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Acarospora orcuttii (Acarosporaceae), a rare terricolous lichen from southern California
Abstract and Figures
The terricolous Acarospora orcuttii is described from three historical collections from San Diego in 1883 and 1884 by C.R. Orcutt in the Farlow Herbarium. The species looks similar to A. fuscescens, but differs in the absence of gyrophoric acid, thinner paraphyses as well as several other characters. The species may be extinct. Terricolous lichen habitats are rare and threatened throughout coastal southern California. It is hoped some remaining populations may be discovered. © 2010 The American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Inc.
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... Many species had a scattered pattern of distribution in biotic soil crusts and new discoveries were expected (Root et al. 2011). Many species were rare, either naturally or through loss of biotic soil crust habitat (Knudsen 2010). ...
... Sarcogyne crustacea K. Knudsen & Kocourk. from the lower coastal elevations of the mountains of southern California differs from S. mitziae in usually forming a non-areolate thallus, having reddish-black apothecia with a black margin, non-inspersed hymenium, and longer narrow conidia (Knudsen & Kocourková 2010). Sarcogyne brunnea K. Knudsen & Flakus from the Andes in South America (Bolivia, Ecuador) differs from S. mitziae in having pruinose brown areoles, black discs not changing color when wetted, a higher non-inspersed hymenium, and an algal layer interrupted by hyphal bundles (Knudsen et al. 2012). ...
... brown corticated thallus , an inspersed hymenium , and short subglobose to ellipsoid conidia . Biotic soil crusts contain many apparently rare species ( Knudsen 2010 ; Root et al . 2011 ; Hernandez & Knudsen 2012 ) . ...
A new species with a corticated brown thallus, Sarcogyne mitziae, is described from biotic soil
crusts in California, Idaho, and Washington. The species is considered rare and occurs in habitat that is
threatened by anthropogenic factors such as development, grazing, and fire, throughout western North
America. Seventeen species of Sarcogyne are currently recognized for North America.
... At the same time new taxa are being discovered and regularly described. For instance, in approximately the last year, four new species were described from North America and four new species from Europe (Knudsen 2010;Knudsen et al. 2011;Lumbsch et al. 2011;. ...
... Terricolous lichen species can be regional endemics (either relics or newly evolved species) that occur in biological soil crusts in areas such as valleys, prairie, or deltas that are suitable for agriculture, ranching or urbanization. In southern California, for instance, these endemic terricolous species rapidly became extirpated from most of their range and several are extremely rare or extinct (Knudsen & Kocourková 2010;Knudsen 2010 . The type locality was on the rich delta of Porto Alegre that has been heavily developed in the last hundred years. ...
Acarospora dissecta (Bolivia) and Sarcogyne brunnea (Bolivia, Ecuador) are described as new to science. Acarospora trachyticola, a common effigurate species in Peru, is revised and reported as new for Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Acarospora brasiliensis is considered as a later synonym of A. lorentzii, which is reported new for Peru. Sarcogyne terrena is revised. Silobia smaragdula is verified as occurring in Chile. Polysporina urceolata is reported new to South America from Bolivia.
... At the same time new taxa are being discovered and regularly described. For instance, in approximately the last year, four new species were described from North America and four new species from Europe (Knudsen 2010;Knudsen et al. 2011;Lumbsch et al. 2011;Westberg et al. 2011). ...
... Terricolous lichens species can be regional endemics (either relics or newly evolved species) that occur in biological soil crusts in areas like valleys, prairie, or deltas that are suitable for agriculture, ranching or urbanization. In southern California, for instance, these endemic terricolous species rapidly became extirpated from most of their range and several are extremely rare or extinct (Knudsen & Kocourková 2010;Knudsen 2010 . The type locality was on the rich delta of Porto Alegre that has been heavily developed in the last hundred years. ...
Acarospora dissecta (Bolivia) and Sarcogyne brunnea (Bolivia, Ecuador) are described as new to science. Acarospora trachyticola, a common effigurate species in Peru, is revised and reported as new for Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. Acarospora brasiliensis is considered as a later synonym of A. lorentzii, which is reported new for Peru. Sarcogyne terrena is revised. Silobia smaragdula is verified as occurring in Chile. Polysporina urceolata is reported new to South America from Bolivia.
... It is obvious that since the early 19 th century, agriculture, population growth, climate change, urban development, anthropogenic fires, fragmentation of natural habitats, reduction of chaparral and California prairie, and other developments have altered the environment in southern California. These rapid changes can have a devastating effect on slow-growing lichens in southern California's Mediterranean climate (Knudsen 2010;Knudsen & Kocourková 2015;Knudsen et al. 2017). The Channel Islands, despite grazing, and military and recreational use, have preserved approximately one third of the lichens that have been reported in California (Tucker 2014). ...
Ramalina sarahae is described as new to science and considered to be closely related to the widespread R. lacera. It has a cortex without chondroid strands but differs from R. lacera in having a densely caespitose thallus of thin branches with only pseudocyphellae. The species is considered to be naturally rare, occurring in a small area of San Miguel Island in southern California, and on San Nicolas Island. Currently eight species of Ramalina are known from the Channel Islands.
