Cladonia perforata
Cladonia perforata | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Fungi |
Division: | Ascomycota |
Class: | Lecanoromycetes |
Order: | Lecanorales |
Family: | Cladoniaceae |
Genus: | Cladonia |
Species: | C. perforata
|
Binomial name | |
Cladonia perforata A.Evans |
Cladonia perforata is a rare species of lichen known as Florida perforate cladonia and Florida perforate reindeer lichen. It is endemic to the state of Florida in the United States, where it is known from 16 populations in four widely separated areas of the state.[2] It is native to a very specific type of Florida scrub habitat which is increasingly rare and patchy due to habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation.[2] In 1993 this was the first species of lichen to be federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.[3][4]
Description
This lichen is relatively large, its yellow-gray, slightly glossy
In general, this species is poorly known. Little information is available about its life history, including its precise reproductive cycle, growth, population dynamics, or any seasonal changes it might experience.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The habitat of this species is the white sand of the Florida scrub, already a rare and endangered type of ecosystem, and the lichen requires a specific spot within the habitat.
It is difficult to estimate the abundance of this species. Much of the current data is outdated. The organism in question is often small and sometimes hard to spot on the ground or in the
: the other populations are located on the east and west coasts of the main peninsula of Florida.Conservation
Threats to this species include development of its habitat for residential,
The lichen is also vulnerable because it is slow-growing, slow to recover after mortality, inefficient in its dispersal, and already rare with unstable populations. Its patchy, fragmented distribution makes it likely to experience isolation and extirpation of small populations.[2][3] Since most populations are just clusters of clones, each population is extremely valuable in the conservation of the species. The populations occur in North, Central, and South Florida, and can be separated by hundreds of miles; gene flow between them is often highly unlikely.[2]
New populations have been reintroduced to appropriate habitat where the species has been observed before.[3][9] Many populations are located in areas that are protected from development and fragmentation. At last review the species was still considered endangered.[2]
References
- ^ USDA Plants Profile
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q USFWS. Cladonia perforata Five-year Review. 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Teague, D. and D. Ripley. A tale of two species. Endangered Species Bulletin. November, 2000.
- ^ a b Milius, S. Yikes! The Lichens Went Flying - lichens as endangered species. Science News August 26, 2000.
- ^ a b c d USFWS. Endangered or threatened status for seven Central Florida plants. Federal Register April 27, 1993.
- ^ a b c USFWS. Cladonia perforata Species Fact Sheet. Multispecies Recovery Plan for South Florida.
- ^ a b Buckley, A. and T. O. Hendrickson. (1988). The distribution of Cladonia perforata Evans on the southern Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County, Florida. The Bryologist 91(4): 354โ356.
- ^ Wilhelm, G. S. and J. R. Burkhalter. (1990). Cladonia perforata, the Northwest Florida population. The Bryologist 93(1): 66โ68.
- ^ a b Yahr, R. (2003). Cladonia perforata. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2010. www.iucnredlist.org Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 12 February 2011.