New software will automatically recognize plant traits
Jitendra Gaikwad and Martin Hochmuth from the iDiv Biodiversity Informatics Unit (BDU) work on a new tool for managing multimedia data for science (photo: Jan-Peter Kasper/FSU).
Several of the specimens in the Herbarium Haussknecht that have been digitised date back to the 19th century (picture: Herbarium Haussknecht).
For reference, the scans include a scale and a colour chart (picture: Herbarium Haussknecht).
Note for the media: Use of the pictures provided by iDiv is permitted for reports related to this media release only, and under the condition that credit is given to the picture originator.
Scientists start a new cooperation between Germany and Tunisia
Jena (06.10.16)The Herbarium Haussknecht in Jena contains a large amount of plant records, among which there are also many type specimens. Recently, hundreds of specimens have been digitised and are now available as high-resolution scans. A team of scientists from the German Center of Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the University of Jena, together with colleagues from the Sfax University in Tunisia, in a new project want to make these data more easily accessible for research. To this end, they will develop a new module for the opensource datamanagementsoftware BEXIS 2. This module will help to manage the image data, but will also automatically extract information on plant traits from the pictures, for example leaf size.
The project is entitled MAMUDS („Managing Multimedia Data for Science“) and coordinated by Jitendra Gaikwad, leader of the iDiv Biodiversity Informatics Group (BDU). Other involved researchers from Germany are iDiv members Prof. Dr. Birgitta König-Ries and Prof. Dr. Frank H. Hellwig from the University of Jena, Dr. Jörn Hentschel from the Herbarium Haussknecht, Martin Hochmuth from the iDiv Biodiversity Informatics Unit, and Dr. Jens Kattge from the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry. The MAMUDS project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with about 25.000 Euros for two years and the same amount from the Ministry for Research in Tunisia.
The full text is only available in German >Contact:
Jitendra Gaikwad, PhD
Leader of the Biodiversity Informatics Unit (BDU) of the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the University of Jena
https://www.idiv.de/en/the-centre/employees/details/eshow/gaikwad-jitendra.html
Tel.: 03641 / 94636
E-Mail:
jitendra.gaikwad@uni-jena.de
