Digitization PEN: Enhancing the SoRo TCN with collections of taxonomic, geographic, and historic significance from the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Herbarium

南落基山脉地区(SORO)拥有丰富而脆弱的植物群落，具有多样化的栖息地和狭窄的生态位，源于独特的地理起源和进化历史。位于兰乔圣安娜植物园(RSABG)的植物标本馆有一个独特的、数据丰富的、经过精心管理但目前无法获取的60,700个来自索罗地区的维管植物标本，其数字化将与正在进行的数字化主题收藏网络(TCN)无缝结合，该网络将使用标本馆数据记录南落基山脉高峰区和高平原的植物生态位-过去、现在和未来。及时数字化RSABG的重要收藏品将有助于加强TCN，使研究人员能够检查当代的分布模式，确定多样化的特征，预测未来的环境变化，并帮助减轻气候变化和生境变化的负面影响。数字化包括30,960个标本，特别值得注意的是它们与科学、收藏家和分类学的相关性。该项目的组成部分是涉及研究生和本科生实习生的活动。学生将接受藏品管理和数字化各方面的培训。本科生实习生将参加四个研讨会，这些研讨会将有助于将学生与索罗地区的收藏、生物多样性和保护联系起来。此外，通过与加州理工大学波莫纳分校(CPP；一家西班牙裔服务机构)的协调努力，CPP在植物类中的形式和功能的本科生将对50%的项目样本进行条形码编码，以部分实现他们的课程目标。RSABG的展览将突出该项目的活动和学生参与。南落基山脉地区(SORO)的植物区系由具有独特进化历史的植物组成，这些植物由造山因素和与大陆冰川相关的长期和短期气候变化驱动。这些非生物因素极大地影响了群落结构的海拔变化、大范围的地理范围转移、快速多样化的格局和生态位的演变。这些历史和动态的非生物现象产生了不同的生态系统和地质底物，支持了许多特有物种和/或狭义适应的物种。索罗地区的独特性为研究多样化、生态位演变和地方性的模式提供了一个极好的模范地区。作为索罗主题收藏网络(TCN)的一部分，牧场圣安娜植物园植物标本馆(RSABG)旨在数字化和调动60,700个与索罗地区有关的标本馆标本的数据，为该项目的更大目标做出贡献，并加强TCN。这个项目的目标标本包括30,960个特别值得注意的标本，基于它们与科学、收藏家和分类学的相关性，并象征着RSABG标本馆的独特优势。一大批不同学术水平的学生将参与该项目的所有方面，包括数据库、成像和地理配准。该项目产生的所有数据将通过SORO的Symbiota门户网站和RSABG的草本馆门户网站与iDigBio(idigBio.org)和全球生物多样性信息基金共享。有关RSABG、其外展活动和该项目结果的更多信息可在网上获得(www.rsabg.org)。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。

The Southern Rocky Mountain Region (SoRo) supports a rich and fragile flora of diverse habitats and narrow ecological niches derived from unique geographic origins and evolutionary histories. The Herbarium at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) has a unique, data-rich, and curated but currently inaccessible collection of 60,700 vascular plant specimens from the SoRo region, the digitization of which will tailor seamlessly with the ongoing Digitization Thematic Collections Network (TCN) "Using Herbarium Data to Document Plant Niches in the High Peaks and High Plains of the Southern Rockies - Past, Present, and Future." Timely digitization of RSABG's significant collections will be instrumental to enhancing the TCN and enable researchers to examine contemporary patterns of distribution, identify signatures of diversification, predict future environmental change, and help to mitigate negative impacts of climate change and habitat alteration. Digitization includes 30,960 specimens especially noteworthy for their relevance to science, collector, and taxonomy. Integral to the project are the activities that involve graduate students and undergraduate interns. Students will be trained in all aspects of collections management and digitization. Undergraduate interns will participate in four workshops that will serve to connect students to collections, biodiversity, and conservation of the SoRo region. Additionally, through coordinated efforts with California Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP; a Hispanic Serving Institution), undergraduate students in CPP's Form & Function in Plants class will barcode 50% of the project specimens as partial fulfillment of their course objectives. An exhibit at RSABG will highlight the activities and student participation in the project.The flora of the Southern Rocky Mountain region (SoRo) is composed of plants with unique evolutionary histories driven by orogenic factors and long- and short-term climatic shifts associated with continental glaciations. Such abiotic factors have greatly influenced elevational changes in community structure, large-scale geographic range shifts, patterns of rapid diversification, and ecological niche evolution. These histories and dynamic abiotic phenomena have yielded varied ecosystems and geological substrates that support numerous endemics and/or narrowly adapted species. The uniqueness of the SoRo region provides an excellent model area in which to examine patterns of diversification, niche evolution, and endemism. As part of the SoRo Thematic Collections Network (TCN), the Herbarium at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) aims to digitize and mobilize data from 60,700 herbarium specimens relevant to the SoRo region and contribute to the larger goals of the project and strengthen the TCN. Specimens targeted for this project include 30,960 especially noteworthy specimens based on their relevance to science, collector, and taxonomy, and are emblematic of the unique strengths of the RSABG Herbarium. A large cadre of students at different levels in their academic career will participate in all aspects of the project, including databasing, imaging, and georeferencing. All data resulting from this project will be shared with iDigBio (idigbio.org) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility through SoRo's Symbiota portal as well as RSABG's Herbarium web portal. Additional information about RSABG, its outreach activities, and the results of this project is available online (www.rsabg.org).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.