Mustard Kidney Lichen
Nephroma laevigatum
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Peltigerales
Family
Nephromataceae
Genus
Nephroma
Mustard Kidney Lichen belongs to the family Nephromataceae, order Peltigerales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
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.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
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.
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change altering moisture regimes
Habitat loss from deforestation
Loss of old-growth forest substrates
Urban development and fragmentation
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). Mustard Kidney Lichen (Nephroma laevigatum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/mustard-kidney-lichen