The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute and New York State Museum are sponsoring a Biology and Conservation lecture series in October. A variety of speakers will present lectures on recent biodiversity research and conservation initiatives in the state. The lectures are free and will be held at noontime on Wednesdays in the state museum theater.
Wednesday, October 28, Noon
Forgotten Floras: Making the Case for Vouchered Plant Collections
In 2004, a species-area curve analysis revealed that at least 10 counties in the state documented fewer than half the plant species than predicted. Five years later, Otsego, Montgomery and Fulton counties were surveyed, generating more than 1,000 new records, including several rare and some newly invasive plants. Dr. Donna Vogler, of the State University of New York College at Oneonta, discusses the major findings of those efforts and the role of voucher-based natural history collections in the increasingly molecular and digital world of biology.
Montgomery County Flora Survey, Doug Idleman, Connie Tedesco, Jamie Barber, Laurie Freeman and Donna Vogler. Photo: Steve Young