In order to understand the spatial distribution patterns of lichens on large scales at the Earth's three poles, we developed a dataset of key lichen attributes (i.e., the color type and growth form), which includes the scientific name of the lichen, information on the corresponding color type and growth form attributes, latitude and longitude, information on the ecoregion to which the site belongs and whether it is a bare or vegetated area, and the corresponding five environmental factors (i.e., average temperature(℃), precipitation(mm), solar radiation(kJ /m²/day), wind speed(m/s), relative humidity). Here, we have attempted to use this dataset to uncover important relationships between the physiological and biochemical characteristics of lichens and their tolerance to environmental extremes.This dataset serves as a foundational resource for extensive investigations into the intricate interplay between lichen physiology and the environment, addressing a significant knowledge gap in the field. Furthermore, our dataset holds the potential to address challenges associated with remote sensing monitoring of lichens, a longstanding issue in vegetation remote sensing. Precise in situ observation records, as provided by our dataset, can facilitate the development of remote sensing techniques tailored for lichen monitoring.

The dataset provides information on the distribution of lichen species by latitude/longitude, color type, growth type, ecoregion, and bare/vegetated area, as well as the five environmental factors associated with each latitude/longitude. Sources of lichen species data for this dataset include various research papers, books, and specialized websites. The latitude and longitude data of the dataset were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), while the species attribute information was obtained from specialized books, research papers, and e-libraries. The ecoregion information was obtained from Ecoregions 2017, and the ESA 300m land use dataset was consulted for the information on the bare land and plant cover. Environmental factor data were collected from Worldclim, which provides information on average temperature (℃), precipitation (mm), solar radiation (kJ /m²/day), wind speed (m/s), and ERA-5 was used to collect data on relative humidity.