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Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research


SUBPROGRAM UC

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HERBARIUM:
RESEARCH COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES

1995 / 96


Leader

Bob MAKINSON (06) 250 9466

Goal

To develop and manage scientific collections of Australian and related floras as a permanent record of Australian plant diversity, and a resource for research on those floras, and to provide high quality botanical information to a range of users.

Description

The process of acquisition, documentation, and maintenance of geographically and taxonomically representative collections of Australian (native and introduced) and overseas flora, provides the cumulative raw data on which much botanical (particularly taxonomic) research must be based. Herbarium specimens provide the initial source material for studies of the morphological variation for delimitation of species and subspecies, and therefore also of predictive higher-level classifications. Permanent herbarium (voucher) specimens, maintained to archival standards, allow the reliable identification of plants originating from field studies, mapping of their present and past distributions, and extraction of ecological and other associated data. They also allow the constant updating of identifications in the light of new knowledge; this helps ensure that other collection components (eg living plants, photographic records) can be reliably used as a scientific and educational resource into the indefinite future. The r


PROJECT UC1 - AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL HERBARIUM MANAGEMENT AND CURATION


Coordinator

Bob MAKINSON (06) 250 9466

Objectives

To maintain the collections of the Australian National Herbarium (ANH), at CANB and QRS, under high standard of curation. To amalgamate CANB and Australian National Botanic Gardens (CBG) herbarium material into an integrated collection across both Canberra sites.

Staff

Ian Brooker (20%) Jo Palmer Tom Hartley (10%) Cathy Miller Bernie Hyland (20%) Kirsten Cowley Lyn Craven (10%) Joan Graham Judy West (10%) Pennie Hohnen Bryan Barlow (nominal) Maggie Sutton John Briggs (nominal) Terena Lally Kevin Thiele (10%) Marion Garratt (ANBG) Bob Makinson (ANBG; 30% active, 50% admin) Andrew Slee Heinar Streimann (ANBG; 90%) John Connors Estelle Canning (ANBG; 60%) Bruce Gray Mark Clements (ANBG; 10%) Rebel Elick David Jones (ANBG; 10%) Andrew Ford Brendan Lepschi Frank Zich Ian Telford (ANBG) Andrew Lyne (ANBG) Faye Davies (ANBG) Judith Curnow (ANBG)

Collaborations

Major Australian Herbaria Overseas Herbaria party to loans and exchange program

External funding

Nil

Planned outcomes

Curate, including updating names, mounting and incorporating new accessions, the research groups on which we are actively working; integrate and amalgamate the two collections; establish common curatorial and specimen flow guidelines; draft interim curation procedures manual; establish curatorial priorities for subsequent years; maintain servicing of (other) ANBG and CSIRO sections and programs.


PROJECT UC2 - SPECIMEN LOAN AND EXCHANGE


Coordinator

Jo PALMER (06) 246 5523

Objectives

To maintain and integrate loan and exchange procedures. To provide efficient and prompt loan servicing to other institutions

Staff

Jo Palmer Wendy Dossetor (ANBG) Helen Hadobas (ANBG) Frank Zich

External funding

ABRS $8,000

Planned outcomes

Evaluate NSW Herbarium automated program for loan and exchange management on TITAN; maintain/integrate loan and exchange procedures.


PROJECT UC3 - ENQUIRY SERVICES


Coordinator

Estelle CANNING (06) 250 9463

Objectives

To maintain Public Enquiries Program (in liaison with ANBG). To maintain and develop ANBG Public Access Herbarium. To receive, refer or respond to professional enquiries from other institutions. To receive, refer or respond to enquiries from other units of ANBG and CSIRO Division of Plant Industry

Staff

Estelle Canning (ANBG; 40%) Ian Telford (ANBG) Other Botanists (as relevant) Terena Lally Volunteers (PA Herb)

External funding

Nil

Planned outcomes

Agreed common specimen-flow and response-monitoring procedures for all external enquiries; set staffing arrangements for receipt of enquiries and volunteer supervision in ANBG Visitor Information Centre; maintain development of Public Access Herbarium; set performance indicators for Enquiry Service.


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