Small Collections Grant
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SCANNING AND SPECIMENS CONSERVATION STORED THE HERBARIUM MARANHÃO CONTINENTAL (BMA)
Brasil
Database, Digitally image
Cost (USD):
1839
BMA
Federal University of Maranhão
Objective:
The collection of BMA herbarium goes through the process of computerization and dissemination of its data through the INCT-Herbário Virtual da Flora e Fungos Network. The objective of this project is to implement a photographic station to capture the images of the exsiccatae and make them available online. When scanning the exsiccates, you will handle them less often. Exsiccates are safer and are not at risk of being damaged. This action is very important to have this data accessible to everyone, on the internet, increasing knowledge about the flora of the state of Maranhão, Brazil.
Timetable:
At the beginning of the project, after the implementation of Small Collections Grants for the acquisition of the photographic station, we will choose the best location within the BMA herbarium to install the camera and the computer. Lighting is an essential factor in photography and the station should not be mounted in places that receive lighting from only one direction, such as near windows. After installing the photo station we will start the photography sections. A scholarship student will be trained to be responsible for capturing the image at the photographic station. The exsiccates to be photographed will have a scale and barcode. One botanical family at a time will be photographed, in alphabetical order. At the end of a year, it is expected that all exsiccates have been digitized and are available online and that they allow taxonomists to determine and type the samples through access to high resolution images.
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:
The Maranhão Continental Herbarium (BMA) is part of the Virtual Herbarium Project for Flora and Fungi in Brazil, from the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT), a network that aggregates Brazilian herbariums and also some collections from abroad. BMA is currently undergoing a process of digitizing its 2,500 copies, making them available on SpeciesLink, an online database with information on collections of plant, animal and fungal species. The cataloging of the collection began in 2020 with the typing and dissemination of data in spreadsheets in SpeciesLink. However, in order to make high resolution images available on the network, we need to set up a photographic station that allows the capture of high resolution images. For the assembly of a photographic station, it is necessary to purchase a camera with a macro lens, which provide images at very short focus distances, and computers with memory that allow the storage of large amounts of images. Later, the images will be shared to CRIA servers located on the Internet. Thus, the image will be available on the SpeciesLink network and can be accessed anywhere in the world. Herbarium collections are important in the scientific field as a reference consultation on species. The first step in any scientific study is to have the precise identification of the species you are working on, and this is what the herbarium contributes to, with the registration and characterization of these plants.
Institution:
IH Code:
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Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
Elidio Armando Exposto Guarçoni
Applicant Last Name/s: