Davis Aerodrome Project (DAP) – Genetic identification of moss and lichens

The Davis Aerodrome Project (DAP) collected a range of environmental survey data over several field seasons to support a comprehensive environmental assessment of the proposed aerodrome. This data includes flora, fauna, soils, lake ecosystem, nearshore, marine, air quality and meteorological information which has been collected by a number of different methods, and extends across the current Davis Station, proposed aerodrome and supporting infrastructure footprint (Ridge Site), previous sites considered for the aerodrome (Heidemann Valley, Adams Flat), as well as locations across the Vestfold Hills away from any of the proposed developments. This dataset includes DNA sequences and taxonomic assignments for 63 moss samples (chloroplast trnL and nuclear internal transcribed spacer, or ITS region) and 31 lichen samples (ITS for both algal/photobiont and fungal/mycobiont partners) collected in the Vestfold Hills in the austral summer of 2019/2020 as part of the environmental impact assessment for the Davis Aerodrome Project. DNA was extracted and Sanger sequenced by the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF). The date collected and latitude/longitude are included for each sample where known. The three disagreements between moss taxonomic assignments for trnL and ITS are highlighted.Notes comparing the lichen morphological and DNA-based identifications are provided for samples where these differed.