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Symbioses in herbaria: recommendations for more positive interactions between plant systematists and ecologists
Author(s) -
Stern Margaret J.,
Eriksson Torsten
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.2307/1222584
Subject(s) - herbarium , taxon , systematics , ecology , biology , informetrics , geography , evolutionary biology , taxonomy (biology) , bibliometrics , library science , computer science
Summary Stern, M. J. & Eriksson, T.: Symbioses in herbaria: recommendations for more positive interactions between plant systematists and ecologists. – Taxon 45: 49‐58.1996. – ISSN 0040‐0262. Herbarium collections have traditionally been used primarily by systematists, including monographers and writers of floras. It is suggested here that herbarium material has eclectic value for use by many non‐traditional users, but only to the extent that care is taken by collectors and other researchers who benefit from collections. Suggestive examples relating to ecology, conservation biology, and systematics are presented (drawing on studies of distribution, plasticity, epiphylls, insect‐plant associations, molecular phylogenetics, and population genetics) where herbarium material would have been more valuable if it had been collected with potential multiple uses in mind. It is also argued that the quality of specimens is in most cases more important than their quantity.