The North Carolina State University vascular plant herbarium (NCSC) is specialized in the flora of North Carolina and the southeastern US, continuing its mission to document and understand plant diversity and to transfer the taxonomic expertise developed to various users that depend on the generated knowledge. This project focuses on the: (1) compactorization of NCSC to alleviate specimen damage from current space constraints and allow for continued research- and training-driven growth, and the (2) imaging and databasing of a component of the collection, providing a training opportunity for undergraduates and engagement of the public through a citizen science approach.
The resulting publically available database of specimen label information, species distribution maps, and images has many practical applications, including increased capacity for survey and documentation, climate studies, and precision natural resource management. Also, because of NCSC's initiative to require silica-gel collections in addition to standard vouchers in floristic research, NCSC holdings will be significantly informative to studies at various levels of organization from molecules to ecosystems. In addition, to close the gap between modern collections-based research and K-12 education, NCSC is partnering with NC 4-H and high school teachers to develop lessons on genetic diversity, classification, and adaptive evolution. For additional information, see the NCSC website: http://herbarium.ncsu.edu/
