Curatorial Support for University and Jepson Herbaria

加州大学伯克利分校（University of California, Berkeley）的植物学家托马斯·邓肯（Thomas Duncan）博士帮助建立了加州植物标本馆协会（Association of California Herbaria），这是一个由145个存储库组成的网络，汇集了加州有代表性的植物，供研究之用。邓肯博士现在计划将这些植物标本馆中的植物标本建立一个区域性数据库。加州的植物群包括美国25-30%的植物物种，以及罕见和特有物种的高比例。加州植物标本馆目前有700万个标本，其中一半是在该州收集的。加州大学伯克利分校将作为这项工作的技术协调中心，邓肯博士已争取到该大学信息系统和技术（IST）部门的积极参与。在接下来的两年里，将在伯克利大学和杰普森植物标本馆建立一个原型数据库，通过大约8万个标本记录的数据输入。这一开创性的努力将为管理生物多样性数据建立第一个真正的区域资源。它将为多机构合作提供一个模型，并将产生具有广泛适用性的软件。这个共享数据库的创建将有助于合理规划未来的收集、研究和管理，并将支持保护工作。

Dr. Thomas Duncan, a botanist at the University of California, Berkeley, has helped to establish an Association of California Herbaria, a network of 145 repositories in which representatives of California's plants are curated for research. Dr. Duncan now plans to implement a regionally-connected database of the plant specimens contained in these herbaria. The flora of California includes 25-30% of the plant species in the U.S., and an unusually high percentage of rare and endemic species. California herbaria currently contain 7 million specimens, half of which were collected in the state. The University of California, Berkeley, would serve as the Technical Coordinating Center for the effort, and Dr. Duncan has enlisted the active involvement of the University's Information Systems and Technology (IST) Department. During the next two years, a prototype database will be established at Berkeley's University and Jepson Herbaria through data entry of approximately 80,000 specimen records. This pioneering effort will establish the first truly regional resources for managing biodiversity data. It will provide a model for multi-institution collaborations, and will generate software with wide applicability. The creation of this shared database will facilitate rational planning for future collecting, research, and curation, and will support conservation efforts.