An Australian Virtual Herbarium Jim Croft Australian National

An Australian Virtual Herbarium Jim Croft Australian National Herbarium HISCOM

Panel u HISCOM members F AD - Bill Barker F BRI - Peter Bostock F CANB - Greg Whitbread F DNA - Anne Fuchs F HO F MEL - Marco Duretto, Paul Cholodniuk F NSW - Barry Conn F PERTH - Alex Chapman HISCOM

This Presentation u Description of an AVH u Need for an AVH u Preparedness for a AVH u Options for an AVH HISCOM

AVH - Keywords u Herbarium – Collections of botanical specimens – Sources of botanical knowledge and expertise – Sources of botanical information HISCOM

AVH - Keywords u Virtual – Appearing as – Computer dependent – Graphic, visual – High Tech – On-line HISCOM

AVH - Keywords u Australian – Implies national in coverage and view – States and territories – Government, educational – Distributed HISCOM

Name Options u Australian Virtual Herbarium u Australian Herbarium Virtuality u Virtual Herbarium of Australia u Virtual Australian Herbarium HISCOM

What is an AVH like? u Conceptual parallels in the: – Australian National Rare and Endangered Plant Collection – Australian National Fungi Collection – Australian National Plant Collection HISCOM

Foci of the AVH u Past (and current) foci – database design – technology – networks u Focus for an AVH – Information HISCOM

Why do we need an AVH? u Increasing expectations and demands on herbaria u Increasing costs of using duplicated data u Decreasing staff resources for herbaria u Gaps in individual data coverage u Competition from other sources u Demonstrable relevance of herbaria HISCOM

Cost of Specimen Data u Excluding computing & herbarium support u $ 4 (- 5) per collection – c. $ 2 data entry – c. $ 2 geocode calculation/verification u Each duplicate redone by recipients u Maybe 4 - 6 duplicates per collection u 6 million herbarium specimens in HISCOM Australia

Costs of Other Data u Each herbarium maintains census u Each herbarium maintains taxonomy u Each taxonomist maintains a taxonomy u ? 5 -6 x duplication of effort (Total curation costs: $ 25 -50 / specimen) HISCOM

Australian Herbarium Collections u Herbaria completely databased – BRI - 600 k – QRS - 100 k – DNA - 170 k – PERTH - 400 k HISCOM

Australian Herbarium Collections u Herbaria partially databased – AD - 800 k (13 %) – CANB - 900 k (45 %) – HO - 350 k (20 %) – MEL - 1 M (6 %) – NSW - 900 k (25%) HISCOM

Australian Herbarium Collections u Summary estimates from State Herbaria – November 1996 u c. 5. 3 million collections u c. 2. 2 million databased u c. 42 % databased HISCOM

Australian Herbarium Collections u c. $ 12 M to complete the job! u c. $ 1. 5 M if we share the task! u Divided views in the past: – High priority - do it now – Collect more - do it later HISCOM

Benefits of an AVH u Shared and common data u Common standards u Common authority files u Shared data entry and curation u Access to a larger database u Access to larger body of expertise HISCOM

Where have we come from? u Printed books, articles u Ledgers and cards (‘ 60 s) u Simple databases (‘ 70 s) u Complex databases (‘ 80 s/90 s) u Network connection (‘ 90 s) u Exchange of and sharing data (‘ 90 s) HISCOM

Are we ready for an AVH? u Computerized collections data u Compatible database design u Common data standards u Agreed data interchange format (HISPID) u Increased technical understanding u Common purpose u Goodwill HISCOM

Elements of an AVH – Plant name information – Specimen information – Observational information – Taxon information – Mapping and distributional information – Expanding botanical knowledge – Dissemination of knowledge – Linking with other programs HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Plant name information – Nomenclatural – Taxonomic – Systematic – Typification – Bibliographic – Common names HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Specimen information – Collections information – Transactions (accessions, loans) – Taxonomically authenticated point locality information – Images F live HISCOM material, morphological, anatomical

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Observational information – Surveys – Sightings – Anecdotal reports HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Taxon information – Descriptive F Monographs, revisions, Floras, etc. – Images F live material, morphological, anatomical – Expert Identification systems F Intkey, HISCOM Lucid, Meka, etc.

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Mapping and distributional information – checklists, censuses – Electronic gazetteers – GIS output – Modeling – Predictive output HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Expanding botanical knowledge – phylogenetic analysis – genetic studies – taxonomic research HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Dissemination of knowledge – Basic data – Derived information – Published floras – Educational information – Biological information systems HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Linking with other programs – Regional biodiversity, environmental, resource surveys F State and Territory surveys F Local Surveys HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Linking with other programs (cont. ) – National biodiversity, environmental, resource surveys F ABRS F TSCS (ESU) F NHT (Landcare, RFA, CRA, etc. ) F ERIN F NRIC HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Linking with other programs (cont. ) – International projects F Plant Names Project F IOPI F Species 2000 F NSF/ASC collections projects F World Bank / GEF F Data repatriation HISCOM

Elements of an AVH (cont. ) u Tools and Technology – Network Connectivity: Internet, WWW – Database functionality – Applications HISCOM

Can we build an AVH? u We have the technology u We have the ability u We have the data u We have the protocols and standards u Do we have the will? HISCOM

Where to start? u We are exchanging data u Taxonomic and census data u Specimen data u Build a virtual type herbarium? u? HISCOM

Principles for an AVH – Shared – Collaborative – Distributed – Dynamic – Accessible – Authoritative – Strategic and proactive – Relevant HISCOM

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