Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen
CR

Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen

Bryoria capillaris

Unknown

Photo: (c) John Magne Grindeland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John Magne Grindeland

Overview

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

Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen compounds, which are highly toxic to epiphytic lichens. Climate change and habitat loss through deforestation and urban development have further reduced suitable old-growth forest environments essential for this species' survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This epiphytic lichen grows on the bark and branches of coniferous and deciduous trees in mature and old-growth forests, particularly favoring areas with high humidity and clean air. It is typically found in montane and boreal forest ecosystems where it forms hanging, hair-like structures from tree branches.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Parmeliaceae

VU

Grynet kvistlav

Hypogymnia farinacea

Unknown
VU

Punctelia jeckeri

Unknown
VU

Teer baardmos

Usnea fragilescens

Unknown
VU

Oldgrowth Rag Lichen

Platismatia norvegica

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen classified as Critically Endangered?
Pale-footed Horsehair 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. Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide and nitrogen compounds, which are highly toxic to epiphytic lichens. Climate change and habitat loss through deforestation and urban development have further reduced suitable old-growth forest environments essential for this species' survival.
Where does Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen live?
Pale-footed Horsehair 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 Pale-footed Horsehair Lichen?
The main threats to Pale-footed Horsehair 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.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.