Abstract Detail
Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS Nash , Thomas [1], Gilbert, Edward [2]. The Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria: A Virtual Flora using the SYMBIOTA Framework. The developing Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria is described in the context of its utilization of the SYMBIOTA software package. The number of participating herbaria is continuously growing, with currently eleven herbaria fully integrated and over 600,000 collection records searchable. The SYMBIOTA software provides a platform for these herbaria to integrate their collections information into a collaborative virtual lichen flora. SYMBIOTA modules provide all aspects of traditional printed floras dynamically based on the collections records and integrated with taxonomic information. The dynamic checklist builder, distribution map and keys generator in combination with an extensive image library and natural language species descriptions allow the user to fully customize the desired regional ‘flora’ on the fly, making it accessible to all skill levels from the professional taxonomist and sophisticated amateur to the interested lay person or middle school teaching unit. Broader Impacts:
Identifications are a huge challenge in the botanical sciences. Traditional, printed floras are often out of date by the time of publication. Virtual floras with a high degree of flexibility in terms of species selected and incorporating the most recent on-line information is the wave of the future.
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Related Links:
Symbiota website
1 - Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 874601, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA
2 - Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, B0x 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA
Keywords:
Virtual Flora
Symbiota
lichens.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: D2
Location: 554A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: D2001
Abstract ID:261 | 
