Introduction to Herbario Virtual Austral Americano[http://www.herbariovaa.org/index.php]
By Leslie R. Landrum, Edward Gilbert and Anne Barber
School of Life ScienceArizona State University
The purpose of this website, Herbario Virtual Austral Americano, is primarily tosupport the distribution of herbarium specimen data for plants that grow in southern
South America (Argentina and Chile). As we begin, in July 2011, it will distribute datafrom specimens held at some North American herbaria, and will provide a structure forthe distribution of other data sources as well. The site uses Symbiota Virtual Flora
Software that is especially designed to distribute natural history information frommultiple sources, including images, descriptive text, checklists, interactive keys andmuseum specimens. The internet has provided many new opportunities to inexpensively
share information and the scientific community has been quick to take advantage of thisnew resource. For examples, see Useful Links. Although no funding exists for this site
we have been able to use resources created for other sites, these sometimes supported by
grants to Arizona State University from the USA National Science Foundation (BDI0847966).
El propósito de este sitio web, Herbario Virtual Austral Americano, es de apoyar ladistribución de los datos de especímenes de herbario de plantas que crecen en el sur deSudamérica (Argentina y Chile). Para empezar, en julio 2011, distribuirá los datos deespecímenes guardados en algunos herbarios norteamericanos, y proporcionará una
estructura para la distribución de otras fuentes de datos también. El sitio utiliza Software
Symbiota Virtual Flora que es diseñado especialmente para distribuir información dehistoria natural de múltiples fuentes, inclusive imágenes, texto descriptivo, listados deespecies, claves interactivas y espécimenes de herbario. La Internet ha proporcionado
muchas nuevas oportunidades de compartir económicamente información y la comunidad
científica ha sido rápida en aprovechar este nuevo recurso. Para ejemplos, vea los UsefulLinks. Aunque ningun financiamento exista para este sitio nosotros hemos podido utilizar
recursos creados para otros sitios, estos a veces apoyados por subsidios a Arizona StateUniversity por la National Science Foundation de EEUU (BDI0847966).

In the following pages we attempt to provide enough information to the reader so that heor she may take advantage of this new resource.

Searching Collections:
Herbario Virtual Austral Americano so far includes data from the herbaria MO, NY, Fand ASU for Chile and Argentina. You can choose which herbaria to search by clicking
on “Search Collections” on the upper left. You then see a new page.

You can select one or more collections to search. And then click on “next” on lowerright. I have selected all collections.

This action takes me to the next page and I enter some information for a search: in thiscase the Asteraceae for taxon, Chile for country, Valparaiso for “State/Province” [Regionfor Chile], and “Campana” for locality. I think that most specimens from Cerro laCampana will have Campana in the locality. By including the country Chile I eliminate
possible localities in Argentina (e.g., Finca La Campana in Jujuy) with “Campana” intheir names and by including Valparaiso I do the same for other possible localities inChile.

I get a list of 12 specimens. I can transform this list into a Species List or Map byclicking on those words in the tabs at the top. This is certainly an incomplete list, but as
more specimens are added to the collective database it will become more complete. As itis, it may useful in making an identification.

Suppose I want a list of all species of Nothofagus and Berberis near Temuco, Chile. Icould use the words Temuco and Chile to define an area but I could be more precise byusing the Point Radius method. If I know the coordinates for Temuco I can enter them.
But if I do not, I can find them by clicking on the blue and green globe in the Point
Radius box and finding Temuco. Then I click on “Submit Coordinates” at the bottom.

That takes me back to the search page and I put “Nothofagus; Berberis” in theTaxonomic Criteria box. I also set the point radius at 100 km.

I find 48 specimens and then transform them into a species list.

There are still no images for the species of Berberis, but if I click on one of the names ofNothofagus, I will see images, and these can be expanded.

For instance this is an image of Nothofagus dombeyi. As more images are added thisfeature will become a useful identification tool.

Or, I can make a map of the specimens. The Berberis specimens are blue and theNothofagus specimens are red. By clicking on a marker, I can find which specimen isresponsible for that marker.

Another feature of Symbiota Software is the ability to make static checklists. As asample we have added
Flora de la Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt by Gina Arancio and Paola Jaraof the Universidad de La Serena based on their book by that name. On the home page inFloristic Projects you can click on Flora de Chile. Only a few lists now appear, but many
more can be added.

Clicking on the Flora de la Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt takes you to a newpage.

There are already some images associated with these names. Clicking on Schinus mollefor instance will bring up images and more images will be added with time.
Right after the name of the checklist there is the word “Games.” Clicking on that word
gives you a selection of two games that you can play with a checklist: the Name Game
(good for learning spellings) and the Flash Card Quiz (good for learning to recognizespecies).
Herbario Virtual Austral Americano follows the pattern of the Southwest Environmental
Information Network (SEINet; http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php). Interactive
keys are a feature of SEINet that can eventually be added to Herbario Virtual AustralAmericano.
We encourage you to create an account with Herbario Virtual Austral Americano.
Perhaps you will want to become a contributor of photographs, a checklist or specimen
data. Please feel free to contact us by email (les.landrum@asu.edu).