Originally described from a single collection in northern California, Umbilicaria phaea var. coccinea has since been reported from additional sites in California, Oregon and Washington. Although relatively rare in all three states, there is currently no conservation status for U. phaea var. coccinea in California. Developing conservation strategies and status ranks requires a sound understanding of distribution, frequency, habitat requirements and taxonomic placement. Therefore, we evaluated distributions and constructed climate envelope models for both varieties of U. phaea. Umbilicaria phaea var. coccinea appears to be restricted to relatively small habitats within the range of U. phaea var. phaea and is only locally common in portions of the Klamath River watershed. To assess evolutionary relationships between the varieties, we evaluated four molecular loci: ITS2, LSU, Mcm7, and mtSSU. A combined phylogeny using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference indicated that U. phaea is monophyletic. Within the U. phaea clade, var. coccinea and var. phaea do not form mutually exclusive, monophyletic clades; instead, individuals are intermixed. Based on variation in pigment production, morphology, and geographic distribution, we recommend continued designation of U. phaea var. coccinea as a variety. To better understand the chemical diversity within U. phaea, we compared qualitative differences between secondary metabolite profiles of U. phaea var. phaea and U. phaea var. coccinea acetone extracts using ultraperformance-liquid chromatography high resolution tandem mass spectrometry in negative ion mode. UV spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography and chemical spot testing were used to further characterize the compounds present. Overall, ten compounds were detected in extracts of U. phaea var. phaea and U. phaea var. coccinea. Five previously known chemical substances were identified in both U. phaea varieties including: orsellinic acid, lecanoric acid, hiascic acid, gyrophoric acid, and orsellinylgyrophorate, along with four unknown metabolites. One additional unknown substance whose chemical properties are consistent with a polyhydroxylated anthraquinone pigment was detected only in U. phaea var. coccinea. Given its rarity, chemical uniqueness, and distinct ecological association, U. phaea var. coccinea warrants a protected status throughout its range.

Hypogymnia tuckerae is a newly described sorediate lichenized fungus currently known from three sites in the Cascade Range in Oregon, three sites in northern California, and one site in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon. Although we have known a few of these anomalous sorediate specimens for many years, taxonomic action was stymied by possibilities that they were rare sorediate morphs of a normally fertile species, H. wilfiana, or a rare chemotype of a normally sorediate lichen, H. oceanica. ITS and GPD1 sequences demonstrated that neither is the case; instead, H. tuckerae occupies an isolated position in phylogenetic reconstructions. With ITS alone, however, H. tuckerae is sister to the largest clade of Hypogymnia species from the southern hemisphere. Esorediate individuals of H. tuckerae are very similar to H. antarctica (South America), H. metaphysodes (Japan), and H. wilfiana (North America). We have not yet found a reliable chemical or morphological character to separate esorediate H. tuckerae from H. wilfiana. Hypogymnia discopruina is described as a new species from southwestern China. The species is unusual for the genus in having pruinose apothecia and a POL+ epithecium. The only other Hypogymnia known to have a POL+ epithecium is H. crystallina from the Himalaya Range in India. So far H. discopruina is known from only two locations in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces at 3000 m and 3600 m and appears to be rare. Adjustments to the keys to Hypogymnia in the Pacific Northwest of North America and for southwest China are given for these two new species and the recently described Asian sorediate species, H. caperatica.

Specimens of a species belonging to the genus Rinodina were collected during a lichen diversity study in district Kohistan, Pakistan. Both morphology and ITS sequence data confirm its position within the genus Rinodina and suggest it is distinct from other known species of the genus. The new taxon, described here as Rinodina iqbalii, is characterized by the absence of a prothallus; small apothecial discs up to 0.6 mm in diameter; and small, Milvina–type ascospores, (12.0–)16.0–18.5(–20.0) × (6.5–)8.0–10.0(–12.0) µm, which become more or less Physcia–type during their ontogeny and the presence of atranorin. A tabular comparison of characters between the new species and similar taxa is provided.

Coastal forests in the Mediterranean area are threatened habitats due to intense human influence. In the context of global change, a rapid tool is needed for the evaluation of habitat quality in woodlands by calculating lichen cover on twigs rather than weight biomass. We selected epiphytic Ramalina species as indicators of habitat quality and evaluated them in threatened woodlands dominated by Olea europea var. sylvestris on the island of Menorca, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Mediterranean area. We measured species richness, percentage cover and dry weight in nine sites grouped into urban, rural and naturalized areas to evaluate the effect of land uses, and regressed dry weight against percentage cover. Percentage cover, dry weight, species richness of Ramalina and of its species varied depending on land use, reaching higher rates in naturalized and rural areas rather than in urban areas. In addition, we showed for the first time that field estimates of Ramalina cover at the field were related to dry weight by applying a logarithmic transformation to dry weight. Percentage cover of Ramalina was a good indicator of land uses and will be a rapid, easy and non-destructive tool to assess the quality of woodland habitats in the coastal zone.

