RUI: CSBR: Natural History Collections: Modernization and Consolidation of the Natural History Collections at MSU into the Xeric Ecosystem Research Center (XERC)

RUI：CSBR：自然历史收藏：密歇根州立大学自然历史收藏的现代化和整合到 Xeric 生态系统研究中心 (XERC)

• 批准号: 1756277
• 负责人: Ray Willis
• 金额: $ 47.28万
• 依托单位: Midwestern State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1756277&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; CSBR; Natural; History; Collections

Maintaining an accessible record of biodiversity is of great importance, especially given current ecological threats such as a rapidly changing climate, invasive species, habitat destruction, and urbanization. This record is particularly important for ecosystems whose species are underrepresented in biological research collections, and therefore less understood. Among such ecosystems within the continental United States are the Central Plains and the Southwestern Deserts. The collections at Midwestern State University (MSU) in Wichita Falls, Texas holds a robust sample of specimens from the Rolling Plains ecosystem and the Chihuahuan Desert of the Trans-Pecos ecoregion. These collections are currently maintained as three taxonomically separated entities. By consolidating the vertebrate, terrestrial invertebrate, and plant collections at MSU into the Xeric Ecosystem Research Center (XERC), modernizing the infrastructure, and digitizing specimen data, the collection will become much more useful and accessible to scientists and members of the public. XERC will also, through outreach programs and special museum exhibits, increase the understanding and appreciation of xeric ecosystem biodiversity among young learners and highlight the historical significance of plants and animals to the Native Americans who once occupied these ecosystems. The Xeric Ecosystem Research Center will consolodate all specimens currently in natural history collections at Midwestern State University. Many of these specimen records were historically maintained as paper documents that will now be digitized by student assistants and citizen scientists, validated by curators, and made available to the public through iDigBio (http://www.idigbio.org). Herbarium specimens will be photographed and digitized to create a virtual herbarium that will also be publicly accessible. Specimen cabinets will be repaired and upgraded to industry standards, the capacity to maintain molecular data will be enhanced with upgraded environmental storage, and an integrated pest management plan will be instituted. Midwestern State will actively promote XERC to the broader scientific community and encourage broad use of the specimens and data contained therein. To enhance the educational and cultural value of XERC, an ADA accessible website and associated educational materials aimed at young learners (K-5) will be produced and made widely available. XERC will partner with the Wichita Falls Museum of Art (WFMA) to produce two public exhibits that highlights biodiversity of the Trans-Pecos ecoregion of Texas and the cultural significance of plants and animals of the Central Plains to early Native Americans. Through these efforts, the Xeric Ecosystem Research Center will serve as a hub for research, a record of biodiversity, and a repository for important biological materials from xeric ecosystems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

保持可获取的生物多样性记录非常重要，特别是考虑到当前的生态威胁，如快速变化的气候、入侵物种、栖息地破坏和城市化。这一记录对于其物种在生物研究收藏中代表性不足的生态系统尤其重要，因此人们对其了解较少。在美国大陆的这些生态系统中，有中原和西南沙漠。德克萨斯州威奇托福尔斯的中西部州立大学(MSU)收藏了来自罗林平原生态系统和跨佩科斯生态区奇瓦瓦沙漠的强大标本样本。这些集合目前作为三个分类上分离的实体进行维护。通过将密歇根州立大学的脊椎动物、陆地无脊椎动物和植物收藏整合到旱生生态系统研究中心(XERC)，对基础设施进行现代化改造，并将标本数据数字化，这些收藏将变得更有用，更容易为科学家和公众所接受。XERC还将通过外展项目和特别的博物馆展品，增加年轻学习者对干旱生态系统生物多样性的理解和欣赏，并突出植物和动物对曾经占据这些生态系统的美洲原住民的历史意义。旱地生态系统研究中心将对中西部州立大学目前自然历史收藏中的所有标本进行整理。这些标本记录中的许多在历史上都是作为纸质文件保存的，现在将由学生助理和公民科学家数字化，由馆长验证，并通过iDigBio(http://www.idigbio.org).)向公众提供标本馆标本将被拍照和数字化，以创建一个也将向公众开放的虚拟标本馆。标本柜将被修复并升级到行业标准，分子数据的维护能力将通过升级环境存储来增强，并将制定综合虫害管理计划。中西部州将积极向更广泛的科学界推广XERC，并鼓励广泛使用其中包含的标本和数据。为了加强XERC的教育和文化价值，将制作一个可供ADA访问的网站和针对年轻学习者(K-5)的相关教育材料，并广泛提供。XERC将与威奇托瀑布艺术博物馆(WFMA)合作制作两个公开展览，突出德克萨斯州跨佩科斯生态区的生物多样性，以及中原动植物对早期美洲原住民的文化意义。通过这些努力，旱生生态系统研究中心将成为研究中心、生物多样性记录和旱生生态系统重要生物材料的储存库。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。