ASU Lichen Collection Improvement

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9629532 Nash Over the four-year duration of this project, the Arizona State University lichen collection will be substantially rehoused in new space and cabinetry, 17,000 new and 7,000 backlogged collections will be incorporated, and a gift of 5,000 specimens will be accessioned. The project plan also allows for growth by 12,000-16,000 specimens over the lifetime of the project, and for modest growth thereafter. All of the specimens will be well-identified by the new associate curator, who will be hired on this award. NSF and Arizona State University are partners on this project: each is providing half of the salary of the associate curator during the award period (ASU will assume 100% of the salary when the grant expires), and ASU is also purchasing equipment and providing renovation to allow for the expansion of the lichen collection. With these improvements, the ASU lichen herbarium will be a major scientific resource on Sonoran Desert lichens, and an excellent reference collection for lichens of other parts of the world. It will support a major ongoing research effort on Sonoran Desert lichens, which are important as bioindicators of environmental change.