Lichens play an important role in ecosystems and are excellent indicators of environmental quality. they grow all around us, on rocks, asphalt, wood, bark, soil, and fence posts. Some even grow on conifer needles and mosses.
What many people don't realize is that lichens can be extremely rare and can suffer from habitat degradation and pollution, just like vascular plants and animals. While this threat has been recognized at a national level (many countries have red lists for lichen species), it has not been acknowledged at a global level. Until recently, the IUCN Red List included only four lichen taxa.
What many people don't realize is that lichens can be extremely rare and can suffer from habitat degradation and pollution, just like vascular plants and animals. While this threat has been recognized at a national level (many countries have red lists for lichen species), it has not been acknowledged at a global level. Until recently, the IUCN Red List included only four lichen taxa.
But things are changing. To close its lichen gap, the IUCN added four new taxa, this year. Let's peek at the newcomers: