Small Collections Grant
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Rescuing and Preserving Historical Ecuadorian Botanical Collections
Ecuador´
Process backlog, Other
Cost (USD):
2000
UTCEC
Universidad Tecnica de Cotopaxi
Objective:
Main objective
To preserve a historical collection of high scientific quality and make a reference botanical collection in Central Ecuador for basic and applied botanical research and training.
Secondary objectives
Increase UTCEC’s collection by 40% with botanical specimens from a broad Ecuadorian geographical range with specimens from a backlog collection received from David Neill , a well known USA botanist residing in Ecuador since the 1980s..
2. Train undergraduate students on botanical and nomenclatural research
Timetable:
This project will be executed in six months detailed below:
Month One, Weeks 1-2: Selection of students
Month One, Weeks 1-4: Purchase and import of mounting materials from the USA
Month One, Weeks 3-4: Training: Management of scientific collections
Month Two, Weeks 1-2: Plant species recognition/illustration and name verification of botanical specimens with the use of stereoscope/microscope
Month Two, Weeks 3-4 through Months 3-4: Mounting and curation of specimens
Month Four, Week 4 through Month Five, Weeks 1-4: Nomenclatural curation through the use of botanical resources like the Shenzhen Code, and botanical databases like Tropicos, GBIF, etc
Month Five, Week 4 and Month Six, Weeks 1-2: Databasing and Filing of the mounted and curated specimens on the proper families following the APG system
Month Six, Weeks 3-4: Write up of the final report
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:
We will select and train four undergraduate students from Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi to work on the project part-time. Since by Ecuadorian law, undergraduate students are required to work 400 hours on unpaid internships, we will select students who have done especially well in Botany, Flora of Ecuador and/or Plant Systematics.
These students will learn how to process scientific collections starting. with basics on collection management and continuing with the various steps to process the backlog: mounting, sewing, linen-stripping, freezing, numenclatural curation, databasing and filing.
For updating the botanical families to reflect the APG classification, we will train the students in using botanical resources such as the Shenzhen Code, and botanical databases such as Tropicos, GBIF, Bioweb, etc.
For the students to learn about plant morphology, and species characteristics using Neill’s collections, we will train them to effectively use the stereoscope and the. camera lucida.
With this knowledge, the students will mount, nomenclaturally curate, digitize and file the backlog of 1000 specimens from David Neill.
Since it is almost impossible to obtain the supplies needed for the project in Ecuador, we would purchase them online in the USA. The purchased items could be shipped to Harvard University, where Michael Huben, a colleague who lives in Ecuador could pick it up and bring it to Ecuador. He is a research associate at that university.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
Infrastructure improvements
"Other" target:
Alina Freire-Fierro
Applicant Last Name/s: