SHEVOCK ET AL.: BRYOPHYTES 
397 
botanists and taxonomists to actively pursue the acquisition and identification of bryological spec¬ 
imens through intensive inventory and field work with the long-tenn goal of developing a bryoflo- 
ra of the Philippines. 
Techniques and procedures for making high quality museum specimens 
Pre-field Preparation. Before departing on a collection trip or expedition, one should review 
as much infonnation as possible including: the extent of previous collection for this taxonomic 
group, who conducted the previous survey, how long ago was the survey done, how intensive the 
survey was and whether the landscape has changed over the interval. One must also be aware if 
voucher spechnens have been obtamed in previous surveys and in which herbaria they reside. 
Topographic maps are also very useful in planning a collecting inventory event. Maps provide an 
indication of the complexity and difficulty of the terrain to be surveyed, identify access to the area 
by roads and trails, and generally indicate physiographic features such as springs, streams, water¬ 
falls and rock outcrops that are likely to provide a suite of microhabitats suitable for the taxonom¬ 
ic group to be surveyed. In addition, takmg a sunulated over-flight of an area with Google Earth 
on a computer is a useful adjunct to studying maps. Satellite imagery may reveal interestmg geo¬ 
graphic features not reflected on maps. One should also have a good overview of the vegetation 
since this will indicate the bryophyte species likely to be encountered. Collecting routes can be pri¬ 
oritized to maximize sampling on as many different microhabitats as possible. These pre-field 
assessments will make the time spent in the field considerably more productive. Climatic condi¬ 
tions may also influence when a survey is conducted depending on the project objectives. 
Conductmg biodiversity mventoiy work can be an expensive and time intensive enterprise. 
There are the costs of personnel, the time required to obtain the necessaiy permits, the associated 
travel expenses and the actual collection of specimens, the time required to identify specimens, the 
time required to develop high quality herbarium labels, and the time to properly prepare the collec¬ 
tions for peimanent museum storage. It is, therefore, essential that the time invested while in the 
field is spent efficiently and effectively. Pre-field preparation is a key step toward maximizing the 
time spent collecting specimens and documenting their habitats. 
Importance of Collection Numbers. Specimens should always be assigned a collection number 
at the time of collection. Although many numbering schemes for specimens collected have been 
utilized by various collectors, the two most frequently used are a chronological numbering 
sequence (1,2, 3, etc.) or a combination of the year followed by sequential numbering identifying 
a collection event. Regardless of the numbering system used, an efficient method of record keep¬ 
ing is essential. As spechnens are collected each is assigned the next available number and record¬ 
ed in a field notebook. This procedure ensures that each specimen is numbered as it is collected and 
no number can be used more than once. 
Recording Field Data. When arriving at a site to begin inventory sampling, one should first 
enter into the field notebook the country, county (or other land administrative unit), date, specific 
location, GPS coordinates, overview of the general habitat (vegetation cover, i.e. mixed subtropi¬ 
cal hardwood forest), rock type, elevation, date, and of course the name(s) of the collector(s). With 
these data obtained and written into the field notebook you are now ready to begin the inventory 
process. Each specimen collected receives the next available number in the field notebook and a 
quick note about its specific micro-habitat (i.e., aspect, exposure, slope, canopy cover, moisture, 
etc.) and substrate (i.e., on bark, rotten wood, litter, boulder, etc.) is added next to the collection 
number (Fig. T). All of these data will be essential in the creation of detailed and infonnative 
herbarium labels for each specimen collected. Record keeping is perhaps the most critical compo- 
