data sharing

[Dr. Neil Snow]

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Dear Taxacomers:

For those interested in specimen citations in monographs/revisions and their
bearing on conservation work, my biogeographer colleague Dr. Philip Keating and
I have an article in press in _Conservation Biology_ that addresses some
concerns of ours, which we have heard echoed by several colleagues.

Since there are users of taxonomic data other than just taxonomists, it is not
surprising that differences of opinion exist regarding the optimal way(s) to
disseminate such data. We stress the importance of detailed and extensive
specimen citations in monographs in the context of conservation studies, and
feel such data are being overlooked by some authors and editors.  While we
clearly indicate our support for the electronic dissemination of taxonomic
information, we also suggest  that it should continue to be available in the
original, printed version.

We address other issues as well, and simply wish to alert readers of this
"thread" to that upcoming article.

Neil Snow

Michael wrote:

> At 11:11 AM 12/5/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >>Which data do they desire, and to what end will they use it?
> >
> >        We use plant and flower descriptions and the following
> >        types of collection information. Habitat location and
> >        elevation, habitat type, collection date, and whatever
> >        synonymy we can find. Collection location information
> >        is extremely valuable, especially when plants have been
> >        split and lumped repeatedly until no-one is sure which
> >        plant lives where.
>
> I'm in favor of seeing plant descriptions, keys, floras, and info on
> morphology and phenology available.  What concerns me is the publication of
> precise location data on the web.  I am not sure why you feel location data
> is useful in problems of taxonomic ranking (lumping and splitting).
>
> A particular concern in the case of orchids is conservation.  Since you
> work with orchids I'm sure you've found that hobbyists are not always well
> educated about conservation issues.  Some feel that obtaining plants from
> the wild and placing them in their garden or greenhouse is a form of
> conservation (it is not!).  Last summer I observed a population of
> Platanthera hookeri coming into bud.  When I visited them around flowering
> time I found only little holes left where each flowering plant had been.
> Individuals which had no inflorescence were left undisturbed.  I don't know
> of any herbivore that would selectively dig flowering orchids, and this
> rare green-flowered species could only have been of interest to an orchid
> specialist.  There is a real problem of wild-collection of rare orchids,
> pitcherplants, cacti, cycads, as well as medicinal plants.
>
> >        Several years ago, during a similar discussion, it was
> >        suggested that "sensitive" material be made available only
> >        on request. That seems like an extremely time consuming
> >        way to do it. At the time I had no reason to object to
> >        that approach, but since that discussion, we put our very
> >        simple orchid pollination database on-line.
>
> I understand that immediate web access to location data would be a
> time-saver for some.  But this is foolhardy if it endangers the plants
> themselves.  The label data on herbarium sheets is a mixed bag, some give
> precise locations, while others (especially older sheets) are very vague.
> Some herbaria are willing to publish this data on the web.  But I know that
> even more precise site data for rare species is compiled by The Nature
> Conservancy and government agencies.  Often this data is being used in
> programs to actively monitor and protect these rare plants.  In the
> interest of conservation I am sure you can understand why this can be
> considered sensitive information, especially when these organizations are
> expected to ensure the survival of these plants in habitat.  If this
> locality information was released on the web, what compensating measures
> could be implemented to protect these plants in situ?
>
> Michael Chamberland



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