Collaborative Research: Digitization PEN: Filling in knowledge gaps with key herbaria for understanding vascular plant diversity in the Atlantic coastal plain

东南地区专业知识和收集网络（SERNEC）正在开发北美植物多样性最全面的数据集之一。通过SERNEC，来自美国东南部的450多万份植物标本将通过项目门户网站和iDigBio标本门户网站进行数字化，供在线访问。在这个现有网络合作伙伴（PEN）项目中，另外三个位于威廉玛丽学院、老道明大学和华盛顿玛丽大学的植物标本馆将为这些工作提供来自弗吉尼亚州东南部的数字化和地理参考的植物标本馆记录。该地区的植物多样性值得关注，因为在弗吉尼亚州东南部，由于南部物种到达其北部极限和北部物种到达其南部极限而导致的高度更替。这些记录加入了SERNEC数据集，该数据集提供了有关北美沿海平原植物多样性的信息，该地区拥有丰富的稀有独特物种。SERNEC数据集是分类学和生态学研究以及植物学教育的一站式资源，并有助于修订国家植物检查清单和标本管理。实习学生将有机会发展团队合作、沟通和目标设定的专业技能，并探索博物馆管理方面的潜在职业选择。协助数字化的公民科学家将有机会与项目人员互动，并了解自然历史收藏在教育和研究以及当地植物多样性方面的重要性。为K-12班开发的教育材料将提高植物学知识，并说明东南部的植物多样性、结构和地理范围。三个植物标本馆约118,000个维管植物标本的图像和相关标签数据将被数字化捕获，并可在SERNEC Symbiota Portal和iDigBio标本门户网站上在线访问。如果缺乏，将确定每个标本采集位置的地理参考坐标并添加到数据库中。这些活动扩展了软件包的使用，这些软件包在SERNEC项目中得到了增强，包括Symbiota、GEOLocate和Zooniverse。原始数据，包括图像和文本，将长期保存在参与本项目的植物标本馆的机构存储库中。标本数字化将由各机构的本科生实习生和公民科学家进行，包括弗吉尼亚博物学家大师和在《自然笔记》工作的志愿者。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。

The Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections (SERNEC) is developing one of the most comprehensive data sets of plant diversity in North America. Through SERNEC, more than 4.5 million herbarium specimens from the southeastern U.S. will be digitized for online access through a project portal and the iDigBio Specimen Portal. In this Partner to Existing Network (PEN) project, three additional herbaria at the College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, and University of Mary Washington will contribute digitized and georeferenced herbarium records from southeastern Virginia to these efforts. Plant diversity in this region is of interest because of the high degree of turnover due to southern species reaching their northern limit and northern species reaching their southern limit in southeastern Virginia. These records join the SERNEC data set that contribute information about plant diversity in the North American Coastal Plain, an area rich in rare, unique species. The SERNEC data set is a one-stop resource for taxonomic and ecological research and botanical education and aids in the revision of state checklists of plants and specimen curation. Student interns will have opportunities to develop professional skills in team work, communication, and goal-setting, as well as exploring potential career options in museum management. Citizen-scientists aiding in digitization will have opportunities to interact with project personnel and learn about the importance of natural history collections in education and research and local plant diversity. Educational materials developed for K-12 classes will enhance botanical literacy and illustrate plant diversity, structure and geographical range in the Southeast. Images and associated label data for approximately 118,000 vascular plant specimens in the three herbaria will be captured digitally and accessible online at the SERNEC Symbiota Portal and the iDigBio Specimen Portal. If lacking, georeferenced coordinates for the collection location of each specimen will be determined and added to the database. These activities expand the use of software packages that were enhanced for use in the SERNEC project, including Symbiota, GEOLocate, and Zooniverse. Original data, including images and text, will be retained long-term at institutional repositories of the herbaria involved in this project. Specimen digitization will be conducted by undergraduate student interns at each of the institutions and citizen-scientists, including the Virginia Master Naturalists and volunteers working in Notes from Nature.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.