Diversity of Lichens in Northern Alabama Yields Evidence of an Exceptionally Diverse Biota

Abstract - Our recent fieldwork to collect lichens in northern Alabama, with an emphasis on the terminus of the southern Appalachian Mountains, illuminated previously undocumented lichen species in this region of exceptional biodiversity. Numerous new and significant records are presented, including species disjunct both from more northerly latitudes as well as subtropical southerly latitudes: Dibaeis sorediata, Lobaria pulmonaria, Ricasolia quercizans, and the extremely rare Rinodina chrysomeleana. Despite exceptional and noteworthy lichen biodiversity, there exist only 2 large blocks of relatively high quality, undisturbed land in the northern half of the state: Bankhead National Forest and Skyline Wildlife Management Area. This situation, in combination with discovery of exceptional lichen biodiversity, calls for urgency in conservation measures and land protection throughout northern Alabama.