Dolichens: An Information System on the Lichens of the Dolomites.

Abstract

Lichens, despite their key role as environmental indicators and their ecological importance, remain underrepresented in conservation policies, largely due to fragmented exploration of several areas, as well as limited availability of data in digital platforms. The UNESCO World Heritage area of the Dolomites (N Italy) is well-investigated as far as lichen diversity is concerned, with a long history of lichenological exploration since the 19th century. However, the relevant amount of data produced by these efforts was scattered and often not accessible in digital format, thus hindering data accessibility and usability. In this paper, we present Dolichens, a novel web platform designed to aggregate data about lichen diversity in the Dolomites. The platform aims at making available a comprehensive resource to support research, monitoring, and conservation of lichen diversity in the Dolomites, while ensuring data interoperability with the most relevant global repositories.