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Lichen translocation with reference to species conservation and habitat restoration

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Abstract

Lichen translocation techniques that may be of value in the salvage of endangered lichen species, or in the latter stages of habitat restoration, are reviewed. Successful translocation is defined here as the transfer of a target organism from a donor site to a receptor site to establish a new self-maintaining colony; for lichens, this may or may not include co-transfer of the thallus-supporting substrate. In a time of global environmental change many species are under threat and the need for effective translocation methods is clear. Indeed, some lichens are already amenable to translocation from one substrate to another. Global conservation requires the restoration of degraded ecosystems and translocation technology offers a tool for habitat replenishment. The re-introduction of lichenised fungi into sites from which they have been lost is an integral part of the restoration of complex habitats. Successful translocation creates in turn niches for other organisms which inhabit, or feed upon, them.

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Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Prof. Mark Seaward and Prof. David Richardson for their most valuable comments on earlier drafts of this paper, Dr Tomas Hallingbäck for information regarding the successful translocation of Lobaria pulmonaria by a simple rubbing technique, Dr Rob Brooker for information on Flavocetraria nivalis, and Chiska Derr for details of her work on Peltigera gowardii.

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    Paul L. Smith

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Smith, P.L. Lichen translocation with reference to species conservation and habitat restoration. Symbiosis 62, 17–28 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-014-0269-z

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