ATM - Assembling a taxonomic monograph: The lichen family Graphidaceae

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Cataloging the diversity of life is an enormous task. Of the 30 million species inhabiting this planet, only 2 million have been described. With a decreasing number of taxonomists, the researchers who discover and describe species, traditional approaches are not sufficient for this task. This project implements a novel approach to monographic work, that is cataloging all species of a group of organisms, in this case Graphidaceae, the largest family of lichenized fungi in the tropics, with close to 2000 species. The ATM concept, Assembling a Taxonomic Monograph, brings together the largest possible group of researchers from all continents. The goal is a series of monographs covering the entire family on a global scale. The project combines traditional methods of morphological taxonomy with the latest advances in evolutionary research and includes a strong training and outreach component that feeds into the Encyclopedia of Life. By integration of a large group of researchers around the globe, the project works towards unified concepts that will receive broad acceptance among the scientific community and beyond. Modern electronic tools and web dissemination make the data broadly accessible and their incorporation into the Encyclopedia of Life addresses the increased public interest in biodiversity research.This project is part of a 10-year effort to digitize and mobilize the scientific information associated with biological specimens held in U.S. research collections. The images and digitized data from this project will be integrated into the online national resource as outlined in the community strategic plan available at http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/digistratplanfinaldraft.pdf.