1. Know which taxa are locally or nationally rare or protected. Find
out and follow all necessary legal procedures for collecting.
2. Avoid indiscriminate collecting. Collect only the amount of plant
material necessary for documentation or research purposes. When feasible,
use photography or other methods of documentation. Be aware that other
collectors may visit the site.
3. Collect multiple specimens only of common taxa that are locally
abundant. Collect no more than about five percent of the plants visible
in any population.
4. Exercise care if you collect from a population of fewer than 100
plants. Collect only a single specimen when necessary to verify a possible
new record for the area, or as a scientific voucher. Avoid collecting
whole plants when plant parts are sufficient. Exercise care not to collect
samples so large as to adversely affect that plant's reproduction and
survival. For voucher specimens, take only a small part if this would
be adequate for certain identification. Never collect the only plant
of a population.
5. If you encounter a plant with which you are unfamiliar, assume it
is rare and exercise one of the following options:
Small population.Easy to return. Photograph the plant for identification
and return for collecting only if the collection would add significantly
to scientific knowledge;
Small population. Difficult to return. Collect only a single specimen;
take care not to collect any taxa you know to be locally or nationally
rare;
Large population. Follow general guidelines.
6. When collecting multiple specimens for exchange with other herbaria,
or for population studies or other purposes, make sure there is a clear
need for the number of specimens you wish to collect and the plant is
abundant enough to justify the collection of multiple specimens. Before
collecting population samples, determine that collection will enhance
scientific knowledge about the distribution or biology of the taxon,
i.e. do it as part of a scientifically designed sampling plan for a
specific scientific purpose.
7. Care properly for the specimens you collect. Deposit herbarium specimens
in an appropriate, recognized public collection. Use standard methods
such as the guidelines issued by the Association of Systematics Collections
for labelling the specimens.
8. Avoid purchasing wild-collected plants or plant parts or rare or
protected taxa even for research, teaching, or herbarium specimens
9. When choosing plant material to use for scientific research, if
possible, use plants or plant parts from existing collections or from
propagated sources. If you must collect living plants for scientific
research, collect in the manner least likely to damage the wild population,
including (in order of general preference): seeds, cuttings or other
plant parts, and whole plants. Leave behind some reproductive or regenerative
parts such as fruits, roots, or rhizomes.
10. Find out about the laws that protect plants in your area. Obtain
needed permits for scientific collecting on public lands. On private
lands, attempt to obtain the permission of the landowner before collecting.
Report any illegal collecting that you encounter to the appropriate
authorities. If you discover a new plant record, notify the appropriate
conservation official of land manager.
11. Collect out of the sight of the public if possible and avoid unnecessary
damage to the collection site. (This guideline does not imply that collecting
is a secret activity but is intended to avoid confusing the general
public.)
12. If you plan to maintain living plants, collect in a manner designed
to ensure the survival of the individual plants.
13. If you learn of rare or protected taxa in habitats that may be
destroyed, notify your state conservation agency or The Nature Conservancy.
14. Conduct salvage projects only in sites that are scheduled for imminent
destruction and obtain prior permission of the landowner. Do not collect
from portions of the site that will remain in a natural state. Use salvaged
plants only for such purposes as relocation, public education, botanical
research, documentation or as propagation stock, and not for sale to
the public.
15. When you discuss the results of your research, describe how your
collecting techniques relate to conservation of the wild plants.
16. Teach your students about proper and careful collecting techniques.
For classroom use, collect only those plants both common in the region
and locally abundant at the site. Generally, collect only the portions
of a plant necessary for identification such as a leaf and /or flower
and fruit. When taking students into the field, visit only non-sensitive
areas, taking care not to trample the site. Avoid frequent visits to
the same site.
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