[PCA] WEB: Rocky Mountain Herbarium Website

[Olivia Kwong]

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If you have not been informed of the new RM website with Ben Legler's new
search interface, please read.  View distributions of species throughtout
the Rockies and beyond based on nearly 700,000 RM accessions.

New Web Site at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium (RM/USFS)

The RM web site (http://www.rmh.uwyo.edu/) has been enhanced 
significantly. It now includes access to the nearly 700,000 specimen 
records through a  new search interface. Features of the new interface 
include: searching for specimens by text criteria or by drawing an 
arbitrary polygon around an area of interest on a map, viewing the 
distribution of a species over Google Maps with an associated listing of 
specimen records, the ability to click on a dot on the map to get the list 
of specimens collected at that site or click on a specimen to view its 
location on the map, the ability to down-load data in several formats, and 
more. The web site includes data from 44 major floristic MS projects as 
well as more than 24 projects by RM staff and associates for a total of 
550,000 numbered collections. These new accessions were from 11 states in 
or adjacent to the Rocky Mountains (all georeferenced). Direct access is 
provided to specimen collections, taxa lists, and geographical boundaries 
for all completed projects. For .historical. collections (150,000), 
coverage includes much of Wyoming, western South Dakota, Colorado, New 
Mexico, and Arizona (georeferencing in progress). Location data are 
redacted from private lands and Federally listed taxa.

Ben Legler, while completing a floristic MS degree on the Vermejo Park
Ranch in northern New Mexico, totally rebuilt the database using MySQL and
MS Access and created the new web interface. He is also responsible for 
the technical aspects of the portal for the Consortium of Pacific 
Northwest Herbaria (http://www.pnwherbaria.org) at the WTU Herbarium, 
University of Washington, on which our interface is modeled.

We have a memorandum of understanding with UW Libraries and their IT staff
for housing the new site and maintaining the database. This relationship
has proven to be mutually valuable for both the RM and the UW Libraries.
The database began in 1991 using PLabel by Kent Perkins. Over the years it
has evolved in various ways. Tim Chumley provided significant refinements
in the late 1990s. He also developed the earlier web site and is 
responsible for the online Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Wyoming. Jill 
Larson was responsible for a number of improvements in the mid-2000s.
Throughout its history, B. E. Nelson has done an admirable job of 
overseeing data acquisition and editing content.

Ronald L. Hartman


Rocky Mountain Herbarium
Department of Botany, 3165
1000 E University Avenue
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
rhartman at uwyo.edu
307 766 2236 p