Collaborative Research: The GA-VSC Herbaria Collaborative: Phase I of a Statewide Consortium

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Georgia's flora is ranked seventh nationally in species richness. The herbaria at University of Georgia [GA] and Valdosta State University [VSC] comprise 324,500 plant specimens, representing 84% of collections housed in Georgia. This funding fosters a formal GA−VSC partnership to produce an on-line state Atlas linked to specimen images and data. VSC infrastructure will also be enhanced with additional storage and processing of valuable rare specimens. The project will initiate a state-wide herbarium consortium, providing a model for most effective data mobilization as other collections are incorporated into the system. The network will provide global access to these collections, ensuring their relevance. This project will promote learning through employment of graduate and undergraduate students and an innovative GA--VSC graduate student exchange program. Educational activities include herbarium tours to view work in progress, a teacher workshop, and creation of a herbarium at a non-profit organization promoting trees in urban Atlanta. All activities will endorse under-represented groups via student support. The user-friendly, Web-based GA--VSC Atlas will provide global access to floristic data. The database of maps, images, and label information has many practical applications for society at large, such as recognizing endangered or poisonous species ranges and plant communities requiring management.