[SOS-PCA] SOS Collectors Call Tues August 6

[Prescott, Leah]

Hi all,

The next SOS Collectors call is *Tuesday, August 6th*. These monthly calls are
required for all seed collecting teams. Let me know if you need the call in
information.

*As a reminder, please send a copy of your first datasheet to the National
Office for review.*

Please submit your target species list if you have not already, these were
due Tuesday April 30th. We have a new template on the website, BLM.gov/SOS
<http://blm.gov/SOS>

Please come prepared with the following information:

   - How many collections have you made?
   - How many have been sent to Bend?
   - How many more collections do you anticipate?
   - How many collections will be operational?
   - When does your season end?

If you do not have a 2019 portal log in please contact me.

Just as a reminder, the calls take place at:

8 AM Alaska
9 AM Pacific
10 AM Mountain
11 AM Central
Noon Eastern

Below please find the notes from the July 2nd call:

There was a question regarding no pest strips. First, seed should always be
properly dried before treating with a pest strip, we lose more seed to mold
than infestations.

No pest strips should be used in a closed container, such as a plastic
storage bin. The strips will not work if they are left out in an open room.
Please use caution with the strips, when placing the strips in a bin please
do so outside or in a well ventilated area, please also use gloves. DO NOT
ship your seed with a pest strip, always remove seed from the bin and
package separately.

SOS Data Collection:

-          Seed Collection Reference Number is made up of the collector
code and the sequential collection number.

o   Collector Code – The collector code *must* be filled out (and filled
out correctly) in order for you to go back and make any edits to your data
form.

o   Collection Number – is just the sequential number of the collection.
I.e. 5, 6, etc.

o   The Alt. Collection Number – A secondary identification number
representing a code assigned by another institution. It may represent
another organization or individual involved in the collection, a batch
number or other numbering system previously employed by the current
institution.

o   There were numerous teams that would either put the entire Seed
Collection Reference Number in the Collection Number field, or put their
Alternative Collection Number in the Collection Number field. Please be
sure you’re keeping these separate.

-          Dates: Please utilize the first two date fields before entering
any remaining dates in the free text box.

-          Lat/Long – Please be sure you’re entering lat/long as DMS. If
you’re GPS unit can only do Decimal Degrees or UTM’s, that’s OK, please
just convert the coordinates into DMS. PLEASE no negative sign in the
longitude, we have to go through and delete each negative sign.

-          Location Information – Please remember that these need to be
detailed driving directions to the population location.

o   Location details - should describe the driving and hiking directions to
get back to the collection site. Please provide detailed enough information
so that someone could return to the site without GPS coordinates.

o   Five things to include in descriptions:

o   Set the scene – a landmark point of reference (i.e. nearest town)

o   Cardinal directions (avoid left/right unless you accompany it with N/S,
etc.)

o   Road names (if you’re driving on a county road for example, it’s also
helpful to include any other name the road might have i.e. County Rd. 46
might also be called Blue Hills Road)

o   Mileage (use the trip feature on your car to get precise mileages
between turns!)

o   Directions to population (often folks stop their directions at where
they parked the car but please include hiking/walking directions to the
population itself)

-          Geology, Soil texture/color – Soil information is particularly
important when thinking about where to put collections back on the ground.
Soil texturing should be done while the soil is moist. See soil texturing
flow chart on the SOS website. Your field office geologist might know of
better resources for your specific area as well. The following are great
resources for these SOS data fields:

o   https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/

o
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/technical/ecoscience/desc/

o   https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx

o   https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/Welcome/pgReportLocation.aspx?type=ESD

o   http://usnvc.org/

o   http://usnvc.org/data-standard/natural-vegetation-classification/

o   https://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/gmap/

-          Associated species – Please list the scientific name for at
least 5-10 of the most dominant species at your site. More species are
always appreciated. These can include native as well as non-native species.
This list does not need to be a complete flora, but should help provide a
snapshot of the plant community during the year of collection. Another
issue that we are aware of is the inability to delete associated species.
We’re looking into a solution, but, in the meantime if you need help fixing
any part of a datasheet, duplicate or incorrect associated species, you
picked the wrong collector code, whatever, just shoot me an e-mail and I
can usually fix it in minutes.

-          Field notes to assist in identification of pressed specimen –
this field should include observed field notes only. There is no need to
include a description form a flora or Wikipedia. Appropriate notes include
flower color, smell, or any other distinguishing feature that helped you
determine the ID of the plant or features that may otherwise not be seed in
your pressed specimen. This is also a field where you can include any other
important information about your population. i.e. if you use a newer flora
that keys to a subspecies not recognized by USDA plants, you can list the
full plant name that you keyed to in this box.

-          Elevation – please no commas
Thanks!
Leah

-- 
Leah Prescott
Seeds of Success
National Collection Curator (Contractor)
202-912-7232

Seeds of Success
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/native-plant-and-seed-material-development/collection>
National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration
<https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/native-plant-communities/national-seed-strategy>
Plant Conservation Alliance <http://www.plantconservationalliance.org/>
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