NSF Award
1561280
Herbaria are irreplaceable repositories of botanical diversity that catalog the occurrence of plants in the past and present. These collections serve as a foundation in plant science and science policy, especially those serving rural communities. In this setting, herbaria are especially important data sources because land managers require information on native and introduced species, as well as the effects of rapidly changing species assemblages. While serving the larger scientific community, regional herbaria also serve local residents, farmers, private and government policy makers, and land managers more specifically and thoroughly. It is therefore vital that herbaria accurately represent the past and present plant diversity. The Georgia Southern University (GSU) Herbarium holds 21,127 catalogued specimens and is housed in a state-of-the-art building. However, an estimated 26,500 vascular plant specimens (55.6% of the collection) are unorganized and in need of curation and integration to fulfill their scientific value and use. Most of this un-accessioned material comes from the Georgian Coastal Plain, a relatively poorly sampled region that harbors many rare and endangered species. This award will allow GSU to integrate two recently acquired orphaned collections and other backlogged specimens, doubling the GSU Herbarium's holdings and assure the security of an invaluable scientific collection for future generations. Through this project, these specimens will be mounted onto herbarium sheets and data about the collections will be digitized, which will improve and secure the collection for research and education over the long-term. Furthermore, the facility will be updated with the necessary tools to provide researchers and students access to the most comprehensive collection of plant diversity in the region through loans, visits, and online databases.<br/><br/>The GSU Herbarium has 21,127 accessioned specimens, but an estimated 26,500 specimens documenting the regional diversity of southeastern Georgian Coastal Plain, including rare species, collections from sparsely sampled areas, and the orphaned Youth Museum of Savannah Herbarium and the Flora of Fort Stewart, are inaccessible for research and education. This impedes efforts to integrate contemporary collections, reorganize the collection, integrate nomenclatural changes, and other educational outreach initiatives, generating an urgent need to process the backlogged collection. The project will integrate un-accessioned specimens into the main collection by transferring collection book information into label data. Specimens will be mounted and filed, and the label data uploaded into existing online database repositories to increase their dissemination and use. In addition, reorganization and nomenclatural updates will secure the collection for future use and facilitate access. The award will greatly enhance and secure a unique, historically significant collection that documents the exceptional plant diversity of the Coastal Plain. Active-learning modules will be created to engage high school and freshman college students, while integrating STEM education. The award will further allow the Herbarium to engage and train GSU's diverse student community by participating in a mentored learning environment and gain experience crucial to pursuing STEM careers by actively assisting in curatorial practices. Results can be viewed on the GSU Herbarium's website (sites.google.com/a/georgiasouthern.edu/gasherbarium/home) and data will be shared and made available through iDigBio (www. idigbio.org).
