The Human Impact Pollen Database: Development of searchable internet image database of pollen taxa

在NSF的资助下，特里格和他的同事将创建一个与人类活动相关的植物花粉的数字图像数据库，即人类影响花粉收藏(HIPC)。该数据库将可在线搜索，并提供高质量的花粉颗粒图像。孢粉学(分析花粉粒)对于研究过去和现在的人类与环境的相互作用都是至关重要的。重债穷国数据库的数字化是对现有数据库的补充，包括外来物种和入侵物种，以及栽培和观赏植物。考虑到人类对环境影响的严重性，以及孢粉学了解环境变化的潜力，对这类研究的需求只会增加。收集数据的目的是帮助重建过去的环境，但在线数据可以被各种学科使用--法医科学家、农学家、授粉生物学家、调查过敏和蜂蜜生产的学科--需要有关花粉或植物分布的信息。该项目还为一名K12公立学校的教师提供了专注于孢粉学作用和人与环境相互作用的研究经验。我们希望他们的参与将培养他们对科学的欣赏，并将其传授给他们的学生。该项目还吸引了研究生，这将加强他们在孢粉学和生物信息学方面的培训，这两个领域有可能在未来解决关键的环境问题。

With NSF funding, Trigg and colleagues will create a digital image database of pollen from plants associated with human activities, the Human Impacts Pollen Collection (HIPC). The database will be searchable online and present high quality images of pollen grains. Palynology (analysis of pollen grains) is critical for investigating both past and current human-environment interactions. The digitization of the HIPC complements existing databases by including exotics and invasives, as well as cultivated and ornamental plants. Given the seriousness of human impacts on the environment and the potential of palynology to understand environmental change, the need for this type of research will only increase.The collection was designed to assist in reconstructing past environments, but the online data can be used by a variety of disciplines--forensic scientists, agronomists, pollination biologists, those investigating allergies and honey production--that require information about pollen or the distribution of plants. The project also provides a K12 public school teacher with a research experience focused on the role of palynology and human-environment interactions. We hope their participation will foster an appreciation of science that they will pass on to their students. This project also engages graduate students, which will enhance their training in palynology and bioinformatics, two fields that have the potential to address critical environmental questions in the future.