Lichens, which are symbiotic organisms that are highly sensitive to environmental change, represent a major component of the Alaskan flora, similarly bryophytes increase in importance compared to vascular plants as primary producers when we go from low Arctic to high Arctic vegetation types in Alaska. Their past, current, and future diversity and evolution in Alaska ecosystems are reflective of significant ecosystem change in temperature, water and nutrient cycling, as well as population dynamics of migratory animals such as caribou. In addition, lichens and mosses are very sensitive to two of the most important ecological trends happening at high latitudes: (1) increases in wildfire frequency and severity in the boreal forest, which reduces the areal extent of lichen- and moss-dominated communities and (2) shrub expansion in the Arctic, which shades out and reduces the biomass of understory cryptogams. Having a good cryptogam herbarium that is web-accessible is incredibly valuable to ecologists, including academic scientists and wildlife biologists who work with lichen-dependent animals like caribou.

Our project made the vast natural history resources of lichens and mosses contained in the Herbarium (ALA) of the University of Alaska Fairbanks available to the general public, researchers interested in lichen and moss taxonomy, ecology, climate change and other subdisciplines of biology. We enhanced the value of the physical specimens by adding expert identifications, updates to the nomenclature, an object tracking system through barcodes and the retrieval of these collections through global information systems and georeferencing. All of the metadata and digital images of the specimens are now freely available through Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria Webportal lichenportal.org/portal/, the North American Bryophyte Webportal bryophyteportal.org/portal/ and iDigBio www.idigbio.org/portal. We have added ~ 23,000 lichen specimen records and images and ~ 31,000 bryophyte specimen records and images to these portals.  

In addition to the online databases and information technology tools that were generated, data gathered for this project were disseminated through a series of regional and national workshops, lectures, educational workshops, moss and lichen-themed science camps, exhibits, and activities created for the greater public, including the K-12 student/teacher audience. Finally, the collaborative effort included both undergraduate (4 female and 2 male) and two female graduate students who received training in curatorial practices, lichen and moss identification and training in natural history information technology, from a diverse team of researchers. The availability of the digital information technology and the classic natural history collections of lichens and mosses provides an ideal opportunity to introduce students and educators alike to the excitement and intellectual challenges of collections-based research and for students to help solve global problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, emerging pathogens, and food security and contributes to an informed citizenry. Our project contributed to the conservation and management of Alaska ecosystems in the context of climate change challenges associated with critical knowledge gaps in Alaskan floristic diversity and evolution of lichens and mosses. 

Last Modified: 08/30/2016
Modified by: Stefanie M Ickert-Bond