CSBR: Natural History: Development of the Catamount Biological Collections to Enhance Biodiversity Research and Education in Southern Appalachia

生物收藏记录了生物多样性在空间和时间上的变化，因此是快速变化的世界中的重要信息来源。该项目将支持西卡罗来纳大学(WCU)的生物多样性研究和教育，这是一所地区性的综合性大学，位于世界生物多样性热点之一的南阿巴拉契亚山脉，但也位于农村和经济服务不足的地区。西澳州立大学的生物学和自然资源保护与管理系保留着值得注意的植物、节肢动物、鸟类和哺乳动物的收藏，但由于标本储存和管理不力，使它们处于混乱和退化的危险之中。对收藏品进行必要的升级，并将它们放在2021年开放的一座新的科学大楼中，通过增加科学家和公众对它们的可及性，并对学生进行保护和维护博物馆收藏品以及基于收藏品的研究方面的培训，最大限度地提高它们对研究、教学和推广的影响。加强WCU的生物收藏不仅服务于学生和教职员工，还将为当地社区提供教育机会，并促进与区域保护机构的合作。通过在生物丰富和历史上服务不足的地区创建最先进的收藏设施，该项目支持了WCU在教学、研究和为社区服务方面的主要使命。该项目将建立基础设施，以扩大生物标本的存储能力，将收藏品集中和数字化，培养学生今后从事科学工作的技能，并培养认识到生物收藏品对研究和教育的价值的文化。该项目的目标是1)通过标本组织、准备和维护来管理每个收藏品，以扭转或防止退化；2)在WCU和与罗利的北卡罗来纳州自然科学博物馆合作，培训学生使用这些技术；3)保护标本不受未来的损害，并通过适当的存储允许扩展；以及4)通过标本数字化、教育展示和允许用户轻松浏览、搜索和利用我们的藏品的综合网络存在，最大限度地提高收藏品的可访问性和扩展潜力。新的金属橱柜将为每个收藏品提供保护，节省空间的移动式标本柜搬运系统将允许通过添加新标本进行扩展。新的成像设备将使有价值的历史和新节肢动物收藏数字化和数据库，新的存储材料将保护节肢动物免受退化。学生将接受培训，从新的和冷冻的标本中制备鸟类和哺乳动物的皮肤，以便在研究和教学中长期维护和使用。将设计和创建一个收藏网站，使世界各地的研究人员和其他人能够访问和使用标本。数字化藏品数据将与iDigBio.org共享。最后，将制作教育展示和教材，以支持学校和社区支持阿巴拉契亚山脉南部的生物多样性欣赏和保护。这一奖项反映了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。

Biological collections document changes in biodiversity across space and over time and thus are important sources of information in a rapidly changing world. This project will support biodiversity research and education at Western Carolina University (WCU), a regional, comprehensive university in one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, the Southern Appalachians, but also in a rural and economically underserved area. The departments of Biology and Natural Resource Conservation and Management at WCU maintain noteworthy collections of plants, arthropods, birds and mammals, but inadequate storage and curation of specimens have left them in disarray and in danger of degradation. Making needed upgrades to the collections and bringing them into close proximity in a new science building opening in 2021 will maximize their impact on research, teaching and outreach by increasing their accessibility to scientists and the public and training students in the care and maintenance of museum collections as well as in collections-based research. Enhancing the biological collections at WCU will not only serve students and faculty but also provide educational opportunities for the local community and foster collaboration with regional conservation agencies. By creating a state-of-the art collection facility in a biologically rich and historically underserved area, this project supports the primary mission of WCU in teaching, research and service to the community. This project will create infrastructure for expanded biological specimen storage capacity, centralizing and digitizing the collections, developing students’ skills for future careers in the sciences, and fostering a culture of recognizing the value of biological collections for research and education. The project goals are to 1) curate each collection by performing specimen organization, preparation and maintenance to reverse or prevent degradation, 2) train students in these techniques at WCU and in collaboration with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, 3) protect the specimens from future damage and allow for expansion through proper storage, and 4) maximize the accessibility and outreach potential of the collections through specimen digitization, educational displays, and an integrated web presence that allows users to easily browse, search and utilize our holdings. New, metal cabinetry will provide protection for each collection and a space-saving mobile carriage system for herbarium cabinets will allow for expansion through addition of new specimens. New imaging equipment will allow for the digitization and databasing of valuable historical and new arthropod collections, and new storage materials will protect the arthropods from degradation. Students will be trained to prepare bird and mammal skins from new and frozen specimens for long-term maintenance and use in research and teaching. A collections website will be designed and created to allow specimen accessibility and use by researchers and others worldwide. Digitized collections data will be shared with iDigBio.org. Finally, educational displays and teaching materials will be created to enable school and community outreach in support of biodiversity appreciation and conservation in the Southern Appalachians.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.