Abstract Detail

Bryology and Lichenology

Bungartz, Frank [1], Gries, Corinna [2], Nash, Thomas [3], Lafferty, Daryl [4], Gilbert, Ed [1].

News from the Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria: North America and beyond– where are we headed?

The Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria (CNALH, http://lichenportal.org) serves as gateway to biodiversity data of lichenized fungi throughout North America and beyond. Since its conception in 2011 it has come a long way. CNALH now shares data from more than 100 lichen herbaria, more than two million occurrence records, and almost one million images. Participating herbaria either share their data as snapshots, necessitating regularly updates of the data sets, but most institutions now manage their data live, using CNALH as their principal herbarium database. A suite of specimen specific data management tools are available that support data entry, geo-referencing, data cleaning, printing labels, loan management, and much more (1.6 of 2.3 million records or 70% of all specimen data are now live!). A versatile import tool supports the ingestion of Darwin Core compliant data sets, as well as several other formats commonly used to share specimen records and images. Once online, data can then be shared via DarwinCore archives with other repositories such as GBIF and iDigBio. Backbone of the Consortium is a taxonomic thesaurus, regularly updated to help navigating and managing taxonomic synonyms, and resolving taxonomic discrepancies commonly encountered when integrating specimen data from multiple sources. All taxa feature profile pages, many with detailed descriptions and images, linked to a dynamic key and efficient data cleaning tools. CNALH also facilitates species inventories by creating checklists, based both on both voucher specimens and scientific literature. Recently the CNALH's design was completely overhauled to streamline navigation, and the site was migrated from iDigBio to a server at the ASU Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center. This facilitates site administration and allows for better integration with similar biodiversity data sharing platforms. Currently we are developing powerful tools to query and analyze ecological and distribution data across different Symbiota platforms. We are also working on integrating a new module for storing and analyzing thin-layer chromatography data, and we have recently launched a Latin American counterpart, the Consorcio de Herbarios de Líquenes de América Latina (CHLAL, http://lichenportal.org/chlal/). This Consorcio is a Spanish language version promoted by the Grupo Latinoamericano de Liquenólogos (GLAL); it expands the geographic scope of the lichen biodiversity platform across the Americas. Many of these exciting new developments will be showcased at the Botany 2019 meeting.

Related Links:
Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria
Consorcio de Herbarios de Líquenes de América Latina

1 - Arizona State University, Biodiversity Knowledge Integration Center, PO Box 874108, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4108, USA
2 - University of Wisconsin, Hasler Laboratory of Limnology, 680 N. Park Street, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
3 -
4 - 7426 S. Kenwood Ln, Tempe, AZ, 85283, United States

Keywords:
Lichenology
biodiversity
bioinformatics
South America.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: LICH1, Lichenology
Location: San Pedro 2/Starr Pass
Date: Monday, July 29th, 2019
Time: 5:00 PM
Number: LICH1014
Abstract ID:703
Candidate for Awards:None