collecting

[Jeremy Bruhl]

>information. I would argue that it is far easier to teach the public how to
>collect a decent specimen and preserve it and under what circumstances (ie
>
>        At the heart of this issue is the frustrating realization that there
is
>very little funding for survey work although there is millions of dollars
>for restoration of lakes and rivers. How does one make an informed decision
>about restoration if there is no information on the species present?

There are similar issues in Australia with a great deal of funding for
environmental activities going to (ad hoc work by) community groups from the
Federal Government's "Natural Heritage Trust". Also, State agencies (e.g.
'National Parks and Wildlife' and 'Land and Conservation' services) have often
funded survey work without demanding vouchers to be lodged!

As Mary (and earlier Neil Snow in a different discussion) suggested, the role
of (quality) vouchers (with associated quality information) lodged in
recognised herbaria is crucial. As Hosking et al. (1996) pointed out  "do not
collect vouchers and you may as well not publish your results.

Our collective national/international challenge is to get that message across
to agencies (that fund consultants, community groups, and us) so that funds
are
given on the proviso that vouchers are lodged and that funds are available for
this purpose. We have had some local success in this regard, but there is a
much broader need to keep the pressure on so that whole agencies adopt the
principle quoted above, and provide the funds to ensure implementation of that
principle.

Reference: Hosking, J.R., Sainty, G.R., and Jacobs, S.W.L. (1996). Certainty
and uncertainty in plant identification. In ‘Proceedings of the Eleventh
Australian Weeds Conference (Ed. R.C.H. Shepherd) pp 464-467. (Weed Science
Society of Victoria: Frankston.)

Cheers
Jeremy


Dr Jeremy J. Bruhl
Convenor of Botany
Director, N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium (NE)

Botany
School of Rural Science and Natural Resources
University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351
Australia

jbruhl at metz.une.edu.au
http://www.une.edu.au/botany/jjbres.htm
Voice: +61 2 6773 2429
Fax: +61 2 6773 3283