1. Allan Herbarium and associated databases
Provide background
herbarium
databases
I am objective leader for Allan Herbarium and Database
Part of the biosystmatic of New Zealand plants programme led by Ilse Breitwieser
Ilse Breitwieser and Aaron Wilton
LANDCARE RESEARCH

2. Allan Herbarium Over 550 000 plant specimens Ancillary collections
Purpose – record NZ flora
Document morphological variation and geographic distribution
Voucher scientific research
Important for the study of DNA, palynology, ultrastructure etc.
Provide record of NZ’s cultural and natural history
Management and curation of collection and databases are inseparable from systematic research
The Allan Herbarium's function is to
collect and record the flora of New Zealand
make this information readily available to researchers, and regional and national authorities.
Herbarium founded in Wellington in 1928
now located in Lincoln and contains over plant specimens – largest herbarium in NZ.
Specimens are from around the world, but most from New Zealand and South Pacific
Add 5-8 thousand new specimens per year
Also number of associated/ancillary collection including pollen slide collections, seed collection, wood collection
Specimens are important resource
Basis for our understanding of the pattern of variation in nature
repository of scientifc vouchers so that identify of material used in scientific study or list for a site can be confirmed at later time
Provide material for scientific study
Provide a record of plants of NZ
The foreign specimens assist with identification of border intercepts and new naturalisations
Over last few years started an active programme improving curation standards and procedures
Important lesson been reinforced =
Management of the collection inseparable from the systematic research, and both collection management and systematics research are supported by the associated databases

3. Herbarium - future
Collect and record the flora of New Zealand, and make this information available
Maintain an active research herbarium that is fully curated technically and scientifically
Provide herbarium services to international standard
Conitue to act as repository to record NZ Flora
And make this information available to users
Continue to be active research herbarium, and improve manangement of the collection
Services
Such as loans, exchange with other herbaria, vouchering scientific studies

4. Databases Allan Herbarium Specimen Database Plant Names Database
c records
Records data from specimens
Plant Names Database
Scientific names of New Zealand plants
Seed plants, ferns, mosses, lichens, liverworts and freshwater algae
over records
Others include: Loans, Cabinets, Type Photograph, Molecular sequence databases
Number of databases associated with the herbarium
Pass over a number of smaller ones but these are still significant e.g., development of loans database, and implementation of barcoding reduce loan handling times by over 500%
Two main databases
Specimen database
Contains approx 120 thousand (or 20% of collection)
Records information from specimens
Adding c records per year
In last few years been continuously improving standard of database
Implementing a clear set of standards and procedures
Improving data quality
In conjunction with Database integration project
Moved from legacy system
enabling us to start testing new modules that better fit requirements of users
improving improve data structure – e.g., now able to record the data as it was provided by the collector
Improving access to the data
Link to plant names database
Plant Names Database
Contains names of all plants wild in New Zealand and large proportion of cultivated plants
This includes seed plant mosses, lichens, liverworts – and ferns (in collaboration with Te Papa) and freshwater algae (in collaboration with UoC)
Records
scientific names and synonymy
Maori and vernacular names
biostatus information (indigenous, present-absent)
bibliographic data
New database created from a number of sources previously maintained at the Herbarium
Development of the database has been important part of the Database Integration Programme – Jerry Cooper say more about later
Is a key database for integrating the databases in the Herbarium
Continue to add more data – as new papers published, new naturalisations, filling in information
Has been available on web since 2000

5.
Recently developed new website that combines Plant Names Database with Sepcimen database
Provides access to some of collection information, distribution maps, and images

6. Database - future Database collection fully
Improve data quality and tools for scientific research and collection management
Participate in national and international initiatives (e.g., GBIF, Australian Virtual Herbarium, N.Z. National Herbarium Network)
Develop EBiota to deliver information to endusers
Database collection
As mentioned only 20% of main collection is fully databased
-> database this to help manage the collection
-> make data available to researchers and biodiversity managers
Continue to improve depth and data quality in databases
And improve tools for users to access this information.
Important -> continue to develop tools that allow use to efficiently curate the collection
Accessible
We are already taking steps to improve accesibility of our data, but still work to be done
In particular work with Database Integration is improving interoperatibility within Landcare Research,
Key to enabling us to participate in initiaves
Ebiota
A new initiative we would like = system calling “Ebiota”
allows researcher to capture and manage their data
provides tools to make this data available to end users
The key is that system will be flexible – provide up-to-date information to the user in the format and form the
Build on work already doing through database integgration, as well as another project – Biodiveristy Informatics that using XML technologies to develop a dataset repository

7. Issues Lack of funding HSNO and Biosecurity Acts Declining FTEs
Gaps in systematic expertise
Backlog
HSNO and Biosecurity Acts
Funding
fund remainder static -> in real terms means a gradual decline in FTE’s
WE ARE CURRENTLY SUPPLEMENTING THE RUNNING OF THE HERBARIUM FROM PLANT BIOSYSTEMATIC RESEARCH
may have to close herbarium and/or stop provide some herbarium services
this will impact on all herbarium users -> including researcher, regional authorities, biodiversity managers
Gaps
Even if maintain current FTE’s – still gaps in sysematic expertise
For collection and databases -> unable to scientificially curate fully
Not enough funding to fully
Backlog
Have a backlog of specimens to accession - algal, pacific island
80% of the main collection
HSNO & Biosecurity
importation of material for scientific study more difficult in last few years
Having to investigate options for becoming containment facility BUT this will increase cost of managing the herbarium
Aware
more general
Valuable resource in the collection
Reduction in duplication of effort
Run into issues around interagency data agreement