Fees-funded MSc by Research: Evaluating the novel botanical and heritage contributions of the Royal Agricultural University herbarium

Closing date: 26 November 2024

Interview date: 10 December 2024

Start date: 20 January 2025 (or 22 September 2025 for RAU alumni only)

The project

Applications are invited for this full-time MSc by Research, which is fees-funded by Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society and the Royal Agricultural University’s John Oldacre Fund.

gloucestershire naturalists society logo rau logo

Background

With 40% of the world’s plants and fungi threatened with extinction (Antonelli et al., 2023), the role of herbaria in nature recovery is arguably more important than ever. A herbarium can be defined as ‘a collection of preserved plants stored, catalogued, and arranged by family, genus and species for study’ (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, 2024). Recently, increased digitisation and accessibility have greatly increased interest in the application of old herbarium data to biodiversity conservation (e.g. James et al., 2018; Hedrick et al., 2020; Heberling, 2022). Herbaria often provide the earliest species distribution data available to inform current ecological decision-making (Meineke et al., 2018; Lang et al., 2019).

Small herbaria (defined as <100,000 specimens) have been found to contribute the same proportions of unique records as larger collections (Marsico et al., 2020). However, small herbaria held by local or small organisations have been identified as being at risk of under-use, closure, transfer to larger institutions, and even disposal (Martine, 2013). Therefore there is strong justification for the study of such collections, particularly when attached to the heritage and history of the holding institution. A herbarium sheet can be considered as an archival document in its own right, which gives valuable insights into the socio-ecological heritage of botanical collecting and recording, such as botanical exchange networks (Groom et al., 2014) and correspondence (e.g. Darwin Correspondence Project, Letter 2724).

The Royal Agricultural University is currently digitising its historic herbarium, which comprises two main collections:

  1. The herbarium of Samuel Pickworth Woodward (Professor of Geology and Botany at the Royal Agricultural College 1845-1848) and other contributors. Specimens date between 1787 and 1869.
  2. The herbarium of Dai Barling (Lecturer in Agricultural Botany at the Royal Agricultural College between 1946 and 1989) and other contributors.

In addition, several smaller collections have been accessioned. In total, the Royal Agricultural University herbarium holds over 7000 specimens. These cover a wide range of wild-collected taxa – woody species, forbs, graminoids, pteridophytes, bryophytes, lichens, algae, and fungi – which are predominantly UK-collected. The herbarium holds small numbers of crop specimens and international specimens.

Over one year, this research project seeks to enrich the interpretation of the RAU herbarium through simultaneous assessment of its novel botanical and heritage contributions. This will be achieved through the following objectives:

  1. Conduct an in-depth literature review of the contributions of herbaria to ecological management and as a heritage resource
  2. Investigate the extent of unique botanical records in the RAU herbarium
  3. Investigate collector histories and heritage values of the RAU herbarium
  4. Evaluate the usefulness of considering botanical and heritage aspects in tandem, and the extent to which this combined approach enriches interpretation of the herbarium

Indicative methodology

Following an in-depth literature review, it is likely that a subset, or subsets, of specimens from the collection will be researched in line with the researcher’s interests e.g. particular taxa and/ or selected locations (e.g. Hemmings, 2022).

To investigate whether Royal Agricultural University herbarium records are unique biological records, a quantitative presence/absence approach will be taken. Species, location and date data will be compared to present day biological records from, for example, BSBI (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland), NBN (National Biodiversity Network), GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), and individual herbaria ensuring all records used are acknowledged.

To investigate collector histories, a qualitative archival approach will be applied. At present, some collector names in the herbarium can be traced, while others have not yet been. The researcher will elucidate collector identities and life histories, the taxonomic and geographical biases in their collecting, which other herbaria hold their specimens, evidence of botanical exchange networks, and any correspondence history. Sources are likely to include digital resources via the Biodiversity Heritage Library and HerbariaUnited, as well as physical County Floras, Field Club Proceedings, and local archives.

To evaluate the extent to which a combined botanical and heritage approach enriches the interpretation of the herbarium, the researcher will select, expand upon, and critically appraise case studies from their research which support and/ or challenge this concept.

References

Antonelli*, A., Fry*, C., Smith*, R.J., Eden*, J., Govaerts*, R.H.A., Kersey*, P., Nic Lughadha*, E., Onstein*, R.E., Simmonds*, M.S.J., Zizka*, A., Ackerman, J.D., Adams, V.M., Ainsworth, A.M., Albouy, C., Allen, A.P., Allen, S.P., Allio, R., Auld. T.D., Bachman, S.P., Baker, W.J., Barrett, R.L., … Zuntini, A.R. (2023). State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34885/wnwn-6s63

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2724,” accessed on 14 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2724.xml

Groom, Q. J., O’Reilly, C., & Humphrey, T. (2014). Herbarium specimens reveal the exchange network of British and Irish botanists, 1856–1932. New Journal of Botany, 4(2), 95-103. https://doi.org/10.1179/2042349714Y.0000000041

Heberling, J. M. (2022). Herbaria as big data sources of plant traits. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 183(2), 87-118. https://doi.org/10.1086/71762387.

