Small Collections Grant
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A new herbarium dedicated to studying montane forests in Cundinamarca and Boyacá Departments, and lowland forests in the Magdalena and Caquetá Rivers
Colombia
Database, Curate specimens, Digitally image, Process backlog
Cost (USD):
3000
UMNGH
Universidad Miltiar Nueva Granada
Objective:
1) Process specimen backlog. Our collection has grown very quickly through exploration and collaboration. We currently have over 3,000 specimens awaiting inclusion in the herbarium.
2) Digitize and database the collection. To make our collection broadly available, we need to make the extended specimens available online.
3) Curate collection. Most of the collection has been carried out by undergraduate students and young professionals, and we need to invite specialists to aid with specimen identification
Timetable:
Specimen processing.
Two students will be hired to work part-time for five (5) months in specimen processing.
Digitizing
Two students will be hired to work part-time for five (5) months for specimen digitizing and databasing.
Curatorial work
Six senior botanists will be invited to curate the collection. We will schedule one specialist visit per month.
Report preparation
For the last four months, the Director and Assistant have been preparing a report of all activities.
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
0
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
No
Plan:
The Universidad Militar Nueva Granada Herbarium was founded in 2015, and its main purpose is to enable teaching of plant taxonomy and systematics. Through the enthusiasm and hard work of the Director and undergraduate student volunteers, it has grown to hold 4,500 specimens. In the past five years, class fieldwork has focused on the Magdalena Valley and nearby montane and paramo ecosystems. The collaboration with Neotropical flora specialists (e.g., Gerardo Aymard) has enabled us to improve specimen identification and promote interest in taxonomic study.
Training young botanists. Undergraduate students will work part-time on specimen processing under the supervision of the Herbarium Director. Specimen processing involves mounting and organizing specimens, digitizing, and databasing them. This will give them the opportunity to learn the processes needed for collection management and plant family identification.
Digitize the collection and upload to the Symbiota Platform. To make our collection available online, we will create a database, digitize specimens, and upload them to the international Symbiota platform. We have established a Portal for the UMNG Herbarium where our database will be hosted and made freely available.
Specialists’ visits. Our collection has specimens from unexplored localities, making it very attractive to specialists to visit. These visits will allow students responsible for processing specimens to learn from specialists of important families.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
"Other" target:
M. Alejandra
Jaramillo
Applicant Last Name/s: