Networking

Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC)

Mycology Collections Data Portal
MacroAlgae Collections Data Portal
North American Lichen Collections Data Portal

U.S. Virtual Herbarium Project
The goal of the U.S. Virtual Herbarium Project is to digitize all specimens in all US herbaria and make the resulting information freely available.

Background
US herbaria contain over 70 million specimens of plants, fungi, and algae. The specimens come from many different countries although most are from the US. Together they are an enormous source of information both about today’s species and, because some are fossils, of species that are now extinct.

Project’s Goal
Enable easy access to specimen information from all specimens in all US herbaria.

Achievements
US herbaria are providing access to data from over 11 million herbarium specimens via a combination of regional and taxonomic networks. Workers in US herbaria, many of them students, are learning the concepts underlying data mobilization and interoperability.

Project’s Role
Helping disseminate information on specimen digitization (data capture, imaging, georeferencing), data sharing, and the benefits digitization offers all involved – herbaria, educators, scientists and the public.