Retrieval, compilation, and exploratory analysis of voucher specimens for vertebrates and vascular plants in 14 northeastern national parks

O'Connell, Allan; Gilbert, Andrew

Brief Description: Report (PDF) and two datasets (MS Access database and Excel spreadsheet) describing the results of an effort to find and summarize natural history collections' specimen holdings of vertebrate (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles) and vascular plants originally collected in or near selected park unit boundaries. Full Description: As part of the National Park Service (NPS) effort to implement biological inventories and long-term monitoring of park resources, we searched natural history collections to determine the number of vertebrate (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles) and vascular plant voucher specimens originating within or near select national park unit boundaries throughout the northeastern United States. These records provided a measure of historical biodiversity for the region with respect to individual park units. We queried 274 collection managers curating 307 natural history collections and received a 70% response rate. Searches of collections placed specimens into one of four locality categories, ranging from within current park boundaries to a county within the state where the park was located. We evaluated park characteristics (e.g., age, size) to evaluate their effect on the number of specimens found. We assembled >30,000 specimen records including over 4,000 (21%) determined to originate within current park boundaries. Distribution of specimens was fairly uniform between 1890 and 2000 with declines in collecting corresponding roughly to world events (i.e., wars, great depression). Manual searches showed that specimens could be found in collections of varying sizes but require considerable time and effort. Because most collections are not yet computerized, manual searches remain the only viable option if information is needed for immediate use. We found specimens originating within or near the boundaries of parks ranging from small collections in local educational institutions to the world’s largest museums, some far outside the region of origin, as far away as Europe. Thus, global searches will be necessary to locate specimens of interest. We discuss how to conduct efficient searches of natural history collections, the value of voucher specimens in documenting local and regional biodiversity, and the utility of estimating species richness. Parks for which specimen data were compiled: Acadia NP (ACAD), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP (MABI), Minute Man NHP (MIMA), Morristown NHP (MORR), Roosevelt-Vanderbilt NHS (ROVA), Saint-Gaudens NHS (SAGA), Saugus Iron Works NHS (SAIR), Saratoga NHP (SARA), Weir Farm NHS (WEFA); Assateague Island NS (ASIS), Cape Cod NS (CACO), Fire Island NS (FIIS), Gateway NRA (GATE), and Sagamore Hill NHS (SAHI)

Retrieval, compilation, and exploratory analysis of voucher specimens for vertebrates and vascular plants in 14 northeastern national parks

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