Thank you! Sorry for the late reply. Since our biosphere is undergoing such significant change, it's more important than ever to continue documenting biodiversity. Support your local Herbarium! Natural history collections often rely on volunteers.
Thanks for the video. Isn't it better to fix the plants with water tape? In this way, the plants or parts of them can be dismantled again in order to examine them.
This is a terrific question. "The Herbarium Handbook" actually says that it can be a tough decision to make. The rule of thumb is, larger, busier collections will use glue. We actually use both. I've noticed that older adhesive strips start to degrade and fail, and it's not actually that often somebody absolutely has to see underneath a specimen. We always try to flip over leaves while mounting. If a specimen absolutely has to be detached, the glue loosens when wet too. Finally, the parts that get dissected tend to be flowers and fruit, which we leave unglued.
Hi, this is Matt. It's Herbarium paper. You can buy it from a few different places, like Herbarium Supply or University Products, among others. There was a shortage for a while; I'm not sure if the shortage has ended or not. Herbarium paper is acid-free, and it doesn't become acidic over time. It's made from cotton, not wood. Does that answer your question?