IFML Curation Policy & Submission Standards

Version: 1.0 (January 2026) License: CC-BY 4.0 International

1. Submission Scope

The IFML accepts digital assets that document the forestry and natural resources of the Midwest United States, with a specific focus on the state of Iowa and the Central Hardwood Region.

Accepted Materials:

• Requirerments Coming Soon.

Excluded Materials:

• Unknown Taxa: Specimens that cannot be identified to at least the Genus level.

• Low-Fidelity Media: Images with significant motion blur, compression artifacts, or insufficient resolution (<300 dpi) for scientific use.

• Sensitive Data: Precise GPS locations of federally or state-listed threatened/endangered species (e.g., Panax quinquefolius)

2. Technical Standards

To maintain the archive's utility for research and computer vision, submissions must adhere to the following file format standards based on the capture method.

2.1 File Format Hierarchy

• Tier 1 (Preferred): Uncompressed TIFF (48-bit color color preferred).

• Tier 2 (Accepted): Lossless PNG.

• Tier 3 (Accepted - Field Standard): High-Quality JPEG

  • Requirement: Strictly limited to field and lab photography. Lab scans submitted as JPEGs will be rejected due to compression artifacts interfering with analysis.

2.2 Imaging Specifications 

2.3 Field vs. Lab Distinction

• Archived Specimen (Lab): A biological sample that has been removed from the field and digitized under controlled lighting with post processing. These must be high-bit-depth (48-bit) to preserve shadow detail for analysis.

• Field Observation (In-Situ): A handheld photo of a subject in its natural environment. These may be submitted as standard 24-bit JPEGs.