Small Collections Grant
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Improvement of the MDQ herbarium collection in terms of accessibility, conservation, taxonomic representation and specimens’ backlog standards
Argentina
Database, Process backlog, Conserve, Other
Cost (USD):
2000
MDQ
Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (IIMYC, UNMDP-CONICET/FCEyN)
Objective:
-To digitalize and update MDQ specimens database to publish on www.gbif.org/ and https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/sistemasnacionales/datos-biologicos.
-To enhance the conservation of specimens by improving a freezing protocol.
-To rearrange specimens storage in new metal cupboards.
-To enhance optical equipment for specimens taxonomical determination.
-To complete the Lycophytes and ferns collection of Southeastern Buenos Aires province performing a field trip to the orographic system of Tandilia and Ventania.
Timetable:
March-April-May: 1) Moving all the cupboards and specimens and optical equipment to the new MDQ facilities, 2) buying a new Freezer, a stereoscopic microscope, and 2 new cupboards for storing specimens and 1 for Bibliography, 3) Adjust the freezing protocol for income and current specimens’ collection, 4) rearranging current specimens in the new cupboards. June-July-August: The MDQ traqueophytes collection is composed ±850 species. The most represented taxonomic groups are Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and ferns. The Lycophytes, Ferns, Gymnosperm and Monocots collection has been recently published on www.gbif.org/. During this period we will digitalize the Rosids specimens. September-October-November: 1) Digitalization of the Asterids specimens and collect new Lycophytes and ferns specimens during a field trip to the orographic system of Tandilia and Ventania. 2) Pressing, drying, freezing and mounting new collected specimens. December-March: 1) Updating of Lycophytes and ferns collection previously published and 2) publishing the digitalized specimens between June and November on www.gbif.org/ and https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ciencia/sistemasnacionales/datos-biologicos
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 herbarium facilities are currently placed in the same lab where students take courses of Systematic botany and other curricular modules. The National University of Mar del Plata and the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research managed to get a specific place to move all the MDQ herbarium specimen cupboards and equipment since February 2020. This new location for collections will improve the conditions of conservation of the current collection, complete the necessary equipment and increase the time of digitalizing procedures of specimens to publish them in open access portals. The number of specimens is actively increasing so there is an urgent need to acquire new metal cupboards for specimen backlogging. We have detected some specimen damage by beetles. Acquiring a new freezer will enhance the systematic freezing treatment to income and currently stored specimens. The MDQ collection includes the 70% of the Lycophytes and ferns cited for Buenos Aires province. In order to complete the Lycophytes and fern collection from the Southeastern Buenos Aires province, field trips to the orographic system of Tandilia and Ventania will be planned. These hills environments of south-central-eastern Argentina have a high Lycophytes and ferns richness, their location is very close to MDQ herbarium, and thus they bring a good opportunity to enhance this collection. For this, funding is requested to afford some travel costs.
Institution:
IH Code:
Country:
Target areas:
Applicant First Name/s:
email:
To enhance optical equipment and metal cupboards to improve specimen determination and backlog standards
"Other" target:
Gonzalo Sottile
Applicant Last Name/s: