Small Collections Grant
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Digitization, online publication, and educational activities of the ARAUCA Herbarium, southern Brazil
Brazil
Database, Digitally image, Other
Cost (USD):
2839
ARAUCA
Midwest Parana State University-UNICENTRO
Objective:
The ARAUCA herbarium comprises a collection of ca. 4000 specimens, most from the subtropical highlands grasslands of Parana, southern Brazil, a fragile ecosystem within the Atlantic Forest that harbors many endemic and endangered species. Thus, it is important to make the collection available online. This grant will support the following improvements:
1) database the collection using JABOT and provide online;
2) photograph the specimens and publish the records online;
3) train students in scientific collection management and educational activities to promote local engagement.
Timetable:
We will train 2 undergrad students to work on the digitization process for 5 months each, concomitantly. The transfer of the herbarium’s internal spreadsheet to JABOT can be done automatically once the database is standardized. Corrections of possible errors in the dataset can be made. We expect each student to photograph ca. 30 sheets per working day (4 h/day), to treat and to link the image with the online record in JABOT. This will generate high resolution images of the entire collection (ca. 4000 specimens). Both students will be trained to support educational outreach activities, promoting the herbarium’s work within the local community; we also plan to present a poster at the Brazilian National Botanical Congress. If funded, we will purchase the equipment for the imaging station and will provide financial support of U$ 135/month (R$ 700/month) for each student. Considering the importance of this collection to the southern Brazilian subtropical highlands grasslands, a highly threatened ecosystem, and the role small collections play in contributing unique biogeographic records, we strongly believe that awarding this grant will significantly benefit the ARAUCA Herbarium.
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
2017
Year of last successful SCG application:
Has applicant applied for SCG before?:
Yes, and it was successful
Plan:
The ARAUCA herbarium’s collection is currently databased in a simple Excel spreadsheet for internal use only. Now it is crucial to make this data widely available online, to facilitate access to the collection and the identification of species. Also, as a recent and increasingly growing herbarium, it is important to promote local engagement and disseminate the herbarium’s activities to the community. We sought funding to support undergrad students to be trained in scientific collection management and educational activities, and to acquire equipment to capture high resolution photographs of the sheets. We are working with three priorities: 1) transfer 100% of the data in the herbarium’s spreadsheet to JABOT v. 4.0, a free software for collection management, and make them immediately online at http://jabot.jbrj.gov.br/ and https://specieslink.net/; 2) to capture high resolution images of the specimens, also using JABOT, and associate them with the records online. These records will also be available at the REFLORA Virtual Herbarium (https://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/herbarioVirtual/); and 3) to promote the herbarium’s activities at local and national events. We have a desktop computer where the imaging station will be attached. Photographs will be captured and treated according to the manual prepared by the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (see https://zenodo.org/records/12626759).
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
Train young students in scientific collection management and educational activities.
"Other" target:
Duane
Lima
Applicant Last Name/s: