Herbarium Collections and Invasive Species Biology: Understanding the Past, Present,

and Future

David Giblin, Ph.D.

Ben Legler

Richard G. Olmstead, Ph.D.

University of Washington Herbarium - Burke Museum

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

The University of Washington Herbarium

• Founded in 1882 - now part of Burke Museum

• Largest in Pacific Northwest

The University of Washington Herbarium

• Founded in 1882 - now part of Burke Museum

• Largest in Pacific Northwest

• ~600,000 specimens– vascular plants (380,000)– bryophytes (120,000)– fungi (50,000)– lichens (22,000)– marine algae (25,000)

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

Specimen-based Research

Marion Ownbey - Tragopogon

Specimen-based Research

Richard Mack - Bromus tectorumMarion Ownbey - Tragopogon

Specimen-based Research

Richard Mack - Bromus tectorumMarion Ownbey - Tragopogon

Sarah Reichard - Invasive Ornamentals

Specimen-based Research

Richard Mack - Bromus tectorumMarion Ownbey - Tragopogon

Sarah Reichard - Invasive Ornamentals Peter Zika - Native/Exotic congeneric hybridization

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

# of

Sp

ecim

ens

(x 1

000)

Collections Growth by Year at WTU 1937-2004

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

19371940194319461949195219551958196119641967197019731976197919821985198819911994199720002003Year

Number of specimens

Collections Growth by Year at WTU 1937-2004

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

19371940194319461949195219551958196119641967197019731976197919821985198819911994199720002003Year

Number of specimens

Specimens of Introduced Species added to WTU 1937-2004

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003

Year

Number of specimens

Spartina alterniflora - smooth cordgrass

Polygonum cuspidatum - Japanese knotweed

Buddleja davidii - butterfly bush

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

Recent Findings

• Impatiens x pacifica (I. ecalcarata x I. capensis) in Western Washington

• Murdannia kiesak along Columbia River

• Geranium lucidum in Clark and Skagit counties

Murdannia keisak - wartremoving herb

Impatiens x pacifica (I. ecalcarata x I. capensis) - jewelweed

Geranium lucidum - shining geranium

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

Talk Outline

• UW Herbarium

• Herbaria and Invasive Plant Research

• Inadequate Invasive Plant Collections

• Recent Invasives Data from WTU

• Digital Resources at WTU

• Conclusions and Future Needs

Conclusions and Future Needs

• Herbarium records invaluable

• Increase effort to collect invasives

• Deposit duplicates at regionally significant herbaria

• Increase funding for databasing invasives specimens

• Exploit emerging technologies for data sharing

Photo Acknowledgements

• Ben Legler

• Fred Weinmann

• Arne Andenberg