Table 1.
Functional group ecological roles and affiliated lichen genera.
| Fxl Group | General Ecological Roles | Genera Assigned to This Functional Group 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Large cyano-lichens | Primary nitrogen-fixing epiphytes achieving high biomass in moist, temperate, old-growth forests, contributing significant amounts of new nitrogen to the forest floor. Nutrient-rich food for mollusks and other invertebrates; habitat and cover for invertebrates. | Anomolobaria, Dendriscosticta, Lobaria, Nephroma, Peltigera, Pseudocyphellaria, Sticta |
| Small to medium cyano-lichens | Nitrogen-fixing lichens, but typically low biomass, due to the small size and low abundance. Habitat and nutrient rich food for invertebrates. | Collema, Dendriscocaulon, Enchylium, Erioderma, Fuscopannaria, Lathagrium, Leioderma, Leptogium, Leptochidium, Pannaria, Scytinium, Vahliella |
| Pendant forage lichens | Critical winter forage for ungulates in areas with deep snow; primary winter forage for flying squirrels, voles, other rodents. Nesting materials for rodents and birds. Habitat and food for invertebrates. | Alectoria, Bryocaulon, Bryoria, Nodobryoria, pendant Ramalina and Usnea |
| Shrubby forage lichens | Winter forage for flying squirrels, voles, other rodents. Nesting materials for birds. Habitat and food for invertebrates. | Bunodophorun, Evernia, Letharia, Pseudevernia, Sphaerophorus, Teleoschistes, shrubby Ramalina and Usnea |
| Medium to large matrix lichens | Nesting materials for birds; habitat, cover and food for invertebrates. | Ahtiana, Canoparmelia, Cetrelia, Crespoa, Esslingeriana, Flavoparmelia, Flavopunctelia, Heterodermia, Hypogymnia, Hypotrachyna, Imshaugia, Melanelixia, Melanohalea, Menegazzia, Montanelia, Myelochroa, Niebla, Parmelia, Parmelina, Parmotrema, Physcia, Physconia, Platismatia, Punctelia, Teloschistes, Tuckermanella, Tuckermannopsis, Usnocetraria, Vulpicida |
| Small matrix lichens | Exposed habitat and food for invertebrates | Anaptychia, Bulbothrix, Candelaria, Cavernularia, Cladonia, Coccocarpia, Crespoa, Hyperphyscia, Kaernefeltia, Loxosporopsis, Parmeliella, Parmeliopsis, Phaeophyscia, Physciella, Placidium, Polycaulon, Polychidium, Pyxine, Rusavskia, Xanthomendoza, Xanthoria |
1
See Discussion for references supporting ecological roles. Not all genera have been documented to play the roles associated with their assigned group. For species-level epithets, see Table S1 in [19] or [30].