Hedrick, B. P., Heberling, J. M., Meineke, E. K., Turner, K. G., Grassa, C. J., Park, D. S., Kennedy, J., Clarke, J .A., Cook, J. A., Blackburn, D. C., Edwards, s. V. & Davis, C. C. (2020). Digitization and the future of natural history collections. BioScience, 70(3), 243-251. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz163

Hemmings, K. (2022). Ancient woodland indicator species: can old herbarium specimens supplement recent records to inform ecological management?. Webbia, Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Goegraphy, 77(2), 327-336. doi: 10.36253/jopt-13400

James, S. A., Soltis, P. S., Belbin, L., Chapman, A. D., Nelson, G., Paul, D. L., & Collins, M. (2018). Herbarium data: Global biodiversity and societal botanical needs for novel research. Applications in plant sciences, 6(2), e1024. https://doi.org/10.1002/aps3.1024

Lang, P. L., Willems, F. M., Scheepens, J. F., Burbano, H. A., & Bossdorf, O. (2019). Using herbaria to study global environmental change. New Phytologist, 221(1), 110-122. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15401

Marsico, T. D., Krimmel, E. R., Carter, J. R., Gillespie, E. L., Lowe, P. D., McCauley, R., ... & Monfils, A. K. (2020). Small herbaria contribute unique biogeographic records to county, locality, and temporal scales. American journal of botany, 107(11), 1577-1587. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1563

Martine, C. T. (2013). Establishment of regional herbarium leads to more than 200 new flora atlas records for New York State1. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, 140(1), 125-131. https://doi.org/10.3159/TORREY-D-12-00036.1 

Meineke, E. K., Davis, C. C., & Davies, T. J. (2018). The unrealized potential of herbaria for global change biology. Ecological Monographs, 88(4), 505-525. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.1307

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2024). The herbarium. https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/herbarium#:~:text=The%20Herbarium%20is%20a%20collection,genus%20and%20species%20for%20study.

Details of the studentship

The fees-funded studentship is offered on a one-year full-time basis starting in January 2025. For RAU alumni, the start date could be September 2025. The studentship is campus-based in Cirencester.

A fee waiver of £5,500 for one year full-time study for UK home students is paid for you*.  

*International students are welcome to apply but the difference in home and international fees, currently at £5,500 and £18,050 respectively, would have to be paid by the student.

As a postgraduate research student, you will be expected to play an active role in the life of the Royal Agricultural University. You will also be given opportunities to gain experience in learning and teaching under the guidance of your Supervisory team.

Supervisory team

Primary supervisor:

Dr Kelly Hemmings, Royal Agricultural University

Co-supervisor:

Dr Cassie Newland, Royal Agricultural University

Application process

To apply please complete the application form below:

Application form for RAU MScR Studentship

It is expected that applicants will have the following qualifications / experience. In your application it is important to indicate how you meet these expectations:

  • A BSc or BA in a relevant discipline e.g. ecology, biodiversity & conservation, environmental science, natural history or heritage, geography, or equivalent professional experience.
  • A First or Upper Second (2.1) Honours Degree.
  • Ability to contribute to the research design and digitisation.
  • Experience of relevant research methods and skills.
  • Experience of working with natural science collections.
  • Experience of archival and cultural heritage resources.

It is also expected that applicants will be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Ability to identify common plant species using botanical nomenclature and taxonomy.
  • Ability to work with archival documents, including antiquated handwriting.
  • A strong understanding of and interest in both the project and the wider subject area.
  • Proficiency in oral and written English.
  • Computer literacy.
  • Ability to organise and meet deadlines.
  • Good interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

The interview

In person interviews will be held on 10 December 2024. Shortlisted candidates only will be contacted and given at least seven days’ notice of the interview. In advance of the interview, shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a sample of their written work (e.g. a dissertation or project). The formal interview will last approximately 20 minutes. Alongside the interview, shortlisted candidates will be asked to give a 10-minute presentation on their ideas for the MSc by Research and will be tested on their ability to identify, transcribe and georeference a UK wild plant herbarium specimen.

For further information or an informal discussion on this project, please contact Dr Kelly Hemmings (Primary Supervisor) via email (kelly.hemmings@rau.ac.uk).