Digitiation PEN: Augmenting the Endless Forms TCN: digitization of imperiled plants with unique morphological adaptations

地球上只有36个地区拥有世界上近一半的植物多样性。生物多样性热点仅占地球陆地表面的2.3%，但拥有高比例的特有物种和大多数未描述的植物多样性。生物多样性热点的一个重要生物组成部分包括具有不寻常形态的植物，如肉质，食肉和附生。这些植物高度适应极端环境，但由于气候和土地使用制度的变化，它们面临着严重的灭绝威胁。该项目与兰乔圣安娜植物园（RSA）的植物标本馆合作，该项目是一个主题收藏网络（TCN），涉及17个机构，旨在将来自15个植物科的近200万份植物标本数字化。针对该项目的收藏品是RSA独特优势的象征，将为Endless Forms TCN带来不可估量的贡献。这一伙伴关系填补了一个重要的空白，增加了70 100个代表所有科的植物标本，其中一些在世界生物多样性热点加州特别多样化（仙人掌、龙舌兰、大戟）。数字化将促进对这些潜在濒危植物的科学调查和公众了解，并通过公共数据库提供丰富的标本数据来源。研究生和本科生将占劳动力的90%，并参与项目的各个方面。该项目将通过增加来自大洛杉矶大都市区西班牙裔服务机构的学生的参与来加强RSA现有的实习计划。通过与波莫纳加州理工大学（西班牙裔服务机构）的协调努力，本科生将条形码标本作为课程目标的部分实现。一个展览将重点介绍Endless Forms项目的植物，包括数字化活动和学生参与。Endless Forms TCN的资助基于数字化表现出极端形态（例如肉质、食肉和附生）的植物的独特价值，这些植物可以用来增加我们对这些植物如何适应极端环境以及不断变化的气候状况如何影响未来分布的了解。该项目将为Endless Forms TCN的奋进增添不可估量的内容，将RSA植物标本馆保存的70，100个独特标本数字化。重要的和TCN相关的收藏品的15个家庭与不寻常的形态包括数字化是很好的代表在RSA标本馆，无论是在地理广度和分类的多样性，并大大归功于贡献的几个值得注意的研究人员隶属于RSA谁专门研究这些植物。这些标本的数字化将产生高分辨率的图像和地理参考的收集位置，这将使新物种的科学，新的分布和物候数据的潜在发现，并增加了对丰富的标本数据源的访问目前无法向研究界，学生和公众。数据采集、高效的工作流程开发和数据传播将遵循Endless Forms TCN规定的既定准则。在他们的学术生涯中，不同层次的学生将参与该项目的各个方面，包括数据输入，成像和地理参考。该项目产生的所有数据将通过国家资源（iDigBio.org）提供。有关RSA、其推广活动以及该项目成果的更多信息，请访问calbg.org。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Only 36 areas on earth contain almost half of the world’s plant diversity. Biodiversity hotspots occupy only 2.3% of the earth’s land surface but harbor a high proportion of endemic species and house most undescribed plant diversity. An important biotic component of biodiversity hotspots include plants with unusual morphologies, such as succulence, carnivory, and epiphytism. These plants are highly adapted to live in extreme environments but face serious threats of extinction due to changing climate and land use regimes. This project partners the Herbarium at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSA) with the Endless Forms Project, a Thematic Collections Network (TCN) involving 17 institutions aimed at digitizing nearly 2 million herbarium specimens from 15 plant families with unusual adaptations. Collections targeted for this project are emblematic of the unique strengths of RSA and will add immeasurably to the Endless Forms TCN. This partnership fills an important gap by adding 70,100 herbarium specimens representing all families, some of which are especially diverse (cacti, agave, spurge) in California, a world biodiversity hotspot. Digitization will promote scientific investigation and public understanding of these potentially imperiled plants, and through public databases, will provide access to a rich source of specimen data. Graduate and undergraduate students will make up 90% of the workforce and participate in all aspects of the project. This project will enhance RSA’s existing internship program through increased participation of students from Hispanic Serving Institutions in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Through coordinated efforts with California Polytechnic University, Pomona (a Hispanic Serving Institution), undergraduate students will barcode specimens as partial fulfillment of course objectives. An exhibit will highlight plants of the Endless Forms project, including digitization activities and student participation.Funding of the Endless Forms TCN was based on the unique value of digitizing plants that exhibit extreme morphologies, such as succulence, carnivory, and epiphytism, that can be used increase our understanding of how these plants have adapted to extreme environments and how changing climate regimes may impact future distributions. This project will add immeasurably to the Endless Forms TCN’s endeavor with the digitization of 70,100 unique specimens held at the RSA Herbarium. Important and TCN-relevant collections for the 15 families with unusual morphologies included for digitization are well represented in the RSA Herbarium, both in geographic breadth and taxonomic diversity, and owe significantly to the contributions of several noteworthy researchers affiliated with RSA who specialize on these plants. Digitization of these specimens will result in high-resolution images and georeferenced collection locations that will enable the potential discovery of species new to science, new distribution and phenology data, and increased access to a rich source of specimen data currently unavailable to the research community, students, and the public. Data capture, efficient workflow development, and dissemination of data will adhere to established guidelines as specified by the Endless Forms TCN. A large cadre of students at different levels in their academic career will participate in all aspects of the project, including data entry, imaging, and georeferencing. All data resulting from this project will be made available through the national resource (iDigBio.org). Additional information about RSA, its outreach activities, and the results of this project is available at calbg.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.