<div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>SOS Collectors' Call Notes</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>April 7, 2015</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">There were 33 participants on the call.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b><br></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Collecting Voucher Specimens </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Meghann Toner, U.S. National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Herbarium
vouchers provide a physical link between your collection and species
identification. Try to make root to tip collections, displaying as many
physical characteristics as possible. Look at your key and make sure you’re displaying
the key characteristics. The Smithsonian prefers to receive vouchers in flower.
For graminoids, you’ll likely collect the vouchers in seed; feel free to fold
them to get to fit on the paper. The
longer you wait to shape the more difficult it is, with an increasing chance of
breaking the specimen. DO NOT mount SOS specimens. Mounting techniques differ,
Smithsonian sews their specimens on.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Two
primary things to keep in mind: size and labels. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Size: Pre-cut paper should
measure 11 ½ X 16 ½”. Free newspapers are often the best size. Make them as
flat as possible. It’s ok to fold specimens. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Label: 4x4”, includes location
data from big to little (state -> GIS coordinates), your name, collection
data, collection number, include “Seeds of Success”, habitat description.
Ideally labels are printed on archival paper.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Dry
specimens in plant press, check every few days to be sure they’re not molding. Order
of materials in your plant press should be: frame, blotting paper, newsprint,
sample, newsprint, blotting paper, frame. Bundle multiple specimens in their newspaper
packets for shipping. Include transmittal form and label. Smithsonian
will accept non-SOS vouchers, if they are appropriate for their collection.
Please contact Meghann before sending over non-SOS material.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">To
view specimens online check out the following resources: Smithsonian (<a href="http://botany.si.edu/">http://botany.si.edu/</a>), SEINET
(<a href="http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php">http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php</a>), and Missouri Botanical Garden (<a href="http://www.tropicos.org/Home.aspx">http://www.tropicos.org/Home.aspx</a>) or search other online
herbaria. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Contact
Meghann Toner (<a href="mailto:TonerM@si.edu">TonerM@si.edu</a>) if you are dealing with a tricky species. Email
is best.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>2014 Collection Summary</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">1439
collections, 1173 databased, including 697 taxa, 75 families, 50 ecoregions, 29
states and 70 collectors trained. The SOS 2014 Annual Report was debuted at the
National Native Seed Conference last week in Santa Fe and will be posted online
soon.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>SOS Collection Goals</b> <b></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The goal of SOS is to establish high quality, accurately
identified, genetically representative and well-documented native plant seed
collections. This material will be used to support the development of
geographically appropriate native plant materials for restoration and emergency
fire rehabilitation, as well as long-term conservation storage.</p>
<p class=""><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:windowtext">General Rules:</span></p><p class=""></p><ul><li>Only collect from wild populations of native species</li><li>Sample from at least 50 individuals, document the number of individuals sampled on the SOS Field Data Form</li><li>Material collected on multiple dates can be added to the same accession throughout an entire growing season, so long as no more than 20% of the ripe seed is collected from the population on a single day</li><li>An ideal collection is 10,000-20,000 pure live seed </li><li>Different populations should be kept as separate collections</li><li>Materials collected from the same population during multiple growing seasons should be kept as separate accessions</li></ul><p></p>
<p class="">SOS Technical Protocol—SOS guidelines recommend collections to
contain a minimum of 10,000 pure live seed.
If you know that seed will need to be returned to your office, collect
>10,000 seed so there is a balance after the contribution to ARS is made. Smaller
collections (<6,000 PLS) may go entirely in to ARS long-term storage & none
be available for R&D. If collection is <2500 PLS, seed will be offered back
to the original collector unless they are not otherwise represented in the SOS
National Collection.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b></b><b><span style="font-size:11pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">SOS
Seed, Data, Photos, Vouchers - What goes where?</span></b><br></p><ul><li>Seed: All BLM offices shall send seed to the Bend Seed Extractory for cleaning. Please contact Bend to let them know a shipment is coming. Label outside of seed bags with seed collection reference number and species. If there are multiple bags of a single collection, label bags 1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc. Non-BLM collection teams cleaning their own seed and should send seed directly to Mike Cashman at the Western Regional Plant Introduction Station in Pullman, WA.</li><li>Data sheets should be submitted to Megan at the National Coordinating Office (<a href="mailto:mahaidet@blm.gov">mahaidet@blm.gov</a>) and shall accompany all seed.</li><li>Photos should be submitted via google Drive or email to Megan.</li><li>Voucher specimens are to be sent to the Smithsonian U.S. National Herbarium, a regional herbarium and local herbarium (office), if available.</li></ul>Senders are responsible for all shipping costs related to seed and voucher transport. All seed included in the SOS National Collection will have duplicate long-term storage. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><b>Q&A</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"></p><ul><li>Bend
has notices that if you’re taping paper bags so that seed does not escape,
please tape the outside of the bags. This is new guidance and is the result of
tape that has peel off on the inside of bags resulting in seed sticking to the tape.</li><li>Where do you take the GIS point? Ideally in the middle of the
population.</li><li>Can you combine multiple collection days from into a single
collection? Yes.</li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p></div><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Megan Haidet<div>Seeds of Success<br><div>National Collection Curator</div><div>Seeds of Success</div><div>202-912-7233</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.blm.gov/sos" target="_blank">www.blm.gov/sos</a></div></div></div></div></div>
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