... It is obvious that since the early 19 th century, agriculture, population growth, climate change, urban development, anthropogenic fires, fragmentation of natural habitats, reduction of chaparral and California prairie, and other developments have altered the environment in southern California. These rapid changes can have a devastating effect on slow-growing lichens in southern California's Mediterranean climate (Knudsen 2010;Knudsen & Kocourková 2015;Knudsen et al. 2017). The Channel Islands, despite grazing, and military and recreational use, have preserved approximately one third of the lichens that have been reported in California (Tucker 2014). ...
Ramalina sarahae is described as new to science and considered to be closely related to the widespread R. lacera. It has a cortex without chondroid strands but differs from R. lacera in having a densely caespitose thallus of thin branches with only pseudocyphellae. The species is considered to be naturally rare, occurring in a small area of San Miguel Island in southern California, and on San Nicolas Island. Currently eight species of Ramalina are known from the Channel Islands. © 2018 by The American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Inc.
... Lichens with type localities in California described between 2008 and 2011 Acorospora orcuttii K. Knudsen -This lichen was described based on specimens deposited at the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard University from material collected by C. R. Orcutt in San Diego County in the late 1800's (Knudsen 2010). This is one of a number of southern California lichens that have not been collected since the type specimen. ...
... Recent taxonomic inventories in the Santa Monica Mountains (Knudsen 2010; Knudsen and Kocourková 2010a, b) showed that over 94 lichen species from Hasse's historical record (1890–1915) are now extirpated from these ranges. Another inventory here showed several lichen species of late-successional BSCs to be very rare while some endemic species are hypothesized to now be extinct (Knudsen 2010). Terrestrial vertebrates and vegetation have a long-standing precedent of conservation efforts targeted at the species or community-level (Colwell and Coddington 1994; Myers et al. 2000) but minimal efforts exists for BSCs, which are, at best, described by sere (i.e., early-, mid-, late-successional BSCs), structure (e.g., smooth, pinnacled, rugose, etc.), or dominant organism (e.g. ...
Understanding the biodiversity of functionally important communities in Earth’s ecosystems is vital in the apportionment of limited ecosystem management funds and efforts. In southern California shrublands, which lie in a global biodiversity hotspot, biological soil crusts (BSCs) confer critical ecosystem services; however, their biodiversity remains unknown. In this study, six sites (n = 4 each, 25 m2) were established along a mediterranean shrubland environmental gradient in southern California. Here, the biodiversity of all BSC-forming lichens and bryophytes was evaluated, related to environmental traits along the gradient, and compared to species richness among North American ecosystems supporting BSCs (data from previous studies). In total, 59 BSC-forming lichens and bryophytes were observed, including the very rare Sarcogyne crustacea, a rare moss, and five endemic lichen species. Over half (61%) of the species observed were found at a single site. Along the gradient, species evenness of late-successional BSC was related to dew point and elevation, and both evenness and richness were related to distance to coast. Using an ordination analysis, five distinct late-successional BSC communities were identified: Riversidian, Spike moss, Casperian, Alisian, and Lagunian. Twenty-five lichens and 19 bryophytes are newly reported for North American BSC-forming organisms, now comprising ~1/2 of the North American total. BSCs in North American hot and cold deserts were approximately 4.0 and 2.4 times less species rich than BSCs found in southern California shrublands, respectively. Given the anthropogenic impacts on quality and distribution of California mediterranean shrublands, our results show that these sites represent important refugia of BSC species in this globally important region.
Eight new species are described from the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico: Acarospora agostiniana, A. divisa, A. fissurata, A. ryanii, Sarcogyne brouardiana, S. coeruleonigricans, S. malpaiensis, and S. nogalensis. Three species, Acarospora coloradiana, A. peltastica, and A. utahensis are not treated as synonyms of A. strigata, a South American endemic. Thirty-five species of Acarosporaceae are reported from the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico. Fifty-six species of Acarosporaceae are reported from New Mexico. It is estimated that 416 species of described Acarosporales occur worldwide, most in need of revisions. Including species described or taken out of synonymy in this paper, there are 120 species of Acarosporaceae reported from North America north of Mexico. Caeruleum heppii is not a member of the Acarosporales. A key is supplied for 93 species of Acarosporaceae in the southwestern United States (Arizona, southern and central California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and western Texas), which covers 77.5% of the described species in North America.
A monograph of the crustose members of the lichen genus Lepraria s. str. present in North America north of Mexico is provided. A key to all the crustose members of Lepraria s.l. present in the study area is included, and full descriptions and species accounts are provided for the twenty-six species belonging to the genus in a strict sense. Additionally, color illustrations and distribution maps of all the species treated are provided. A new thallus morphotype, the lanata-type, is defined to describe the thallus of L. lanata. Lepraria leprolomopsis is reported for the first time from North America (Alabama and West Virginia, U.S.A.). Lepraria santosii is placed in synonymy with L. lobificans and the name L. finkii is taken up for the common species previously referred to as L. lobificans.
Thirteen species of the lichen genus Acarospora, all occurring in Israel and its vicinity, are described. A key for these species is given. Distribution of these species is discussed.
Caloplaca obamae, a sterile terricolous species is described. The species has a well developed hypothallus of rhizohyphae and discreet patches of orange granules mostly 30–50 µm in diameter, usually coalesced and adhering to one another. It appears to be endemic to the Pleistocene marine terraces on the north side of Santa Rosa Island in California.
The taxonomy of A. fuscescens H. Magn. is clarified and its occurrence is verified from Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.