ||
=== Digitization PEN: Filling in knowledge gaps with key herbaria for understanding vascular plant diversity in the Atlantic coastal plain === | |||
The Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) is developing one of the most comprehensive data sets of plant diversity in North America. Through SERNEC, more than 4.5 million herbarium specimens from the southeastern U.S. will be digitized for online access through a project portal and the iDigBio Specimen Portal. In this Partner to Existing Network (PEN) project, three additional herbaria at the College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, and University of Mary Washington will contribute digitized and georeferenced herbarium records from southeastern Virginia to these efforts. Plant diversity in this region is of interest because of the high degree of turnover due to southern species reaching their northern limit and northern species reaching their southern limit in southeastern Virginia. These records join the SERNEC data set that contribute information about plant diversity in the North American Coastal Plain, an area rich in rare, unique species. The SERNEC data set is a one-stop resource for taxonomic and ecological research and botanical education and aids in the revision of state checklists of plants and specimen curation. Student interns will have opportunities to develop professional skills in team work, communication, and goal-setting, as well as exploring potential career options in museum management. Citizen-scientists aiding in digitization will have opportunities to interact with project personnel and learn about the importance of natural history collections in education and research and local plant diversity. Educational materials developed for K-12 classes will enhance botanical literacy and illustrate plant diversity, structure and geographical range in the Southeast. | |||
Images and associated label data for approximately 118,000 vascular plant specimens in the three herbaria will be captured digitally and accessible online at the SERNEC Symbiota Portal and the iDigBio Specimen Portal. If lacking, georeferenced coordinates for the collection location of each specimen will be determined and added to the database. These activities expand the use of software packages that were enhanced for use in the SERNEC project, including Symbiota, GEOLocate, and Zooniverse. Original data, including images and text, will be retained long-term at institutional repositories of the herbaria involved in this project. Specimen digitization will be conducted by undergraduate student interns at each of the institutions and citizen-scientists, including the Virginia Master Naturalists and volunteers working in Notes from Nature. | |||
''Project Sponsor'': Old Dominion University Research Foundation [http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1802342 (NSF Award 1802342)] | |||
''Principal Investigators (PIs):'' [mailto:lewallac@odu.edu Lisa Wallace] (PI), Martha Case (Co-PI) | |||
=== Digitization PEN: Integrating the herbaria of peninsular Florida, a biodiversity hotspot of endemism, rarity, and richness === | === Digitization PEN: Integrating the herbaria of peninsular Florida, a biodiversity hotspot of endemism, rarity, and richness === | ||
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The most important botanical collections of the FTG and USF herbaria are the 125,000 specimens from central and south Florida, more than found in any other herbarium. Unique features of this region include the Lakes Wales Ridge, Everglades, Atlantic Coastal Ridge, and Florida Keys, all of which have experienced significant habitat loss and degradation. Among the 8,000 native or naturalized vascular plant species in the southeastern USA, about 1,200 are known only from central and south Florida. This number includes about 290 threatened or endangered, 130 endemic, 570 non-native, and 90 invasive plant species. The plant diversity of this region is of primary importance to the management of its resources, including air, water, and soil quality, agriculture, mining, construction, land reclamation, recreation, and biodiversity conservation. By engaging volunteers and high school and undergraduate students, FTG and USF will increase access to their vast collection of herbarium specimens, bolstering scientific and educational knowledge of plants in the region. These data are shared as a public resource through SERNEC and iDigBio (www.idigbio.org). | The most important botanical collections of the FTG and USF herbaria are the 125,000 specimens from central and south Florida, more than found in any other herbarium. Unique features of this region include the Lakes Wales Ridge, Everglades, Atlantic Coastal Ridge, and Florida Keys, all of which have experienced significant habitat loss and degradation. Among the 8,000 native or naturalized vascular plant species in the southeastern USA, about 1,200 are known only from central and south Florida. This number includes about 290 threatened or endangered, 130 endemic, 570 non-native, and 90 invasive plant species. The plant diversity of this region is of primary importance to the management of its resources, including air, water, and soil quality, agriculture, mining, construction, land reclamation, recreation, and biodiversity conservation. By engaging volunteers and high school and undergraduate students, FTG and USF will increase access to their vast collection of herbarium specimens, bolstering scientific and educational knowledge of plants in the region. These data are shared as a public resource through SERNEC and iDigBio (www.idigbio.org). | ||
''Project Sponsor'': | ''Project Sponsor'': University of South Florida [http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701683 (NSF Award 1701683)] | ||
University of South Florida [http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1701683 (NSF Award 1701683)] | |||
''Principal Investigators (PIs):'' | ''Principal Investigators (PIs):'' [mailto:afranck@mail.usf.edu Alan Franck], Brett Jestrow | ||
[mailto:afranck@mail.usf.edu Alan Franck], Brett Jestrow | |||