Small Collections Grant
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Collections management for improving fungal taxonomy in the Republic of Congo
Republic of Congo
Database, Conserve
Cost (USD):
2000
HICPC
Initiative des Champignons et des Plantes du Congo (ICPC)
Objective:
Studies on macrofungi taxonomy are still at the early stage in the Republic of Congo. Being the only fungal herbarium in Congo, the HICPC holds about 3,000 collections of fungi of which some represent Type material of newly published species such as Amanita griseostrobilacea Ndolo Ebika, Yorou & Attibayeba and Cantharellus xanthocyaneus Ndolo Ebika & Buyck. Thus, the project’s objectives are to (1) correctly database and produce labels for all specimens, (2) improve the storage system for a long-term preservation of the specimens and (3) prepare duplicates for sharing with herbaria abroad.
Timetable:
Maximum of 3 months from March to May 2023.
Activity 1: March-May 2023
Activity 2: May 2023
Activity 3: May 2023
Scoring Rubric
Reviewer's name:
Collection Improvement (max. 120 points)
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Facilitating access to the physical collections by digitization (e.g., data entry, setting up database structure with an outline of the platform to be used, purchasing equipment, and imaging specimens) – up to 30 points.
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Enhancing physical collections by improving the conservation status of specimens in the herbarium (e.g., better folders, protecting covers, mounting paper, labeling, etc.) – up to 30 points.
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Curating specimens (e.g., updating families, species identification, identifying types) – up to 20 points.
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Increasing our understanding of the flora or funga by making new herbarium specimens available, such as processing of backlog or collecting and mounting of new specimens from understudied sites – up to 20 points.
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Securing collections by distribution of duplicates (or orphan collections) to other regional or international herbaria or shipping endangered collections to another herbarium – up to 20 points.
This proposal scores:
/120
Methods & Funding (max. 40 points)
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Match between the proposed budget and methods for the aims described – up to 10 points.
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Perceived need, the extent to which the project will benefit from IAPT funding: e.g., due to active floristic work or contribution to poorly collected sites, due to threatened conditions of collections, and for the degree of involvement of others (outreach and education). We give more points for herbaria in low- and middle-income countries – up to 20 points.
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Sharing duplicate specimens with other herbaria – up to 10 points.
This proposal scores:
/40
Broader Impacts (max. 40 points)
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Degree of regional importance of the collection or the taxonomic importance of the targeted collection – up to 10 points.
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The project will yield durable benefits (specimens, digitized metadata, databases, websites) – up to 15 points.
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The project involves outreach/mentoring and broad dissemination – up to 15 points.
This proposal scores:
/40
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
Plan:
To meet these objectives, it will be important to stress on capacity building of the NGO’s team. Four activities will be carried out.
Activity 1: use of BRAHMS. Four people (three Research assistant and the herbarium technician) will be trained in the use of the Botanical Research and Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS: Software for Natural History Management (ox.ac.uk)). Such a training will enable us to (i) check the existing BRAHMS database of the herbarium and type in all the missing information (collection date, locality, Country, specimen description, use, vernacular name, local name, Latitude and Longitude, Altitude) and (ii) produce labels for all specimens from BRAHMS.
Activity 2: Accession numbers attribution. After producing labels, each specimen will receive an unique accession number with the herbarium code and a number. This will allow us to keep record of the increasing numbers of specimens at the herbarium.
Activity 3: Arranging the specimens in cupboards. A good storing system will be beneficial for keeping specimens out the humidity and pests as well as making things easier when looking for a specimen to make microscopic observations.
Activity 4: pulling out duplicates for other herbaria. This activity will consist of making piles of correctly labelled duplicates and sharing them with international herbaria such as E and BR to keep duplicates in separate places for safety reasons and make material available to other researchers visiting those herbaria.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Sydney Thony Ndolo Ebika
Applicant Last Name/s: