By
TODD McLEISH/ecoRI News contributor
 |
| Rebecca Kartzinel, director of the Brown University Herbarium, examines a plant specimen collected more than 100 years ago. (Todd McLeish/ecoRI News) |
It maintains what director Rebecca Kartzinel called “the physical record of a species in a particular place” — pressed leaves, flowers, stems, and sometimes roots with detailed notes about where and when collected.
Among
the 100,000 specimens stored in folders in climate-controlled and insect-proof
cabinets are samples from the early explorations of the American West, as well
as from Cuba, New Zealand, New Guinea, and elsewhere.
The
overwhelming majority of the 14,000 plant specimens from Rhode Island were
collected more than a century ago.
A great deal of the Rhode Island landscape has changed since then, due largely to the climate crisis, invasive species, and habitat destruction. Kartzinel is leading an effort to collect specimens of every plant now found in Rhode Island.
A great deal of the Rhode Island landscape has changed since then, due largely to the climate crisis, invasive species, and habitat destruction. Kartzinel is leading an effort to collect specimens of every plant now found in Rhode Island.
“We
have a good representation of plants from 1870s Rhode Island, and we want to
have a good representation of Rhode Island’s flora now,” said Kartzinel, a
research professor in the Brown Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
who took over the directorship of the herbarium last May. “That means we have to
collect everything that grows in Rhode Island.
“Knowing what’s here now is important because things are rapidly changing. The data could be used to compare with historic records, or for producing more accurate range maps, or for analyzing what factors are impacting the changes.”
The
project was launched four years ago by the previous herbarium director, Tim
Whitfield, who focused his own specimen collecting efforts in the Cumberland
area.
Botanist Beth Dickson, who worked in Alberta, Canada, for 24 years before retiring to Rhode Island, is spending much of her free time collecting specimens in South Kingstown and Charlestown.
Botanist Beth Dickson, who worked in Alberta, Canada, for 24 years before retiring to Rhode Island, is spending much of her free time collecting specimens in South Kingstown and Charlestown.
“To
actually collect every species, if it’s even possible, will probably take many
years, since many plants are best found only in certain seasons and specific
habitats,” said Dickson, who uses Google Earth imagery to identify various
habitats to visit. “Having a good specimen gives adequate material to do
comparison studies of anatomy, morphology, and biochemistry that may be useful
in the future.”
When
in the field, Dickson carries a trowel, clippers, notebook, and a field press
and makes note of the habitat and the other species growing near the collected
specimen. Once she returns home, she uses a dissecting microscope to identify
each specimen before pressing it and letting it dry for a week or more.
While
Dickson is focused on collecting the most common plants, amateur botanist Doug
McGrady searches statewide for rare plants to contribute to the herbarium
collection.
Kartzinel
is taking a systematic approach to overseeing the project by seeking out
habitats and species that are underrepresented in the university’s collection,
and by identifying species from the historic records that haven’t been found
recently and trying to track them down.
Historically,
herbarium specimens were mostly used in the describing and naming of species.
Scientists seeking to determine whether a new species had been discovered would
use herbarium specimens for comparison purposes.
While
specimens are still studied in this way, most recent uses of the collection
have involved DNA studies.
“That
means our collecting must be done with DNA sequencing in mind,” Kartzinel said.
“We often collect additional material so we don’t destroy the specimen. And we
dry them with minimal heat so we don’t destroy the DNA.”
In
addition, the entire collection is in the process of being digitized so
scientists can conduct their studies without needing the actual specimen in
hand. Anyone can view the digitized collection online.
Tours of the herbarium for garden clubs and other interested groups are also offered by appointment.
Tours of the herbarium for garden clubs and other interested groups are also offered by appointment.
Some
samples are even loaned for use in exhibits. The Providence Athenaeum has included several specimens from
the Brown University herbarium in its Walt Whitman exhibit, which runs until
Jan. 5.
“These specimens aren’t just useful within the scientific community,” Kartzinel said. “From a museum perspective, it’s important to recognize that you never know what is going to be useful in the future. So it’s our job to keep that documentation. If we stop collecting, then that’s the end of our record. It’s the continual temporal record that’s important.”