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  • Assessment of Macrolichen Diversity at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Northern Florida Contributes to the Scientific Mission of NEON
Title: Assessment of Macrolichen Diversity at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Northern Florida Contributes to the Scientific Mission of NEON
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is gathering select ecological and taxonomic data across 81 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. Lichens are one of the organismal groups that NEON has not yet assessed across these sites. Here we sampled lichens at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS), a NEON site in north central Florida, to provide a baseline survey of the commonly encountered macrolichens (foliose, fruticose, and squamulose lichens). Macrolichens represent a subset of observable lichens and are more commonly surveyed than crustose lichens. Seventy-four species of macrolichens were collected, including 25 occurrences that constitute new records for Putnam County, Florida. The lichen diversity at OSBS comprised approximately 30% of the macrolichen diversity known from the entire state of Florida. Fifty-four taxa are common in the state of Florida, 12 infrequent across the state, and eight are considered rare. Macrolichens were the seventh most species-rich taxonomic groups at OSBS and more diverse than the NEON focal groups of mammals and fish. Lastly, we suggest a theoretical roadmap for how lichenologists could work together with NEON to include lichens in future datasets. We hope that biologists focused on other key organismal groups will sample in NEON sites so that NEON data can be leveraged appropriately in future cross-taxon studies of biodiversity at the continental scale.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2106123
PAR ID:
10566710
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
BioOne
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Castanea
Volume:
89
Issue:
1
ISSN:
0008-7475
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1-11
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
biodiversity ecology macrolichens National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) taxonomic bias
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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