ABSTRACT
Sabulina basaltica and Sabulina sororia (Caryophyllaceae) are described as new species endemic to Washington State, U.S.A. Sabulina basaltica is restricted to high-elevation, basalt rocks in the northeastern Olympic Mountains, and Sabulina sororia to high-elevation, dunite rocks of the Twin Sisters Range in the North Cascade Mountains. Both were previously confused with Sabulina rossii (formerly called Arenaria rossii or Minuartia rossii). Their recognition as distinct species is supported by morphological and molecular characters and disjunct geographic distributions. Both are illustrated, mapped and compared to related species. We also present a molecular phylogeny of Sabulina based on nuclear ITS and plastid trnQ-rps16 DNA with increased sampling of North American taxa. The phylogeny resolves a single clade containing all glabrous, perennial, North American Sabulina taxa including Sabulina rossii and both of the new species.
ABSTRACT
Effective workflows are essential components in the digitization of biodiversity specimen collections. To date, no comprehensive, community-vetted workflows have been published for digitizing flat sheets and packets of plants, algae, and fungi, even though latest estimates suggest that only 33% of herbarium specimens have been digitally transcribed, 54% of herbaria use a specimen database, and 24% are imaging specimens. In 2012, iDigBio, the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) coordinating center and national resource for the digitization of public, nonfederal U.S. collections, launched several working groups to address this deficiency. Here, we report the development of 14 workflow modules with 7-36 tasks each. These workflows represent the combined work of approximately 35 curators, directors, and collections managers representing more than 30 herbaria, including 15 NSF-supported plant-related Thematic Collections Networks and collaboratives. The workflows are provided for download as Portable Document Format (PDF) and Microsoft Word files. Customization of these workflows for specific institutional implementation is encouraged.
ABSTRACT
The amount of plant biodiversity data available via the web has exploded in the last decade, but making these data available requires a considerable investment of time and work, both vital considerations for organizations and institutions looking to validate the impact factors of these online works. Here we used Google Analytics (GA), to measure the value of this digital presence. In this paper we examine usage trends using 15 different GA accounts, spread across 451 institutions or botanical projects that comprise over five percent of the world's herbaria. They were studied at both one year and total years. User data from the sample reveal: 1) over 17 million web sessions, 2) on five primary operating systems, 3) search and direct traffic dominates with minimal impact from social media, 4) mobile and new device types have doubled each year for the past three years, 5) and web browsers, the tools we use to interact with the web, are changing. Server-side analytics differ from site to site making the comparison of their data sets difficult. However, use of Google Analytics erases the reporting heterogeneity of unique server-side analytics, as they can now be examined with a standard that provides a clarity for data-driven decisions. The knowledge gained here empowers any collection-based environment regardless of size, with metrics about usability, design, and possible directions for future development.
