Buellia asterella

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Buellia asterella
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Caliciales
Family: Caliciaceae
Genus: Buellia
Species:
B. asterella
Binomial name
Buellia asterella
Poelt & Sulzer (1974)

Buellia asterella, commonly referred to as the starry breck lichen, [1] is a rare, black and white lichen in the family Caliciaceae. [2] Once found all across the central European grasslands, it was described as new to science in 1974. [3] Today, it is classified by the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered and only found in select regions in Norway and Germany.

Contents

Taxonomy

This lichen was originally described by Poelt and Sulzer in 1974. [3] There aren’t any synonyms for this species of lichen. [4]

Description

B. asterella is a white and black lichen, growing on the surface of the soil where it is found. The white section of this lichen is the thallus and the black discs found on top are its fruiting structure. [5] These black discs produce their asci, which only contain 4 spores per asci. This is very uncharacteristic for the phylum of Ascomycota as many are found with 8 spores in their asci. Their spores also do not have any internal wall thickening. [6]

Habitat and Distribution

B. asterella was originally endemic to all of the central European grasslands. They were particularly found in Norway, Great Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Northern Italy. [1] When they were extant in Great Britain, they resided in the Breckland and Sussex Coast. [7]

Today, they can only be found in select areas of Norway and Germany. [8] [9] The majority of its observations today are in the German lowlands. They are typically found at lower elevations under 900m, and in isolated dry grasslands. [8] This lichen can be found growing on dry, basic soils like limestone, dolomite, or gypsum [10] [9]

Ecology

Buellia asterella is found on the ground of soils in Europe, making grasses and shrubs their main competitor. [11] It is believed that this competition and encroachment by the grasses and shrubs have contributed to their threatened population in their endemic ranges. [1] It is also frequently grazed by rabbits, sheep, and goats that are native to its range. It is also grazed by human-introduced livestock, which also contributed to its endangered status [12]

Conservation Efforts

B. asterella was listed as critically endangered on June 29, 2015 by the IUCN. The main causes of the critically endangered status is the loss of habitat to farming and urbanization, expansion of shrub and grasslands, and trampling of suitable habitat. It is also currently red listed in numerous European countries such as Germany and France (labeled as Critically Endangered), United Kingdom and Switzerland (labeled as Extinct). [9]

B. asterella can currently be found in protected lands in Germany, as these protected lands are critical for the preservation of this species. It is known that this species is particularly sensitive to human induced habitat change and habitat destruction. [12]

There has been some research into transplanting these lichens into areas they once inhabited. While these transplants have survived, they have not expanded beyond the original transplant area [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lecanoraceae</span> Family of lichen-forming fungi

The Lecanoraceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. Species of this family have a widespread distribution.

Bryonora is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Lecanoraceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1983 by lichenologist Josef Poelt, with Bryonora castanea assigned as the type species.

<i>Calvitimela</i> Genus of lichen

Calvitimela is a lichen genus in the family Tephromelataceae. Members of the family Tephromelataceae are crustose lichens with green photobionts and lecideine or lecanorine apothecia. The species in Calvitimela have lecideine apothecia, are saxicolous and are primarily found in alpine to arctic regions.

<i>Absconditella</i> Genus of fungi

Absconditella is a genus of lichenised fungi in the family Stictidaceae. The genus was circumscribed in 1965 by Czech lichenologist Antonín Vězda, with Absconditella sphagnorum assigned as the type species. Absconditella is characterised by gyalectoid apothecia with a hymenium that is not amyloid, without a dark pigment and thalli containing green algae as photobionts. The genus name means "hidden", a reference to the scant structure of the thallus and its small apothecia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lecideaceae</span> Family of lichen-forming fungi

The Lecideaceae are a family of lichens in the order Lecideales.

<i>Rhizocarpon</i> Genus of lichens in the family Rhizocarpaceae

Rhizocarpon is a genus of crustose, saxicolous, lecideoid lichens in the family Rhizocarpaceae. The genus is common in arctic-alpine environments, but also occurs throughout temperate, subtropical, and even tropical regions. They are commonly known as map lichens because of the prothallus forming border-like bands between colonies in some species, like the common map lichen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caliciaceae</span> Family of lichen-forming fungi

The Caliciaceae are a family of mostly lichen-forming fungi belonging to the class Lecanoromycetes in the division Ascomycota. Although the family has had its classification changed several times throughout its taxonomic history, the use of modern molecular phylogenetic methods have helped to establish its current placement in the order Caliciales. Caliciaceae contains 36 genera and about 600 species. The largest genus is Buellia, with around 300 species; there are more than a dozen genera that contain only a single species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tephromelataceae</span> Family of lichens in the order Lecanorales

The Tephromelataceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. The family was circumscribed by Austrian lichenologist Josef Hafellner in 1984. Tephromelataceae comprises the genera Tephromela, Calvitimela, Mycoblastus and Violella, which together constitute a well-supported monophyletic group.

Josef Hafellner is an Austrian mycologist and lichenologist. He was awarded the Acharius Medal in 2016 for his lifetime contributions to lichenology. Before his retirement, he was a professor at the Karl-Franzens-Universität in Graz. Hafellner started developing an interest in lichens while he was a student at this institution, studying under Josef Poelt. He earned a master's degree in 1975 and a PhD in 1978, defending a doctoral thesis about the genus Karschia. In 2003, Hafellner received his habilitation. By this time, he had studied with French lichenologist André Bellemère (1927–2014) at Saint-Cloud, where he learned techniques of transmission electron microscopy and how their application in studying asci could be used in lichen systematics. His 1984 work Studien in Richtung einer natürlicheren Gliederung der Sammelfamilien Lecanoraceae und Lecideaceae has been described as "probably the single most influential publication in lichen systematics in the latter half of the 20th century".

