Gaps in our floristic knowledge: The Cima Cinder Cones of eastern San Bernardino County is a vast region that has only recently received attention from botanists. There are many similarly unexplored regions in California where data gaps exist, especially in the deserts. Photograph by Jim André. A POWERFUL RESOURCE FOR PLANT CONSERVATION EFFORTS: THE CONSORTIUM OF CALIFORNIA HERBARIA REACHES TWO MILLION SPECIMENS by Staci Markos, Richard L. Moe, and David Baxter

lants are all around us. They mately 350,000 plant species world- edented rates of climate change, an provide food, medicine, shel- wide and 50,000 to 75,000 remain important component of conserv- ter, beauty, and ecosystem to be described (P. Raven, pers. ing biodiversity is the protection of Pfunctions. There are approxi- comm. 2014). In the face of unprec- wildlands. These areas will serve as 16 FREMONTIA VOL. 44, NO. 1, JANUARY 2016

V44_1_book.pmd 16 12/17/15, 12:23 PM refugia for species (and their genes), and it is from these areas that spe- MAKING A HERBARIUM SPECIMEN cies will migrate and adapt to new environments. To understand what he process of making a herbarium specimen begins in the field areas need the most protection in Twhere the collector records details including date, location, habi- California, we need to understand tat, features of the plant, and associated species. A documentation what species occur in the state, how field book is often used (pictured is the Plant Collecting and Documen- those species are related to each tation Field Notebook, 3rd Edition, by Michael G. Simpson). Once the other, and how they are distributed plant is collected, it is put in a plant across the landscape. press and dried. The identity of a Describing and cataloging plant plant can be determined in the field diversity is a daunting task, but bota- or laboratory/office using a resource nists have been formally doing this like the second edition of The Jepson work since the mid 18th century. It Manual (pictured) and, if necessary, continues today with initiatives like careful examination with a dissect- the Jepson eFlora that contains taxo- ing microscope. Once dried, the plant nomic treatments and identification and label are mounted on acid-free keys for over 8,000 native and natu- paper. Each herbarium loads data ralized plant taxa occurring in wild- from labels into a database that is lands or otherwise outside of culti- then shared with the Consortium of vation in California (ucjeps.berkeley. California Herbaria. Photograph by edu/IJM.html). This work relies on Staci Markos. botanical collections stored in her- baria. It is here that the foundations of our understanding reside. From able, tangible record of biodiversity tion from California vascular plant these collections, we have a window at a particular time and place. specimens that are housed in 35 into our past and can understand participating herbaria (Figure 1; more deeply the present. And with WHY HERBARIA ARE ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/). DNA sequencing, improved phylo- IMPORTANT Through a single interface, the genetic techniques, digitization of CCH serves over 2 million speci- herbarium collections, and power- In California, herbaria maintain men records, over 71% of which ful new modeling techniques, scien- plant collections dating from the are georeferenced (i.e., include lati- tists have been able to depict future mid-1800s to the present. Tradi- tude and longitude; Figure 2). With scenarios related to biodiversity and tionally, herbaria were used as a support from the California Digital how it might be distributed across resource for identifying plants, es- Library, the CCH began in 2003 the globe. tablishing their geographic range, with botanical collections from the and describing new species. Speci- University and Jepson Herbaria and WHAT IS A HERBARIUM? mens and their associated data are it quickly expanded into what the also powerful tools for researchers CCH is today, a truly collaborative Herbaria are collections of spec- seeking to answer a wide array of network of herbaria from through- imens from all plant groups– questions ranging from evolution out the state and beyond. angiosperms, gymnosperms, ferns, and local patterns of diversity to bryophytes, and algae. Fungi and global climate change. Specimen WHY THE CCH IS lichens are also included. Typically, data have also been used to address IMPORTANT the process of making a plant speci- questions related to invasive spe- men begins in the field by taking a cies, conservation, and natural re- Before the CCH existed, the only plant (or part of a plant) and press- source management. way for researchers to access plant ing it between two sheets of paper. specimens and their data was to per- Field notes accompany each collec- sonally visit a herbarium and go into tion and detail the location and other WHAT IS THE CONSOR- “the stacks,” where the pressed important site features. Once in the TIUM OF CALIFORNIA specimens are stored in herbarium plant press, specimens are dried, HERBARIA (CCH)? cabinets. A few herbaria had online mounted on acid-free paper, and databases but comparative research accessioned into the collection. Bo- The Consortium of California entailed accessing data in different tanical specimens are an irreplace- Herbaria is a gateway to informa- formats that could not be readily

