Fence-rail Cladonia
CR

Fence-rail Cladonia

Cladonia parasitica

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladonia_parasitica

Overview

Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the fence-rail cladonia, fence-rail cup lichen or parasite club lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Hoffmann in 1784 under the name Lichen parasiticus, until he reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1795.

Fence-rail Cladonia (Cladonia parasitica) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and inland sandy environments. The species faces severe pressure from urban development, recreational activities, and changes in natural disturbance regimes that maintain the open, nutrient-poor conditions it requires.

Threat summary

Habitat

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Cladoniaceae

Black-footed Reindeer LichenEN

Black-footed Reindeer Lichen

Cladonia stygia

Unknown
Cladonia subcervicornisVU

Cladonia subcervicornis

Unknown
VU

Humble Pixie-cup Lichen

Cladonia humilis

Unknown
Split-peg LichenEN

Split-peg Lichen

Cladonia cariosa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Fence-rail Cladonia classified as Critically Endangered?
Fence-rail Cladonia 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. Fence-rail Cladonia (Cladonia parasitica) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and inland sandy environments. The species faces severe pressure from urban development, recreational activities, and changes in natural disturbance regimes that maintain the open, nutrient-poor conditions it requires.
Where does Fence-rail Cladonia live?
Fence-rail Cladonia occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Fence-rail Cladonia?
The main threats to Fence-rail Cladonia 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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