Collaborative Research: Integrating Digitization, Exploration, Genomics, and Student Training to Illuminate Forces Shaping Appalachian Lichen Distributions

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Understanding the distributions of species in nature is a driving theme in the natural sciences, one that has remained elusive for centuries. Multiple forces shape species distributions, including habitat dynamics, species’ ability to move, and species interactions, but the way they contribute on their own and together remains incompletely understood. What we do know about species distributions is based largely on studies of large plants and animals, and processes discovered in those groups may not be the same as for other organisms. This research aims to address fundamental gaps in knowledge of how forces shape distributions of the smaller species that make up the majority of life on Earth. To achieve this the project will focus on lichens (environmentally important fungi that must form stable, permanent interactions with algae to survive) in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. The Appalachian Mountains are a globally unique and threatened diversity hotspot for many lifeforms, including lichens. The goal of this project is to transform understanding of lichen fungi in a threatened American region while providing vital information for conservation and management of Appalachian ecosystems. A cornerstone of this project is extensive scientific training at all higher education levels, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and a post-doctoral researcher. Authentic, research-based inquiry will be integrated into undergraduate courses, and the developed curriculum will be made publicly available. Outreach and education efforts for the American public will include multiple courses and workshops for professionals and teachers and the Great Appalachian Lichen Bioblitz. Creation of new large-scale, fully integrated, open-access resources for lichen genomics, traits, and Appalachian diversity will improve access to information for diverse audiences including scientists, educators, land managers, and community scientists. The degree to which forces contribute individually, and through interactions, to mold species distributions is not fully understood, especially for smaller, sessile, symbiotic organisms. This project will use extensive new data resources for lichen species and a comparative population genomics approach for lichens with contrasting distributions to build an integrative understanding of how extrinsic mechanisms and intrinsic biological attributes shape species distributions in the Appalachian Mountain Biodiversity Hotspot. Existing large-scale biodiversity datasets will be integrated with data from a new field inventory to fill the last large Appalachian lichen sampling gap. This will then be used to build comprehensive datasets for lichen distribution size and reproductive traits. Comparative population genomics of species with contrasting distribution sizes will yield datasets for symbiont specificity, gene flow, and adaptation. These data will then collectively be used to test hypotheses that will provide a new perspective on how forces shape species distributions in obligate symbiotic organisms where individuals are non-motile.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.