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V44_1_book.pmd 17 12/17/15, 12:23 PM TABLE 1. A FULL LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONSORTIUM OF CALIFORNIA HERBARIA. ACRONYM COLLECTION FULL NAME BLMAR Bureau of Land Management Arcata Field Office Herbarium CATA Catalina Island Conservancy Herbarium CAS/DS California Academy of Sciences (incl. Dudley Herbarium) CDA California Department of Food and Agriculture Herbarium CHSC Chico State Herbarium, CSU Chico CLARK Riverside Metropolitan Museum Herbarium CSUSB CSU San Bernardino Herbarium DAV/AHUC UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium GMDRC Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center HSC Vascular Plant Herbarium, Humboldt State University IRVC UC Irvine Herbarium JOTR Joshua Tree National Park Herbarium JROH Oakmead Herbarium, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve LA UC Los Angeles Herbarium MACF Fay A. MacFadden Herbarium, CSU Fullerton OBI California Polytechnic State University Herbarium PASA Pasadena City College Herbarium (in Huntington Botanic Garden) PGM Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History RSA/POM Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Herbarium (incl. Pomona College Herbarium) SACT CSU Sacramento Herbarium SBBG Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Herbarium SCFS Sagehen Creek Field Station Herbarium SD San Diego Natural History Museum Herbarium SDSU San Diego State University Herbarium SFV CSU Northridge Herbarium SJSU Carl W. Sharsmith Herbarium, San Jose State University UC/JEPS University and Jepson Herbaria, UC Berkeley UCR UC Riverside Herbarium UCSB Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) Herbarium, UC Santa Barbara UCSC UC Santa Cruz Herbarium VVC A. Louise Baartz Memorial Herbarium, Victor Valley College YM Yosemite National Park Herbarium

EXTRA-CALIFORNIA PARTICIPANTS HUH Harvard University Herbaria NY Steere Herbarium, New York Botanic Garden SEINET Southwest Environmental Information Network

Source: David Baxter, University and Jepson Herbaria, 2015.

combined. The CCH has revolu- records online in a way that permits regional emphasis, a broad geo- tionized the way these data can be a variety of comparisons. graphic representation of herbaria accessed by collating a tremendous There are several advantages to significantly strengthens the CCH’s amount of information contained having a statewide representation of power to display a taxon’s geo- on specimen labels from large and herbaria participating in the CCH. graphic range (via georeferenced lo- small herbaria and placing these First, since some herbaria have a calities). A good example is Salix

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V44_1_book.pmd 18 12/17/15, 12:23 PM FIGURE 1. LOCATIONS OF Additional research has used data FIGURE 3. GEOREFERENCED CALIFORNIA HERBARIA from the CCH to address questions RECORDS OF SALIX PARTICIPATING IN THE CCH. related to climate change, adapta- LAEVIGATA SPECIMENS tion, and evolution (Google Scholar SERVED THROUGH CCH. page, ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consor- tium/citations/). Importantly, the CCH provides a reliable source of information on the distribution of rare plants and these data help sup- port conservation efforts through- out the state. The California Natural Diversity Database uses the CCH to update occurrence information. The Rare Plant Program of CNPS uses data from the CCH to help deter- mine California Rare Plant Ranks and to prioritize taxa and locations for Rare Plant Treasure Hunts. In addition to aiding with conserva- A wide range of herbaria participate in the CCH. They include collections at colleges tion status reviews, information from and universities, government agencies, the CCH such as elevation ranges, Points are categorized into five groups private institutions, botanic gardens, and blooming periods, species associates, according to the latitude of the institu- natural reserves and field stations. habitat, and edaphic substrates is tion holding the specimen, in order to demonstrate regional emphasis. Source: David Baxter, University and utilized in the CNPS Rare Plant In- Jepson Herbaria, 2015. ventory, by consulting biologists, Source: David Baxter, University and and by individual botanists gather- Jepson Herbaria, 2015. laevigata (Figure 3). The CCH helps put the puzzle pieces together by ing information about rare and displaying a more complete repre- FIGURE 2. DENSITY MAP OF common taxa. The CCH is also the sentation of the taxon’s geographic GEOREFERENCED SPECIMENS largest contributor to the Calflora range than is represented by any SERVED BY THE CCH. Observation Database. single collection. Second, some Due to the efforts of many indi- areas in California remain under- viduals and institutions, including represented by collections and flo- administration and software devel- ristic exploration is still needed. opment by the University and Jepson Researchers working at remote Herbaria (UC Berkeley), the CCH herbaria can help fill gaps in our has helped bring herbaria into the floristic knowledge by adding to the 21st century and join the global collections and fleshing out patterns effort to share data that was for- of biodiversity in the state. Third, merly stored only in collections. herbaria provide undergraduate stu- Members of the California Native dents from all over California with Plant Society have an important role training opportunities and exposure in the CCH. By supporting herbaria, to natural history collections, hope- volunteering in the collections, add- fully leading them to a life-long ing new specimens, and comment- appreciation of nature and interest ing on records in the CCH interface, in protecting native plants. This map shows the varying collection everyone can contribute to our density in California. Darker shades of shared goals of understanding and orange indicate a higher number of conserving the California flora. USES OF DATA FROM specimens collected from a grid cell. Note THE CCH that only specimens with known latitude and longitude data (71% of records) are All authors are affiliated with the Univer- The CCH has been cited in over mapped. Some parts of the state remain to sity and Jepson Herbaria, 1001 VLSB 100 publications including floristic be documented. #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465; studies, phylogenetic investigations, Source: Global Biodiversity Information [email protected]; rlmoe@berkeley. and studies of invasive species. Facility,www.gbif.org, 2015. edu; [email protected]

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