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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.
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This content will become publicly available on July 28, 2026
Updates and Additions to the Lichen Checklist of Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina, with Conservation Proposals for Five Rare Species
A survey of the lichens of Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina, published in 2017, recovered 171 species and reported 27 historically reported taxa missing. Here we report 72 lichen taxa as new for the park—based on both recent and historical specimens—for a total of 243 total taxa reported for all time points. In addition, 13 of the 27 taxa reported missing for the park in the 2017 survey were rediscovered. Most of these were found by either investigating non-spruce-fir substrates, which was the focus of the most recent survey in 2016, or returning to localities where historical specimens had previously been collected and intensively searching for the species. A revised list of 27 taxa that have not been seen since at least the early 1970s is presented, nine of which belong to the speciose genus Cladonia. The updated checklist for the park contains a surprisingly high level of cyanolichen diversity, suggesting the impacts of pollution and invasive insects on the lichen biota of the park are not as severe as previously thought. Molecular data (nrITS) confirm that Parmelia neodiscordans is distinct from other species of Parmelia and suggest that Appalachian material identified as P. omphalodes may be conspecific with the eastern Asian species P. ‘fertilis B’. Lastly, five rare lichens recorded from the park (Alectoria fallacina, Hypotrachyna densirhizinata, Lobarina scrobiculata, Nephroma parile and Parmelia neodiscordans) are proposed for conservation at the state level.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2436848
- PAR ID:
- 10623931
- Publisher / Repository:
- Southern Appalachian Botanical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Castanea
- Volume:
- 90
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 1938-4386
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 89-109
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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