data sharing

[Michael]

At 08:48 PM 12/4/98 -0600, Stuart G. Poss wrote:
>
>I am unconvinced that the risk facing species that may result from the
>inappropriate use of our data ranks high among the primary threats posed
>to these species, so I would advocate full disclosure, warts and all.

The University of Wisconsin Botany Department maintains a very nice web
information page indexing the Orchids of Wisconsin, with habitat data and
photos provided.  This page is linked to herbarium records which can offer
locality data, but for certain rarer species this information is withheld
with the disclaimer:
"This is a Wisconsin Endangered species. Therefore precise location
information is available only through a password gotten by contacting the
WIS herbarium (608)262-2792".
I think this is an appropriate measure, especially if no positive use has
been identified for disseminating localities for endangered plants which
face collecting/harvesting pressure.  The situation may be less critical
for (motile) vertebrates, but is more sensitive for botanical, fossil, and
archaeological site data I suspect.

>This is particularly true since my tax money paid to collect, record,
>and study it, not to mention will continue to pay to refine and further
>correct it.

A statement I have heard before, in various contexts; but potentially at
odds with your other tax monies going towards conservation of these
species! (How wonderful it would be if the individual tax support for
collections amounted to a penny, let alone "dollars"!)

Michael Chamberland