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Abstract Detail



Conservation of North American Lichens and the Ecosystems They Support

Lendemer, James [1].

Conservation of North American Lichens and the Ecosystems They Support.

Lichens are a highly diverse group of organisms that are presumed to have keystone roles in most, if not all, terrestrial ecosystems. The lichens throughout much of North America have been severely impacted by centuries of anthropogenic change on a scale and scope that is difficult to comprehend. Yet conservation measures in North America largely do not include lichens, or for that matter cryptogams (bryophytes, fungi, algae) in general.              
What are the impacts on current conservation strategies from the exclusion of highly diverse taxonomic groups that are key to ecosystem functioning?  
How will changes in lichen biodiversity, community structure, and abundance more broadly impact ecosystems?  
What are the impediments to creating effective conservation strategies for lichens, and how do we overcome them?  
How can we increase public awareness of lichens and other such groups?  
This symposium will explore the above questions, and others, through a series of presentations by early career researchers working on the front lines of a rapidly evolving field. It will focus on the conservation needs of the lichen biota in North America. Six talks of 30 min are planned that would be of interest to a broad audience in addition to members of the ABLS. Talks would include the importance of modern inventories and examination of herbarium vouchers, the impacts of fire on lichen biodiversity and communities, species modeling, correlations between diversity and land use etc., among others.


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1 - New York Botanic Garden, 200th Street And Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

Keywords:
lichen
biodiversity
Climate change
conservation biology
caribou
coastal plain
Appalachians
fire
ecosystem function.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY11
Location: Salmon/Snake/Boise Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 30th, 2014
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: SY11SUM
Abstract ID:29
Candidate for Awards:None


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