Collecting

[Thomas Schlemmermeyer]

How about vouchering extremely rare species, or species which require extremely
destructive, anti-conservationist, or even anti-human collecting methods?

For example, I would not voucher a certain plant species, if it were only a
very small relict population in the area under study, rather the one interested
in reproducing the results could run for a permission to visit (not to collect)
the species in situ.

Also, I do doubt whether it is recommended to make voucher specimens in the
case of whale studies....remember only a dead voucher specimen is a good
specimen.

I do not want to polarize the discussion by my comments, rather I would like to
tell that there are no rules without exception.....as it often uses to be the
case.




On (         Mon, 22 Nov 1999 12:17:26 BST
),         Stephan Helfer <S.Helfer at RBGE.ORG.UK> wrote:


>Dear all
>Any taxonomy is only as good as its voucher specimens, and I suspect
>any floristic account equally if not more so. And what are
>environmental impact assessments, other than floristic (sorry
>zoologists: or faunistic) accounts of a particular area? Having said
>this, I have made taxonomic statements without vouchering (in my
>younger days) because I "believed" to know anyway, so why vouchering.
>The problem comes when you or anybody else wants to check out.
>Vouchers make taxonomy a reproducible science.
>
>My 2p.
>Best wishes
>
>Stephan Helfer
>Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
>
>http://www.rbge.org.uk
>========================================================
>"With the destruction of each component of wild life one
>more piece of evidence for human ignorance is removed."
>


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Thomas Schlemmermeyer
Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo
Caixa Postal 42694
CEP 04299-970
São Paulo, SP, Brasil

Residência:
Thomas Schlemmermeyer
Caixa Postal 00276
CEP 14001-970
Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil

Fone, Fax: 016 6371999
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