3.2 Data Needs

There are minimum standards for data recording which render the collected specimen more valuable than one for which little data is recorded. A specimen with little recorded data may be of little value to science and/or resource management. If a collected plant specimen is accompanied by adequate data and is subsequently made a part of a permanent collection, it can provide valuable information to taxonomists, ecologists, geographers, resource users and resource managers for the next several hundred years; plant collecting is not for today alone!

Data must be recorded in a field notebook or on a proper dataform (see below).

3.2.1 Field Notebook

All data recorded for a collected plant should be recorded in a permanent notebook. Data recorded in a permanent notebook is not readily lost or subsequently altered; it is the permanent evidence associated with a plant collection. Data from the notebook will be transcribed onto an herbarium label for attachment to an herbarium sheet (for those plants becoming part of the permanent collection); even for those voucher specimens temporarily held, the data notebook provides information about the specimen(s) and - if used in court proceedings - as evidence. For each specimen collected the collector's name and field collection number is recorded in this notebook.

3.2.2 Field Form

Many projects that involve collecting plants are field sampling surveys where the site and vegetation data from the vegetation plot are recorded on Ecosystem Field Forms (FS882) or Vegetation Resource Inventory Forms. The site and vegetation data from the plot becomes the information for the label. When field forms are used, it is not necessary to record the plot information in a field notebook.

When forms are used, it is most time-efficient to number the plants collected on each plot and simply write them directly onto the form. The numbering format is 'plot number - specimen number'. The plot number is a pre-assigned number that is written on the field form or often pre-typed on the form. The two-digit number specific to the plant is written after the species name in the vegetation list (e.g., Alisma gramineum -01). For example, if using an Ecosystem Field Form with an assigned plot number of 9900123, then the full reference for the first two plants collected would be 9900123-01 and 9900123-02. For Vegetation Resource Inventory Forms, the plot number will have one extra digit, then the dash and two-digit specimen number. This creates unique numbers for each specimen.

Note that these unique plot-specimen numbers are not the same as the plant collection numbers that will appear on the prepared collection labels! Once the plot data has been digitally entered, a unique collector and collector's number will be created that is linked to this initial 10 or 11 digit plot-specimen number (e.g., 9900123-01 may now be linked and referred to as Penny 73). This newly assigned label will become the collector's number that will be used on the plant label.

3.2.3 Plant Labels

Labels are the most important part of a plant collection (Figure 1). The essential items, (listed in section 3.2.5), can greatly increase the value of the collection for a variety of users. The order of notebook entries should approximate the label format for ease in label preparation and duplications, especially for label preparation by someone other than the collector. Plant labels must accompany voucher specimens. Labels should be a size so that six fit onto an 8 ½ x 11 inch sheet of paper (approximate label dimensions: 8 x 10.5 cm, or
3 x 4 inches)¹.

3.2.4 Rare Plants

For conservation purposes, a complete rare plant Field Observation Form should be completed when a rare plant has been found (Figure 2). This will create a record in the CDC data base that is retrievable for a number of different users. Much of the information contained in the collection label will also appear on this form. Data on the size of the plant population for the particular sample (both in area and numbers) is especially valuable, particularly for conservation rank and resurvey purposes.

Figure 1. Example of a BC Conservation Data Centre collection label (actual size).

Figure 2. BC Conservation Data Centre Field Observation Form.

3.2.5 Data to be Collected

Below is a list of the minimum data to be collected for label preparation¹ .

Specimen Name

• On the label, record the identity of the specimen that has been verified in a suitable reference work or in a herbarium (if the specimen belongs to a taxonomically difficult group). The taxonomic authority should also be written, i.e., Ranunculus repens Linnaeus. Taxonomy and nomenclature should follow The Vascular Plants of BC or The Illustrated Flora of BC (when the latter becomes available) for vascular plants, The Lichens of BC for foliose and squamulose lichens, and the most recent North American checklists produced by The Bryologist for the remaining lichens and all bryophytes.
• If a photo was taken of the plant, record this in the field notebook.

Detailed Location (Locality)

• This should include: reference to a landmark near the collection site, the elevation, a UTM² and the latitude/longitude. The UTM is used for later identification of the precise sampling site by the Conservation Data Centre (CDC) and is also required for mapping purposes for those using GIS (Geographical information Systems). If the UTM is provided, a less detailed description of the locality is necessary, however, the latitude/longitude is still required to aid those users outside of BC who may not have access to BC 1:50,000 maps. References to human-made landmarks should be avoided as these are often subject to change.
• Geographical site names provide information which supports the given UTM or latitude/longitude and provides other information which may lead a subsequent researcher back to the collection site.
• Altitude or elevation above sea level must be recorded in meters (specify, if recorded in feet). This may be done from a topographical map or obtained from a properly calibrated altimeter.

Habitat

• e.g., landform, moisture regime, aspect, slope, vegetative composition. The latter is especially important. Knowledge of the dominant/co-dominant species often reveals a wealth of information concerning the ecology of the site. This data is invaluable for future retrieval of ecological and conservation data.

Collector's name

• Record first name, initials and surname.

Collector's number

• This is extremely important since it will identify the collection in future databases, scientific papers and conservation reports.
• A unique field collection label should be assigned to each specimen.
• A lifetime system is recommended rather than labels for each project or year. A label may look like "Penny 73" where the collector and number are unambiguous.
• The use of consecutive numbers is best.
• In the case of extra, inconspicuous bryophytes and lichens, which may only appear during identification under the microscope in the herbarium, these should be given additional lower case letters. These are added to the number (i.e., 264a, 264b, etc.). These become unique collections but the labels will be nearly identical.
• For each collected specimen this assigned number after the collector's name, must be written:

1. in the permanent field notebook. Note that in the case of voucher collections made during RIC approved field sampling surveys that use field forms, it is the plot--specimen number that must be written on the form. This initial plot--specimen number will later be linked to a corresponding collection number that must be used on the plant label (see section 3.2.2);
2. on the sheet of folded newsprint used to enclose the plant specimen;
3. and on the completed plant label.

Collection date

• Format is YYYY/MM/DD.

Plot number

• This refers to the plot number that is pre-assigned to a vegetation plot when field sampling surveys are being conducted using Ecosystem Field Forms (FS882) or Vegetation Resource Inventory Forms. This number is often pre-typed on the form.
• The plot number need only be recorded on the plant label if the collector desires to link a particular plant specimen back to the sample plot from which is was collected.

Determiner

• Name of the person who identifies the specimen in the laboratory is recorded on the plant label. The date (at minimum the year) the identification was made is also required.

Notes

Record comments that may be of importance here. For example:

• Flower colour, as it often fades upon drying.
• Unusual phenomena, e.g., "many rye plants in the population sampled had their spikelets infected with smut".
• For marine algae it is useful to document tide level (upper, middle, or low intertidal or subtidal), exposure to sea, currents and type of substrate data.

1. The BC Conservation Data Centre can provide an electronic template that ensures proper label format, as well as suggest software that is cabable of efficiently producing labels.
2. using 1:50,000 maps for the establishment of Universal Transverse Mercator Grid (UTM) coordinates, the instructions for their establishment appear in the margins of all 1:50,000 maps. Most of the latter map editions use North American Datum (NAD) 27 or 1927. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) units have the option of using a multiple of different NAD settings, including NAD 83, the BC Government standard. All new surveys and maps will use this. The CDC also uses NAD 83 to map element occurrences. The CDC converts NAD 27 data to NAD 83 data when necessary.