Dolichens project: a dynamic inventory of the lichen biota of the Dolomites

The Dolomites, located in the Eastern Alps and appointed as a UNESCO site, are increasingly impacted by climate change and anthropization. Under this scenario, many species may face severe extinction risks, resulting in the loss of hidden biodiversity that is still partly undiscovered. This is the case of many neglected organisms that play relevant ecological roles contributing to ecosystem functioning, such as lichens. While the lichen biota of the Alps is relatively well known, a specific synthesis for the Dolomites is still missing, despite the long tradition of lichen exploration in this area. This hampers appropriate conservation and the recognition of poorly known taxa. For this reason, we launched the “Dolichens project” aiming at recording all the available lichen data for this area and at filling the gaps with new fieldwork. First, we gathered all the available literature and herbarium specimens since the 19th century, as well as unpublished or grey-literature data to compile a baseline inventory of the lichens of the Dolomites. Second, we started new fieldwork prioritizing protected areas and including historical localities as well as new localities that still miss lichen exploration. Data were stored in a dynamic database (https://italic.units.it/dolichens), which will be continuously updated. Each record was georeferenced and displayed on a web-GIS map. Currently, we have stored 59098 records referable to 1565 taxa, reported from the early 1800s to the present day, from hilly to nival belts, and corresponding to half of the species known for the whole Alpine chain. This study also reveals the occurrence of several poorly known taxa, as in the case of Aspicilia bricconensis Hue and Thelidium paneveggiensis (Servít) ined., reported only in the type locality and whose distribution and taxonomy should be further investigated. Overall, we expect that this open floristic inventory will contribute to composing and maintaining the puzzle of a lichenological memory of the Dolomites, allowing us to track its lichen biota across ages, facing the challenge of rapid global changes.