Virtual and university herbarium: plant biodiversity for teaching, research and extension

Abstract

Botanical collections documentation identity and distribution of plant species and are essential both in basic jobs as applied. The herbarium Profª. Dr. Marlene Freitas da Silva (MFS), located in Pará State University (UEPA) has consolidated space since 2011, but its collection is little explored in the academic environment. This study aimed to create a Virtual Herbarium for MFS, in Pará State University, seeking online access to diverse data from Amazon plant biodiversity as a way to contribute to greater integration and sharing of information to society. Informal interviews with application of semi-structured forms to 48 people who visited the herbarium display in Week Academic University were held. The preparation of the infrastructure of collection of the data to be available online, included improvements in the quality of banks of information and images, creating the virtual page and installation of Brahms online. The verbalization of the interlocutors externalized ignorance of the existence of space in UEPA as well as his thoughts about the importance of MFS in the production of knowledge, highlighting its sociocultural function. The creation of virtual space allowed greater knowledge of the entire collection, with 5.800 samples, 2.700 species belonging to 886 genera and 173 botanical families. In addition, there is also a collection of flowers, fruits, seeds and seedlings, which are associated with 210 herbarium records. Socialization online plant biodiversity promoted within the university greater appreciation of assets that are the heritage natural humanity and contribute with scientific data for the whole society.