Mustard Kidney Lichen
CR

Mustard Kidney Lichen

Nephroma laevigatum

Unknown

Photo: Photo: (c) Krissa Klein, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Krissa Klein

Overview

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

Mustard Kidney Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemical composition of its substrate and surrounding environment. Habitat loss through deforestation and urban development has eliminated many suitable old-growth forest sites, while climate change is shifting precipitation patterns and temperature regimes beyond the species' tolerance limits.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species occurs on the bark of deciduous trees in humid, old-growth forests and well-established woodlands, particularly favoring sites with consistent moisture and low air pollution levels. It typically grows in shaded to semi-shaded locations on smooth-barked trees in temperate and boreal forest ecosystems.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Nephromataceae

Fringed Kidney LichenCR

Fringed Kidney Lichen

Nephroma helveticum

Unknown
Powdery Kidney LichenCR

Powdery Kidney Lichen

Nephroma parile

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Mustard Kidney Lichen classified as Critically Endangered?
Mustard Kidney 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. Mustard Kidney Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemical composition of its substrate and surrounding environment. Habitat loss through deforestation and urban development has eliminated many suitable old-growth forest sites, while climate change is shifting precipitation patterns and temperature regimes beyond the species' tolerance limits.
Where does Mustard Kidney Lichen live?
Mustard Kidney Lichen 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 Mustard Kidney Lichen?
The main threats to Mustard Kidney 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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