Iceland Lichen
CR

Iceland Lichen

Cetraria ericetorum

Unknown

Photo: (c) Joe Walewski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Joe Walewski

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

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.

Threat summary

Habitat

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.

Other threatened species in Parmeliaceae

VU

Spotted Beard Lichen

Usnea glabrescens

Unknown
Witches' Whiskers LichenVU

Witches' Whiskers Lichen

Usnea florida

Unknown
Salted Ruffle LichenVU

Salted Ruffle Lichen

Parmotrema crinitum

Unknown
VU

Horsehair lichen

Bryoria tenuis

Unknown

Threatened in Åland Islands

Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown
EN

Dolichopus notatus

Unknown
Haplodrassus cognatusCR

Haplodrassus cognatus

Unknown
Yellow-breasted BuntingCR

Yellow-breasted Bunting

Emberiza aureola

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Iceland Lichen classified as Critically Endangered?
Iceland Lichen is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. 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.
Where does Iceland Lichen live?
Iceland Lichen occurs in Åland Islands, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, and Bolivia (plus 42 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Iceland Lichen?
The main threats to Iceland Lichen are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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