Frank Bungartz Email & Phone Number

My research focuses on the biodiversity, evolution, ecology and conservation of lichenized fungi. I have worked intensively in the Sonoran Desert Region(southwestern USA & northwestern Mexico), in Central America (Mexico) and South America (particularly the Galapagos Islands).Currently, I am working on a Species Inventory of Galapagos Lichens(link is external) with the objective to publishing an illustrated, comprehensive guide to the lichen biota of that archipelago (you can download a Rapid Guide to Galapagos Lichens here(link is external)). Through the Global Fungal Red List Initiative I am also involved with IUCN red-listing of endemic Galapagos lichens(link is external).In Arizona I have been a contributor and editor to the Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, a comprehensive treatment of all lichen species known from this region, published in three volumes from 2002-2007. Having recently returned to the desert in July 2017, I now hope to again focus on investigating its unique lichen diversity, trying to characterize in more detail how lichen species have adapted to and are distributed in this environment.Having been involved in managing natural history collections for many years, I have a strong interest in specimen data management and imaging. For years the ASU Natural History Collections have been at the forefront of developing tools for managing and sharing biodiversity data through Symbiota (link is external)(e.g.: the Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria CNALH(link is external)). In the Galapagos part of my research activities has focused on developing similar resources, i.e., the CDF Datazone(link is external), a portal to manage and share biodiversity data about this unique archipelago. Presently I am collaborating with the National Biodiversity Institute of Ecuador (INABIO) and the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos (CDF) to establish a national biodiversity data portal for Ecuador (in close collaboration with Ed Gilbert, ASU's principal programmer of the Symbiota (link is external)platform).

Listed skills include Research, Leadership, Biodiversity, Taxonomy, and 8 others.