Lichen conservation in North America: a review of current practices and research in Canada and the United States

摘要: Lichens are diverse symbiotic organisms that contribute essential functions to ecosystems worldwide. Generally, lichens under-represented in conservation assessments and implementation when compared other groups of (e.g., plants vertebrates). However, some progress has been made towards better recent decades. Here we review the current state lichen Canada United States, a region includes nearly 6000 species lichens. Through detailed case studies, document threats declines diversity abundance, then legal frameworks exist protect at different spatial scales both countries. We highlight effectively using ‘Big Data’ inform conservation, monitoring rare endangered species, expanding professional capacity lichenologists, building interdisciplinary networks between scientists broader community resource managers. Moving forward, there clear actions must be taken accelerate conservation.