Atkinson's Fungi: Curation and databasing at the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

Despite their importance as recyclers, symbionts, and pathogens, fungi are among the least known terrestrial organisms. This project focuses on the mushrooms and other fungi collected by George F. Atkinson, now stored in the Cornell Plant Pathology Herbarium. Atkinson described over 300 new fungi from the Northeastern US in the late 1800s and early 1900s, while amassing a collection of about 109,000 preserved specimens. The project will result in digital access to specimen information, linked with Atkinson?s own notes and images of living fungi, and will stabilize the specimens themselves for long-term preservation. An important impact of the project will be to improve understanding of the diversity and distribution of fungi, a critical group in that about 95% of fungal species have not yet been described by science. The project will introduce many undergraduate students and citizens to the value and uses of biological collections, including them in all aspects of collection management. It will promote public appreciation of fungi and their ecological impacts through identification workshops, forays, and exhibits. Project outreach will also be provided through the collection's website, and through a series of articles about Atkinson and his fungi on the Cornell Mushroom Blog.