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Abstract Detail


Colloquia: SERNEC: Four years of development of a herbarium Research Coordination Network

Sasek, Thomas [1].

CyberFlora Louisiana: A Statewide Digitizing Project.

All 1.1 million plant specimens in the 15 Louisiana herbaria are being imaged during a three-year project supported by the National Science Foundation Biological Resource Collections program. This includes one large collection (500,000 sheets), four medium sized collections (~125,000 sheets each), and ten smaller collections (5,000-30,000 sheets each). Five fixed imaging stations and two roving imaging stations are being used to image the specimens. Sheets are bar-coded and imaged at a rate of 3 to 6 per minute. Images are then trimmed and copied to a central server for the entire state. Collection information is being extracted from the labels through a combination of field-tagging, optical character recognition, and human interaction to type some of the information. Methods for geo-referencing have not been determined yet. The digitized images and data will be freely available online through a central web portal called CyberFlora Louisiana. It will offer fast data sorting and filtering, rapid delivery of zoomable images, mapping of specimen locations, and checklists of plants for particular locations. The website will be supplemented with digital images of live plants, plant parts, and identifying features for species found in Louisiana. Imaging, databasing, and geo-referencing all the state’s collections will significantly increase the value and utilization of these important resources, especially for local, state, and federal agencies that need to consult the herbaria regularly. As one of the first statewide projects in the nation, it will serve as a model for other state networks. An online collection of plant information will increase appreciation of the importance of Louisiana’s plants and their conservation. For schools, museums, wildlife refuges, and parks, the availability of live plant images, keys, and useful information will also stimulate more interest in plants.

Broader Impacts:


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1 - University of Louisiana at Monroe, Department of Biology, Monroe, LA, 71209, USA

Keywords:
herbarium
Digitizing
images.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: C3
Location: Ballroom C/Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Time: 3:15 PM
Number: C3009
Abstract ID:470


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