CSBR: Natural History: Development of the Arkansas Center for Biodiversity Collections to advance biodiversity research and education

CSBR：自然史：阿肯色州生物多样性收藏中心的发展，以推进生物多样性研究和教育自然历史收藏在阿肯色州州立大学（A州）的研究，教育和推广发挥了核心作用近70年。住房超过500，000标本，在A州的合并集合代表了来自美国东南部的内陆高地，密西西比冲积平原和克劳利岭生态区的区域生物多样性的重要记录。这些收藏受到过度拥挤的威胁，导致效率低下和有限的使用，在某些情况下，标本退化。该项目将A州的八个收藏品统一到新成立的阿肯色州生物多样性收藏中心（ACBC）下的公共空间，包括新的架子、橱柜和一个单一的数据库。更好地访问ACBC将增加机会，让学生了解自然历史收藏的重要性和实用性，并提高A州学生和更广泛的科学界的研究机会。此外，A州自然历史收藏品管理俱乐部（NHC 3）的学生将与策展人合作，开发自然历史展示和K-12级实地考察图尔斯，包括生物多样性和标本研讨会，以教育该地区服务不足的学生群体。ACBC的使命是为阿肯色州提供一个统一的、可访问的标本库和研究中心，包括内陆高地、上密西西比冲积平原和克劳利岭生态区。这个地理区域是北美东部许多分类群的主要特有中心，在过去的100年里，这个地区的景观发生了巨大的变化。A州的很大一部分藏品涵盖了这些独特而多样的生态系统，并代表了在生境改变活动或疾病传播期间先于或记录生物群的长期记录（例如，蝙蝠的白鼻综合征）。因此，这些数据集可作为当前和未来不断变化的情况的基线数据点。此外，该项目将保存和管理凭证标本，并为科学界提供重要数据，用于小型和大型研究（例如，生态学、分类学、地理学或应用全球变化研究）。具体项目目标是：1）通过安装高密度存储系统和新橱柜缓解过度拥挤并增加增长空间; 2）通过改进存储介质和标签来保护收藏品; 3）完成标本数据的数字化并提供所有收藏数据的公众访问;以及4）通过提供基于收藏品的研讨会和ACBC展示和收藏品的图尔斯之旅来制定重要的推广计划。为澳大利亚植物保护理事会开发一个网站（acbc.astate.edu）将突出收集活动，目前的Specify门户网站（specify.astate.edu）将扩大，除了更新的植物标本馆标本数据外，还将包括ASUMZ标本数据。最后，完整的ACBC数据库将与iDigBio（www.idigbio.org）和其他可公开访问的数据门户（即，VertNet、SERNEC和GBIF）。

CSBR: Natural History: Development of the Arkansas Center for Biodiversity Collections to advance biodiversity research and educationNatural history collections have played a central role in research, education, and outreach at Arkansas State University (A-State) for nearly 70 years. Housing more than 500,000 specimens, the combined collections at A-State represent an important record of regional biodiversity from the Interior Highlands, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and Crowley's Ridge ecoregions of the southeastern United States. These collections are threatened by overcrowding, resulting in inefficient and limited use, and specimen degradation in some cases. This project unifies the eight collections at A-State into common spaces with new shelving, cabinetry, and a singular database under the newly formed Arkansas Center for Biodiversity Collections (ACBC). Improved access to the ACBC will increase opportunities to engage students in understanding the importance and utility of natural history collections, as well as enhance research opportunities for A-State students and the broader scientific community. Additionally, students of the A-State Natural History Collections Curation Club (NHC3) will work with curators to develop natural history displays and K-12 class field trip tours including biodiversity and specimen workshops to educate the underserved student populations in the region. Through active undergraduate and graduate student involvement, the ACBC will link research-grade natural history collections to the general public, particularly K-12 students.The ACBC mission is to provide a unified, accessible specimen repository and research center for the State of Arkansas, including the Interior Highlands, Upper Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and Crowley's Ridge ecoregions. This geographical region is a major center of endemism for numerous taxonomic groups in eastern North America, and one that has seen drastic landscape modifications over the past 100 years. A large proportion of the collections at A-State cover these unique and diverse ecosystems and represent long-term records that pre-date or document biota during habitat transforming activities or disease spread (e.g., white-nose syndrome in bats) in the region. These collections, therefore, serve as base-line data points for ongoing and future changing conditions. Additionally, this project will preserve and curate voucher specimens and make available important data to the scientific community for small- and large-scale research (e.g., ecological, taxonomic, biogeographic, or applied global change research). Specific project goals are to: 1) alleviate overcrowding and increase room for growth through installation of high-density storage systems and new cabinetry; 2) secure collections through improved storage media and labeling; 3) complete the digitization of specimen data and provide public access to all collection data; and 4) develop a significant outreach program by providing collections-based workshops and tours of ACBC displays and collections. Development of a website for the ACBC (acbc.astate.edu) will highlight collection activities and the current Specify web portal (specify.astate.edu) will be expanded to include ASUMZ specimen data in addition to updated herbarium specimen data. Finally, the complete ACBC database will be interfaced with iDigBio (www.idigbio.org) and other publicly accessible data portals (i.e., VertNet, SERNEC, and GBIF).