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Virtual Federal Herbarium Prototype

Virtual Federal Herbarium Prototype. Ed Gilbert, Southwest Environmental Information Network Ann Hitchcock, National Park Service. What is a virtual federal herbarium?. Specimen data and images Public web interface Searchable Focus on federal specimens Integrated with non-federal data.

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Virtual Federal Herbarium Prototype

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  1. Virtual Federal Herbarium Prototype Ed Gilbert, Southwest Environmental Information Network Ann Hitchcock, National Park Service

  2. What is a virtual federal herbarium? • Specimen data and images • Public web interface • Searchable • Focus on federal specimens • Integrated with non-federal data

  3. Why a virtual federal herbarium prototype? • Expand access to federal data for science researchers, land managers, educators, students, amateur botanists, youth groups, etc. • Integrate federal and non-federal data (SEINet) • Refine search design to improve federal data results • Encourage federal participation in regional virtual herbarium initiatives

  4. Who is involved in the prototype? • NPS and SEINet • NPS, BLM and USFS data sources • Other federal bureaus/agencies to be added • Non-federal herbaria • Endorsed by Biodiversity and Ecosystem Informatics Working Group (BioEco), Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, National Science and Technology Council

  5. What is SEINet? • Virtual flora/herbarium • Specimen-based • Research and education • Biodiversity portal • Specimen search engine • Species checklists • Interactive identification key • Image library

  6. What is the geographic scope? • Southwest USA • 1.1 Million specimens • 21 Herbaria • 11 Arizona • 5 New Mexico • 3 Adjacent states • 1 Sonora, Mexico • 1 NY Botanical Garden

  7. What kinds of searches are possible? • Specimen search engine • Specimen listing • Specimen images • Interactive maps • Google Map • Google Earth • Species checklist • Identification key

  8. Why is a specimen-based model important? • Backbone of floristic research • Vouchers • Proof of occurrence • Expert reviewed • Verifiable • 70,000,000+ US specimens

  9. What are the benefits of the virtual environment? • Scientifically complete • Flexible presentation • Public outreach • Cost effective • Collaborative • Software developers • Herbarium curators • Land managers

  10. Virtual Environment has Great Potential • Arizona Flora • Annuals of the Grand Canyon National Park • Grasses of the San Pedro Riparian Nat’l. Cons. Area • Asteraceae within 30 miles of 34.2°, -112.4° • My Backyard Flora

  11. What is Symbiota? • Content Management System (CMS) for biodiversity and floristic data • Other data nodes using Symbiota software • SEINet – Plants of Southwestern North America • Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria • Madrean Archipelago Biodiversity Assessment • Flora & Fauna within Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora Mexico • CoTRAM – Cooperative Taxonomic Resource for American Myrtaceae • Neotropical Virtual Flora

  12. Multiple presentations of a single, integrated dataset • Independent Symbiota data node • Self contained database and website • Sub-node • Other node’s database with separate website • Floristic Project • Collections of specimens, checklists, keys, etc. • Local Flora • Researchers, land managers, graduate students • IFRAME insert into agency website

  13. What is the timeline for the prototype? • Fall 2009 • Project start • Winter 2010 • Compile and define datasets • Share concept with other regional virtual herbarium nodes • Spring 2010 • Develop search interface for federal collections • Demo at Earth Day event on National Mall • Fall 2010 • Expand data set beyond NPS, BLM, USFS • Winter 2011 • Complete Symbiota software & documentation • Build toward US Virtual Herbarium

  14. Contacts Ed Gilbert SEINet Administrator, Symbiota Developer Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) Arizona State University egbot@asu.edu 520-481-7638 Ann Hitchcock Senior Advisor for Scientific Collections National Park Service ann_hitchcock@nps.gov 202-354-2271

  15. Acknowledgments • Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum • Arizona State University Herbarium • Bureau of Land Management • Global Institute of Sustainability (ASU) • National Park Service • National Science Foundation • National Science and Technology Council • Sky Island Alliance • U.S. Forest Service • Regional herbaria • Local and regional data managers

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