The Mycology Collections at TENN: Rehousing, Digitization and Management of Supporting Materials

University Of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville TN

Investigators

Abstract

An award has been made to the University of Tennessee Knoxville under the direction of Dr. Ronald H. Petersen to re-house the fungus collection at the university and assemble an online database of the material for access on the Internet. The University of Tennessee has a large herbarium of approximately 63,000 fungi, most of them in the mushroom group. Additionally, there are valuable cultures of cultures and spores, along with DNA samples that add significantly to the research value of the preserved specimens. The project will re-house the collection in new cabinets, ensuring their preservation for future study. The collection contains extensive holdings from the Appalachian region, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and thus the fungal specimens provide a record of this important component of biodiversity. Students will be trained in curation of fungi, and in database construction.