Completion of the Greater Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora Project

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Lichens are poorly known symbiotic organisms that occur world-wide on bark, rocks and soil. Outside of the Arctic there are no comprehensive identification books available. The current investigation involves a 10-year collaboration among over 70 scientists from 15 countries to develop a modern identification book for northwestern Mexico and southwestern USA, a region covering 600,000 square miles and designated the greater Sonoran Desert region. Adjacent mountains as well as the desert are included in the region. Although the collecting phase involving over a dozen major scientific expeditions is now concluded, analysis of specimens is still on-going. Current funding will allow final analyses and development of appropriate classifications to go into the second and final volume of the identification book (the first one is essentially complete). In addition, current funding will allow development of an internet identification system based on the almost 2000 species recognized from the region. The final product will include two books covering the 2000 species and include species descriptions, distribution maps, keys for identification of the species and an extensive introduction. An alternative version will be available over the internet. The treatment will almost 50% of the lichen species known from North America and as a consequence will have significance beyond the immediate geographic region covered. Because lichens are well known to be sensitive to air pollution and are important components of many ecosystems, it is anticipated that the results will be of considerable interest to land managers, air pollution specialists, scientists and public interest groups concerned with natural ecosystems.