Create your own conference schedule! Click here for full instructions

Abstract Detail

Biodiversity Informatics & Herbarium Digitization

Hackett, Rachel A [1], Peters, ShaunAnn [2], Henry, Krystal [2], Gilbert, Edward [3], Nelson, Gil [4], Cuthrell, David [5], Monfils, Michael J [5], Hendrick, Lillian [2], Cahill, Blake C [1], Belitz, Michael W [2], Monfils, Anna K [6].

Research and management applications of online collection data: a case study of prairie fen biodiversity.

Prairie fen wetlands are globally vulnerable wetlands that provide habitat for over 35 state (i.e., Michigan) and federally listed species and function at the headwaters for several major watersheds. These at risk habitats are of high conservation concern and are heavily managed at the local, state, and federal level. Since 2012, the Prairie Fen Biodiversity Project (PFBP) has collected baseline plant diversity data in prairie fens to investigate drivers of biodiversity in these diverse systems. One priority for PFBP has been to manage our digital biodiversity data in support of research pipelines. Digitized plant specimen data collected as part of this project (including vouchers and associated field images), and an annotated species list by individual site, are now available through the Central Michigan University Collection on the Consortium of Midwest Herbaria portal (http://midwestherbaria.org). We illustrated how we have integrated our research, data usage, and digitization workflows and how we assessed this as the project grows and incorporated insect biodiversity data. We illustrated how the species checklists facilitate communication among collaborators (including US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and land managers associated with specific prairie fens) and fostered research opportunities that use digitized biodiversity data within the ecological sciences. The PFBP data and checklists have multiple potential uses (e.g., generating training lists using the interactive keys and associated linked field images, identify species of interest and areas sensitive to or requiring management, creating watch lists for invasive species, identifying species associations, and monitoring change and effects of management) and we anticipate that our PFBP can use the portal to add, update, or pool data in new ways as the collaboration grows and new tools become available. Online digitized data gives us unprecedented access to biodiversity data and facilitates data accessibility, current data updates, and a broader use of the specimen and research data both within our research team and with associated partners.

1 - Central Michigan University, Earth and Ecosystem Science, 1455 Calumet Court , Bioscience Building 2100, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA
2 - Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, 1455 Calumet Court, Bioscience Building 2100, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA
3 - Arizona State University, Global Institute Of Sustainability, 2831 E. 18th St, Tucson, AZ, 85716, USA
4 - Florida State University
5 - Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Michigan State University Extension, PO Box 13036, Lansing, MI, 48901-3036, USA
6 - Central Michigan University, Biology, 2401 Biosciences, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48859

Keywords:
Biodiversity
collections
online
application
digital dataset.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Biodiversity Informatics & Herbarium Digitization
Location: Exhibit Hall/Omni Hotel
Date: Monday, June 26th, 2017
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 5:30 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PBI001
Abstract ID:304
Candidate for Awards:None