Methods
Summary
All calculations begin with the estimate of 722 specimens to be processed. This estimate was arrived at by counting specimens in sampled shelves until further counts did not affect the estimated mean per unit and then multiplying the total number of shelves of specimens in the collection.
Preliminary tasks. Specimens are first frozen to eliminate any pests, before being brought to our main collection to work on. Specimens have already been organized taxonomically by plant family and species identifications were previously made by Woglum. Determinations of species identifications will be verified and nomenclature will be updated where necessary.
Transcription. Specimens will be transcribed, i.e., data pertaining to the specimen – identification, collection locality, collection date, name of collector and their collector number will be entered into an Excel template. Using mail merge functions in Microsoft Word, we will create labels to accompany the specimens. Labels will be printed on archival paper and matched to the specimens.
Specimen preparation. Using archival materials (herbarium paper, glue, fragment packets) specimens and collection labels will be adhered to the herbarium paper (i.e., mounted) for long-term preservation. Once mounted, specimens will receive a barcode with a unique identifier. Barcoding is the first step in the digitization process, and all images generated will be named after the barcode number. The Excel spreadsheet generated from data transcription to make the labels will be updated with a barcode number corresponding to each specimen. This spreadsheet can then be uploaded to the CalBG Herbarium’s online database (https://cch2.org/portal/) on the Symbiota platform (https://symbiota.org/), an open source biodiversity data management system. Records will then be immediately available to users of the portal.
Image capture. Image capture procedures are well established in the CalBG Herbarium. Imaging stations consist of a digital camera with a macro lens, lightbox, barcode reader, and computer, and are equipped with scale bars and color calibration cards. All specimens will be imaged. Image capture will employ digitization software, including Digital Photo Professional and EOS Utility.
Georeferencing. Georeferencing (adding latitude and longitude coordinates based on location descriptions) will begin once the preceding digitization steps have been completed. Georeferencing will follow protocols and standardization of georeferences outlined by Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF; Chapman & Wieczorek, 2020).
Image processing, data editing, and quality control. All images captured will be checked for quality (e.g., focus, white balance, framing, and inclusion of institution name, scale bar, and barcode). All records in the proposed project will be reviewed for quality control and values standardized, where needed. Common errors that warrant correction are locality data, date, and georeferenced data. The rendered text generated from skeletal data capture during the imaging step will be stored in the database record. Values for barcode, taxonomy, country, state, collector name, and collection number will be recovered through this process and inserted into the record. Records can be grouped by common values to create sets. The efficiency of record completion is greatly increased by grouping records into sets by geography (Chapman & Wieczorek, 2020).
File specimens. Once all curation and digitization steps are complete, specimens will be filed into the herbarium’s collection for long term storage. The collection is organized alphabetically by family, for easy access and retrieval of specimens.
Challenges
Task Priority and Risk Minimization. We have carefully constructed our workflow with curation as the essential first step, because all else in the workflow is dependent on curating each specimen. To ensure smooth and efficient functioning of this project, we include all curatorial staff who will be dedicated to all aspects of oversight, training of junior staff, and day-to-day management. Moreover, we have built in ample time for digitization steps, processing, and quality control.
We are minimizing risks by two means. Collaboration and communication. The project depends on active collaboration and participation among curatorial staff and working closely with the student intern. The curatorial staff will address any problems in the workflow to ensure that project goals are met. Quality control. We have considered the time needed for data and image quality control. To ensure that data quality is not compromised, all specimen records and images will be cross-checked for quality, accuracy, and consistency.
Protocols
This project has not yet shared any protocols.