Ebook: Computers in Botanical Collections

This volume records the proceedings of, and the papers read at, an international conference to consider the use of electronic data processing methods in the major taxonomic plant collections of Europe, primarily herbaria but also living collections. This conference took place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, from 3rd to 6th October, 1973. It was attended by some 90 delegates, observers and speakers, mainly from a wide range of the major European herbaria, but also from other interested institutions. The problem to be discussed was a big one. Taxonomic collections of the sorts mentioned above constitute the main centres for the scientific documentation of the flora of the world. With the extinction of so many species more or less imminently threatened, and with the modification or disappearance of so many vegetation types through the activities of man, the information contained in these collections grows in importance. Their aggregate size, in Europe, has been estimated at between 50 and 100 millions, and these are annually augmented at a rapid rate. Each specimen or living plant comprises a source of evidence and information represented both by the specimen itself and the associated information provided by the collector and subsequent investigators - identifications, field notes, records of subsequent research, etc. This associated information is known as the label data. Research on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of plants usually requires data from specimens stored in a number of institutions in different countries.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Introduction....Pages 1-3
Introduction....Pages 5-7
E.D.P. in Major Herbaria — The Priorities....Pages 9-16
The Data from Herbaria....Pages 17-23
Discussion, Morning, Wednesday 3 October....Pages 25-26
Relations between Herbarium Records and Other Records....Pages 27-33
Electronic Data Processing of Herbarium Specimens Data for the Flora of Veracruz Program....Pages 35-51
The Uses of Electronic Data Processing for Herbarium Specimen Label Information....Pages 53-59
Discussion, Afternoon, Wednesday, 3 October....Pages 61-66
The Flora North America Information System....Pages 67-67
Electronic Data Processing in the Herbarium....Pages 69-78
The Data Bank of the British Antarctic Survey’s Botanical Section....Pages 79-87
Discussion, Morning, Thursday, 4 October....Pages 89-93
American Horticultural Society Plant Records Center....Pages 95-107
Data Standards for Collection-Holding Organisations....Pages 109-110
Information Management and Use of Taxir in Herbaria....Pages 111-124
The Use of the Selgem System in Support of Systematics....Pages 125-138
Discussion, Afternoon, Thursday, 4 October....Pages 139-140
The Application of Electronic Data-Processing to the Mapping of Plant Distributions....Pages 141-166
The Living Plant Record System at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh....Pages 167-176
The Use of E.D.P. in Zoological Collections....Pages 177-177
Discussion, Friday 5 October, at End of Morning....Pages 179-179
Discussion, Morning, Saturday, 6 October....Pages 181-190
Supplementary Notes on Taxonomic Information in Relation to E. D. P.....Pages 191-193
Concluding Remarks....Pages 195-197
Back Matter....Pages 199-216

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Introduction....Pages 1-3
Introduction....Pages 5-7
E.D.P. in Major Herbaria — The Priorities....Pages 9-16
The Data from Herbaria....Pages 17-23
Discussion, Morning, Wednesday 3 October....Pages 25-26
Relations between Herbarium Records and Other Records....Pages 27-33
Electronic Data Processing of Herbarium Specimens Data for the Flora of Veracruz Program....Pages 35-51
The Uses of Electronic Data Processing for Herbarium Specimen Label Information....Pages 53-59
Discussion, Afternoon, Wednesday, 3 October....Pages 61-66
The Flora North America Information System....Pages 67-67
Electronic Data Processing in the Herbarium....Pages 69-78
The Data Bank of the British Antarctic Survey’s Botanical Section....Pages 79-87
Discussion, Morning, Thursday, 4 October....Pages 89-93
American Horticultural Society Plant Records Center....Pages 95-107
Data Standards for Collection-Holding Organisations....Pages 109-110
Information Management and Use of Taxir in Herbaria....Pages 111-124
The Use of the Selgem System in Support of Systematics....Pages 125-138
Discussion, Afternoon, Thursday, 4 October....Pages 139-140
The Application of Electronic Data-Processing to the Mapping of Plant Distributions....Pages 141-166
The Living Plant Record System at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh....Pages 167-176
The Use of E.D.P. in Zoological Collections....Pages 177-177
Discussion, Friday 5 October, at End of Morning....Pages 179-179
Discussion, Morning, Saturday, 6 October....Pages 181-190
Supplementary Notes on Taxonomic Information in Relation to E. D. P.....Pages 191-193
Concluding Remarks....Pages 195-197
Back Matter....Pages 199-216
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