Fjeld-blegskivelav
Ochrolechia frigida
Ochrolechia frigida is a species of lichen belonging to the family Ochrolechiaceae. It was first formally described by Olof Peter Swartz in 1781, as Lichen frigidus.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochrolechia_frigida
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Pertusariales
Family
Ochrolechiaceae
Genus
Ochrolechia
Fjeld-blegskivelav belongs to the family Ochrolechiaceae, order Pertusariales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Ochrolechia frigida is a species of lichen belonging to the family Ochrolechiaceae. It was first formally described by Olof Peter Swartz in 1781, as Lichen frigidus. Bernt Arne Lynge transferred it to Ochrolechia in 1928.
Ochrolechia frigida is declining primarily due to climate change impacts on its specialized Arctic and alpine habitats. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are altering the delicate environmental conditions this cold-adapted lichen requires for survival and reproduction.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
In the United Kingdom, this lichen species grows primarily among mosses and spreads over low-growing vegetation on high moorlands and mountain summits. It occasionally appears on coastal heathlands, though this habitat is uncommon for the species. It occurs frequently throughout Scotland and extends southward into northern England and the Snowdonia region of Wales. Ochrolechia frigida is a known...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Ochrolechia frigida is declining primarily due to climate change impacts on its specialized Arctic and alpine habitats. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are altering the delicate environmental conditions this cold-adapted lichen requires for survival and reproduction.
Climate change and warming temperatures
Habitat loss from reduced snow cover duration
Air pollution and atmospheric nitrogen deposition
Changes in substrate availability
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). Fjeld-blegskivelav (Ochrolechia frigida). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/fjeld-blegskivelav