Collecting

[Richard_Hill at DOT.CA.GOV]

I wonder whether it is useful to separate collecting for conservation
management/taxonomic research from other forms of collecting for this
discussion.
One common form of "conservation" collecting is for impact analysis.  I,
personally, do not believe that the focus should be different (i.e., population
viability should be the first concern prior to making any collection), but
clients of environmental impact surveyor-collectors may want the highest level
of assurance that they have to spend money--and that may be interpreted as
making a voucher collection.  Collecting post-breeding flowers and leaving the
progeny does not make sense if you need the flower for the voucher, but
collecting post-breeding invertebrates may not harm the population.

I also want to point out the obvious, that the number one can safely collect
depends on knowledge of the species to be collected.  Collect one of a hundred
cheetahs, "post-breeding" or not, and you may have significant impact on the
population.  :-0