Abstract Detail

The biology of rarity: Conservation of bryophytes and lichens

Glew, Katherine [1].

Current Status of Rare Lichens and Their Conservation in Washington State..

How do you determine if an organism is rare? And when you do, how do you go about protecting the species? These questions can be difficult to answer when it comes to lichens. Many species are not well known and poorly documented, particularly crustose species. When it takes an expert to identify the species for a genus or group, rarity may reflect the number of collections for a state or ecoregion, rather than true abundance. In 1997, Washington State, with the help of many individuals developed, a list of 97 rare lichens. Presently we are updating the information to include additional species and remove others. The list is considered a "working list" and is modified as more information becomes available on selected species. As more lichenologists spend time in the field collecting and recognizing species and geographic distributions, we are able to refine our list. We also compare lists between states and Canadian provinces to evaluate the status of selected lichen species. Local agencies such as The Nature Conservancy, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management are instrumental in providing regional and local lists of sensitive lichen species. Once this occurs, we can take steps to protect areas and manage these lichens and limited populations.

1 - University of Washington, Herbarium, Burke Museum, Box 355325, Seattle, Washington, 98195

Keywords:
lichens
rarity
conservation.

Presentation Type: Symposium
Session: 15-2
Location: Ballroom 3 (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2004
Time: 1:30 PM
Abstract ID:561