5.4 BOTANICAL INFORMATION
Background
The Gardens has made considerable efforts to ensure that the
information about its collections is integrated and cross-referenced
through computer databases. It has become one the most technically
advanced scientific collecting institutions in Australia. It is
committed to making this information widely available to the
scientific community and is involved in the assessment and
implementation of computer and communications technology in the
scientific collections field. It encourages links with other botanic
gardens and herbaria to facilitate sharing of information.
Gardens staff have been instrumental in developing national standards
and protocols for the storage and exchange of botanical information
and in gaining acceptance of these standards by State and Territory
agencies. They have also been active in international projects and
organisations concerned with data exchange standards.
Management prescriptions
Objective
The objective is to participate actively and constructively in
projects to develop and implement national and international
standards for the storage and exchange of botanical information.
Implementation
The Gardens will continue to support and take an active role in the
development of national and international standards for botanical
data exchange through involvement in activities and organisations
such as the national Herbarium Information Standards and Protocols
for Interchange of Data, the Taxonomic Databases Working Group of the
International Union of Biological Sciences, and the International
Organization for Plant Information World Vascular Plant Checklist
project.