<i>Scoliciosporum</i> Genus of lichens in the family Scoliciosporaceae

Scoliciosporum is a genus of lichens in the family Scoliciosporaceae.

<i>Schaereria</i> Genus of lichen

Schaereria is a genus of lichen-forming fungi. It is the sole genus in the family Schaereriaceae, which itself is the only family in the Schaereriales, an order in the subclass Ostropomycetidae of the class Lecanoromycetes.

<i>Sporastatia</i> Genus of lichens

Sporastatia is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Sporastatiaceae. It has four species. Sporastatia lichens are long-lived species that grow on siliceous or weakly calcareous rocks in arctic and alpine locales.

Buellia dijiana is a species of terricolous (ground-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It is found in Australia.

Buellia georgei is a species of lichen in the family Caliciaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2001 by lichenologists Ulrike Trinkaus, Helmut Mayrhofer, and John Elix. The type specimen was collected in Yanchep National Park ; here it was found growing on soft limestone. It has also been recorded from South Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory; preferred habitats are calcareous outcrops, on thin soil over limestone, or rarely on calcareous soil. The lichen produces some secondary compounds: arthothelin as a major metabolite, and minor amounts of 4,5-dichloronorlichexanthone and thiophanic acid. The specific epithet honours Western Australian botanist Alex George.

Buellia lobata is a species of terricolous (soil-dwelling) lichen in the family Caliciaceae. Found in Australia, it was formally described as a new species in 2001 by lichenologists Ulrike Trinkaus and John Elix. The type specimen was collected in Blanchetown ; here, in a parking area after the bridge, on the east side of the Murray River, the lichen was found growing on soil. It has also been recorded from Western Australia. The lichen occurs on calcareous soil in mallee, often with other terricolous lichens including species of Endocarpon, Toninia, Eremastriella crystallifera, Fulgensia bracteata, and Psora decipiens. Secondary compounds that occur in the lichen include arthothelin and thuringione as major components, and minor amounts of 4,5-dichloronorlichexanthone and thiophanic acid. The species epithet lobata refers to the distinct lobes that comprise the thallus.

Buellia epifimbriata is a species of lichenicolous (lichen-eating) crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It is only known to occur on Antiparos and Kos, two Greek islands in the southern Aegean Sea.

Biatora oxneri is a species of corticolous (bark-dwelling) lichen in the family Ramalinaceae. It is found in the Russian Far East and in South Korea.

Hannes Hertel is a German botanist and taxonomist and was Director of the State Herbarium in Munich, Germany 1992 - 2004. His specialist areas are the fungi and lichens.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Spribille, T.; Bilovitz, P.; Printzen, C.; Haugan, R.; Timdal, E. (2015). "Buellia asterella". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T70385861A70385867. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T70385861A70385867.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Buellia". NCBI taxonomy. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved 17 December 2017. Lineage( full ) cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Opisthokonta; Fungi; Dikarya; Ascomycota; saccharomyceta; Pezizomycotina; leotiomyceta; Lecanoromycetes; OSLEUM clade; Lecanoromycetidae; Caliciales; Caliciaceae; Buellioideae
  3. 1 2 Poelt, J; Sulzer, M (1974). "Die Erdflechte Buellia epigaea, eine Sammelart". Nova Hedwigia (in German). 27: 173–192.
  4. ↑ "Index Fungorum - Names Record". www.indexfungorum.org. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  5. ↑ "Starry breck-lichen articles - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  6. ↑ Scheidegger, Christoph (1993). "A Revision of European Saxicolous Species of the Genus Buellia de not. and Formerly Included Genera". The Lichenologist. 25 (4): 315–364. doi:10.1006/lich.1993.1001. ISSN   1096-1135. S2CID   85578016.
  7. ↑ Gilbert, O. L. (1978). "Fulgensia in The British Isles". The Lichenologist. 10 (1): 33–45. doi:10.1017/S0024282978000067. ISSN   1096-1135. S2CID   85576972.
  8. 1 2 "Fact sheet: Buellia asterella in Norway". nhm2.uio.no. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  9. 1 2 3 IUCN. “Buellia Asterella: Spribille, T., Bilovitz, P., Printzen, C., Haugan, R. & Timdal, E.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: E.T70385861A70385867.” International Union for Conservation of Nature, June 29, 2015. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T70385861A70385867.en.
  10. ↑ Kocourková-Horáková, Jana (1998-05-16). "Records of new, rare or overlooked lichens from the Czech Republic". Czech Mycology. 50 (3): 223–239. doi:10.33585/cmy.50307.
  11. ↑ Terry, T B, R Haney, Hon Auditor, and E Timbers. “TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORFOLK AND NORWICH NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY,” August 1988, 84.
  12. 1 2 Trinkaus, Ulrike; Mayrhofer, Helmut (2000-11-24). "Revision of the Buellia epigaea-group (lichenisized Ascomycetes, Physciacea) I. The species of the northern hemisphere)". Nova Hedwigia. 71 (3–4): 271–314. doi:10.1127/nova/71/2000/271. ISSN   0029-5035.
  13. ↑ Smith, Paul L. (2014). "Lichen translocation with reference to species conservation and habitat restoration". Symbiosis. 62 (1): 17–28. doi:10.1007/s13199-014-0269-z. ISSN   0334-5114. S2CID   256072911.
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