CSBR: Natural History: Restructuring the Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium into a central hub for Louisiana botany via the consolidation of multiple herbaria

植物标本馆是自然世界的重要文献。它们的干燥、压制标本具有多方面的重要性：它们是植物在空间和时间上发生的记录；分类和命名一致性的标记；植物-动物相互作用的证据；以及分子研究的DNA来源。近年来，人们重新认识到自然历史标本对现代生物学研究的重要性。尽管标本在研究中得到了广泛的应用，但路易斯安那州的一些植物标本馆最近关闭了，这些标本成了孤儿。路易斯安那州立大学（LSU）的雪莉·c·塔克植物标本室（Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium）一直是这些孤儿藏品的很大一部分的接受者。这导致藏品数量几乎翻了一番，从2015年的20.75万件增加到约40万件。该项目将把这些标本整合到塔克植物标本馆的基础设施中，并完成之前的数字化工作。该项目不仅将确保路易斯安那州的植物遗产可供感兴趣的研究人员使用，而且还将通过针对更广泛的公众、本科生和学术界的外展项目，促进对植物和自然历史收藏重要性的理解。路易斯安那州立大学的多个孤儿植物标本馆的合并提供了一个机会，将塔克植物标本馆重组为路易斯安那州植物学的区域中心。该项目将把最近获得的植物标本馆标本整合到路易斯安那州立大学紧凑的植物标本馆基础设施中，并整合多个数字数据源。这两个步骤对于维护和最大限度地利用将于2020年安置在塔克植物标本馆的更大的藏品至关重要。项目人员将处理与综合不同档案办法和数据库结构有关的挑战，并将在国家会议上提出解决办法。此外，持续的数字化工作将产生一个几乎完整的在线数据库，其中包含路易斯安那州植物区系的图像记录。所有相关数据将可公开访问，并链接到多个联盟和数据汇总工作，包括SERNEC、iDigBio和GBIF。整合和数字化活动将与塔克植物标本馆研究和活动的轮转公共展览的发展相结合，在路易斯安那州立大学举行年度植物生物学研讨会，并通过社交媒体在线宣传和参与校园外展活动建立更强大的存在。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Herbaria serve as crucial documentation of the natural world. Their dried, pressed specimens are of multidimensional importance: they are documentation of plant occurrence through space and time; markers of taxonomic and nomenclatural identity; evidence of plant-animal interactions; and sources of DNA for molecular studies. In recent years, there has been a resurgence in the acknowledgement of the importance of natural history specimens to modern biological research. Despite this resurgence and broad application of specimens in research a number of herbaria in Louisiana have recently closed and the collections orphaned. The Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium at Louisiana State University (LSU) has been the recipient of a large portion of these orphaned collections. This has resulted in a near doubling in the size of the collection, from 207,500 specimens in 2015 to an estimated 400,000. This project will result in the integration and consolidation of these specimens into the Tucker Herbarium's infrastructure, as well as completion of prior digitization efforts. This project will not only ensure that Louisiana's botanical heritage is available to interested researchers, but also foster an understanding of the importance of plants and natural history collections via outreach projects aimed at the broader public, undergraduate students, and the academic community.The incorporation of multiple orphaned herbaria at LSU presents an opportunity to restructure the Tucker Herbarium into a regional hub for Louisiana botany. This project will integrate the recently acquired herbarium specimens into LSU's compacted herbarium infrastructure, as well as consolidate multiple digital data sources. Both of these steps are crucial for the maintenance and maximum utility of the much larger collection that will be housed at the Tucker Herbarium by 2020. Challenges related to the integration of different filing schemes and database structures will be addressed by project personnel and their solutions will be presented at national conferences. Additionally, continued digitization efforts will result in a nearly complete online database with image records of the Louisiana flora. All associated data will be publicly accessible and linked to multiple consortium and data aggregation efforts, including SERNEC, iDigBio, and GBIF. Integration and digitization activities will be coupled with the development of a rotating public exhibit to feature Tucker Herbarium research and activities, the inauguration of an annual plant biology seminar at LSU, and the establishment of a stronger presence, both online via social media campaigns and on campus via participation in outreach activities.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.