About "Phytopathogenic Fungi Observed by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur"

The Data Collection

In 2001 the Botanische Staatssammlung München obtained over 3,000 dual-use (machine- and human-readable) punch cards prepared by Dr. Hans Walter and Dr. Hanna Doppelbaur as gift by Prof. Dr. A. Bresinsky (Regensburg). The data collection contains 21,348 observations about the occurrence of phytopathogenic fungi mainly in Southern Germany, Bavaria (= Bayern) (main localities see red dots in the map). 66 of the localities situated in the administrative district Günzburg (=GZ) were published as map by Doppelbaur & Doppelbaur (1974). However, occasional information from other countries, including especially Austria, Italy and France is present as well. Each of the dual-use punch cards represents a unique host-parasite association with 0-multiple individual observations. The information comprises the period between 1950 and 1970. One of the strengths of the punch card collection is that the observations are regularily documented by herbarium specimens. These vouchers (4,992 specimens, 921 taxa) are part of the herbarium H. & H. Doppelbaur, which is now housed at the herbarium of the Botanische Staatssammlung München (M).

The Data Project and Service

The data project "Phytopathogenic Fungi Observed by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur" was established by Gregor Hagedorn, Prof. Dr. Günther Deml and Dr. Dagmar Triebel to expand the GLOPP information system. Support was provided by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) within the frame of the umbrella project "Establishing the German GBIF Node for Mycology". In 2003 the cards were digitized both as images and as a structured database. The digitation was performed by Brigitte Hennig. The "Phytopathogenic Fungi Observed by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur" uses the DiversityWorkbench component DiversityIndexing, a MS Access database application developed by Gregor Hagedorn. The ColdFusion webinterface was programmed by Wiltrud Spiesberger.

The Doppelbaur Punch Cards and Usage of the Service

Regarding the original Doppelbaur punch cards the observations within the vicinity of Doppelbaurs residence (those in the administrative district Günzburg) were encoded through the position in a table (on the front of most cards) (see exemplary card). The place names were listed in alphabetical order from Anhofen to Winterbach, with Günzburg itself in the last position. A key to the table is present on a separate card in front of the card file (see key card). In the project database the name of the locality has been entered, with an added comment: "{name not on card; locality is defined through position in table}".

Localities outside of the scope of the table were either listed under the table (see exemplary card), on the back of the original punch card (see exemplary card) or on a separate card (see exemplary card). For German localities the car license plate code was usually given. This code was added in the project database in square brackets after the locality (example: "Graisbach [DON]").

Inside the table as well as after the separate localities the date was given in a coded format (examples: 1265, 1868) (see exemplary card). The first two digits refer to half-months numbered as 01 = Jan. 1–15, 2 = Jan 16–31, 3 = Feb. 1–15, etc.). The following digits denote the year within 20th century. Thus 0866 = April 1966. The entries in the project database have been decoded, with an added comment refering back to the original coded data, e. g. "VII.1968 {as "1368"}"

Observers/ collectors have been abbreviated on the original Doppelbaur punch cards. Where the legend to these abbreviations was available, a comment was added in the project database (example: "B {= Bertsch}"; see exemplary card). It can be assumed that all other observations were made by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur themselves. This was not entered in the project database, however.

Observations that are documented by specimens in the Herbarium Doppelbaur (now in M) have been underlined on the original punch cards (see key card, exemplary card). In the project database this has been denoted as a citation "Herb. Doppelbaur {= underlined in red}". Eight entries have a dashed underline for which no explanation could be found. These were marked with "Herb. Doppelbaur, uncertain {= dashed underlined in red}".

Currently the data project "Phytopathogenic Fungi Observed by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur" is maintained and expanded by staff members of the Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Berlin and the SNSB – Botanische Staatssammlung München as part of the German GBIF Node for Mycology. Notices of errors of any kind are much appreciated by the editorial staff at the Botanische Staatssammlung München. Technical support is provided by the Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, IT Center.

The Database "Phytopathogenic Fungi Observed by Hans and Hanna Doppelbaur" and – if not stated otherwise – its supporting files have been copyrighted © 2004–2005 by the Julius Kühn-Institut – Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen (JKI) and SNSB – and Botanische Staatssammlung München, Department of Mycology.