Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Building a global consortium of bryophytes and lichens: keystones of cryptobiotic communities

这个由十个奖项组成的合作项目将在全球范围内整合关于苔藓和地衣的信息，相互之间以及与它们的共生生物，包括真菌。苔藓植物和地衣在功能上是隐生群落的主要宿主，形成微小的“森林”，为许多微观生物提供栖息地，包括缓步动物、螨、轮虫、微型软体动物、微藻、微型真菌和原核生物。这些群落具有全球相关性，并在我们的星球上发挥着重要作用，例如，庇护这些群落的生物土壤结皮形成了一个“活皮肤”，覆盖了大约12%的地球陆地表面。 此外，将为大量本科生提供专业培训，重点是利用当地资源，促进STEM领域代表性不足的学生。 学生将接受数字化和馆藏管理方面的培训，并将为该项目的教育和公共宣传部分做出贡献。通过这项合作，25个美国植物标本馆将为美国机构保存的近120万个苔藓和地衣植物标本馆标本提供图像和相关元数据。对这些生物体的物理标本进行成像，并整合来自比较基因组学、核苷酸序列数据和其他资源的数据，在这种规模上是前所未有的。这些综合数据将成为进化和生态研究的重要资源，反过来，这可能会导致更深入地了解（1）生物结壳如何发挥其生态系统功能，（2）苔藓和地衣在碳/氮循环中的作用，（3）共生体在空间和时间中的动态进化，（4）内生菌共同多样化的历史和当代驱动因素，（5）利用空间遗传学研究生物多样性的演化。使用重新利用的数字图像的深度学习方法也可能提供强大的新调查工具。 数字化数据将与iDigBio.org和其他存储库共享。 一个多管齐下的方法，以更广泛的影响，从K-12到参与性公民科学倡议。 其中包括（1）多样化的数字化、互动式和基于对象的学习推广计划;（2）在线课程计划;（3）科学青年团体;（4）科学俱乐部和公共教育工作者研讨会;以及（5）使用Learning Glass的一系列视频-将观众和演示者的视角整合为一个共同的视角。此外，PI和合作机构将在颁奖期间主办WeDigBio和K-12俱乐部举办标签转录众包活动。该项目还与在线公民科学的领导者Zooniverse合作，为公民科学家开发一个在线平台，让他们对性格特征进行观察，从而增强不总是在科学标签数据上的元数据。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This collaborative project comprised of ten awards will integrate information about bryophytes and lichens, with each other and with their commensal organisms, including fungi, on a worldwide scale. Bryophytes and lichens are functionally related as the main hosts for cryptobiotic communities forming minute "forests" that provide a matrix of habitats for many microscopic organisms, including tardigrades, mites, rotifers, micro-mollusks, microalgae, microfungi, and prokaryotes. These communities have global relevance and perform essential functions on our planet, for example, the biological soil crusts that harbor these communities form a "living skin" covering approximately 12% of Earth's terrestrial surface. In addition, professional training will be provided for a large number of undergraduates, with a focus on leveraging local resources to promote underrepresented students in STEM fields. Students will be trained in digitization and collections management, and will contribute to the education and public outreach components of the project. Through this collaboration, twenty-five US herbaria will image and digitize associated metadata for almost 1.2 million bryophyte and lichen herbarium specimens held in US institutions. Imaging the physical specimens of these organisms and integrating data from comparative genomics, nucleotide sequence data, and other resources is unprecedented on this scale. These integrated data will form a critical resource for evolutionary and ecological studies, that may, in turn, lead to a deeper understanding of (1) how biocrusts perform their ecosystem functions, (2) the roles of bryophytes and lichens in carbon/nitrogen cycling, (3) the dynamic evolution of symbioses in space and time, (4) the historical and contemporary drivers of endophyte co-diversification, and (5) the evolution of biodiversity using spatial phylogenetics. Deep-learning approaches using repurposed digital images may also provide powerful new investigative tools. Digitized data will be shared with iDigBio.org and other repositories. A multi-pronged approach to broader impacts spans from K-12 to participatory citizen science initiatives. These include (1) diverse digital, interactive, and object-based learning outreach programs; (2) online lesson plans; (3) science youth groups; (4) Science Clubs and public educator workshops; and (5) a series of videos using Learning Glass – which collapses the perspectives of viewer and presenter into one shared perspective. In addition, the PIs and collaborating institutions will host WeDigBio and K-12 clubs hosting label transcription crowdsourcing events during the award period. The project also partners with Zooniverse, leaders in online citizen science, where we will develop an online platform for citizen scientists to make observations on character traits that can then enhance metadata not always on the scientific label data.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.