We report a record lichen biodiversity from a small area in the Brazilian Amazon, with 492 identifiable lichen species within nine hectares of protected forest, in the Cristalino Reserve in Mato Grosso, Brazil, collected during one week. This is already an absolute world record, but given our observations while in the field, and the fact that we sampled only a small fraction to the area, we hypothesize that the number of species in this area could be even much higher, well establishing that lichen biodiversity per area in the tropics is higher than elsewhere. Among the species reported, two are new to the southern hemisphere, nine are new to the Neotropics, 30 are first reports for Brazil, and 247 are new to Mato Grosso state. We also describe 40 new lichenized fungi species, mainly from the Amazon, 19 of which are from Cristalino Reserve: Aggregatorygma lichexanthonicum, Allographa pruinodisca, Architrypethelium submuriforme, Astrothelium gyalostiolatum, A. infravulcanum, A. inspersonitidulum, A. parathelioides, A. quintannulare, A. quintosulphureum, A. squamosum, A. stromatocinnamomeum, A. xanthosordithecium, Caloplaca cinereosquamosa, Carbacanthographis tetrinspersa, Cladonia megafurcata, Coniarthonia echinospora, C. micromuralis, Coniocarpon foliicola, Cresponea pallidosorediata, Cryptothecia demethylconfluentica, C. methylperlatolica, C. parvopsoromica, Fissurina isohypocrellina, Heterodermia apicalis, Lecidella fuliginea, Malmidea densisidiata, M. nigra, Mazosia flavida, Multisporidea conidiophora, Porina albotomentosa, P. muralisidiata, Psorinia cyanea, Ramboldia badia, Saxiloba pruinosa, Sclerophyton perithecioideum, Sporopodium soredioflavescens, Synarthonia xanthonica, Tingiopsidium tropicum, Tylophoron rufescens, and Viridothelium sinuosogelatinosum. Identification keys are given to the Brazilian species of Coniarthonia and Cryptothecia.

Mountain top environments are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects, given that biological organisms in these systems live at specific temperature conditions. The poikilohydric nature of lichens emphasizes variables like water holding capacity (WHC) and the hydrophobicity of the thallus to understand the species occupational patterns in altitudinal gradients and microsites. WHC and hydrophobicity were measured in 3 saxicolous species with 2 different morphologies in an elevational mountain gradient of Central Argentina: Usnea amblyoclada, Parmotrema reticulatum and Parmotrema warmingii. We measured WHC in three elevations corresponding to the distribution range of the species, and 3 microsite conditions: north (equatorial-facing)/south (polar-facing) aspect with high steep inclination >70° and rock outcrops with low steep inclination <20°. Results show differences between U. amblyoclada, P. reticulatum, and P. warmingii for measured traits. Hydrophobicity and WHC of U. amblyoclada showed a significant interaction between microsite and elevation. WHC of P. reticulatum was greater at 900 m.a.s.l. while its hydrophobicity was higher at 1800 m.a.s.l. WHC and hydrophobicity of P. warmingii are higher in samples from south-facing rocks. Results suggest that P. reticulatum can acclimate at microsite level without the ability to cope with more drastic environmental demands, losing the possibility to migrate to higher elevations in a climatic change scenario, while U. amblyoclada show higher intraspecific water retention variations, hence a wider potential distribution. P. warmingii could migrate to more protected microsites but will tend to disappear in an extreme scenario where temperature will increase.

The new species Roccella ramitumidula is described from a tropical dry forest in the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The new species is characterized by fertile thalli, saxicolous habit, irregularly swollen branches and erythrin and lecanoric acid as lichen products. It differs from R. decipiens by its narrower and longer ascospores, irregularly swollen branches, uneven surface, and smaller branches. Sequences of the genetic markers ITS, nuLSU and RPB2 from the new species were added to a phylogenetic tree based on four genetic markers that included all the Roccella species known for the Americas. The biogeography and ecology of the species is discussed. We reported R. gracilis for the first time for the state of Jalisco, Mexico.