Cetraria ericetorum
Local name: Цетрарія вересова
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
49
Countries
Photo: (c) Joe Walewski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joe Walewski
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Lecanorales
Family
Parmeliaceae
Genus
Cetraria
Cetraria ericetorum belongs to the family Parmeliaceae, order Lecanorales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Cetraria ericetorum faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemistry of its substrate and disrupt its slow-growing lichen physiology. Habitat destruction through urbanization, agricultural expansion, and intensive land management practices has eliminated many suitable sites, while climate change is shifting temperature and moisture regimes beyond the species' tolerance limits.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This lichen species inhabits sandy heathlands, dry grasslands, and open woodland edges on acidic soils, typically growing on soil, moss, or decaying organic matter in areas with low nutrient availability. It requires specific microclimate conditions with moderate moisture levels and clean air quality in semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Cetraria ericetorum faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemistry of its substrate and disrupt its slow-growing lichen physiology. Habitat destruction through urbanization, agricultural expansion, and intensive land management practices has eliminated many suitable sites, while climate change is shifting temperature and moisture regimes beyond the species' tolerance limits.
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change altering temperature and moisture regimes
Habitat loss from urbanization and agriculture
Acid rain and atmospheric chemical changes
Intensive land management and trampling
Found in 49 Countries
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Cetraria ericetorum (Cetraria ericetorum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/-2605262