Petractis hypoleuca
CR

Petractis hypoleuca

Unknown

Photo: (c) Rémy Poncet, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rémy Poncet

Overview

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

Petractis hypoleuca faces severe threats from air pollution and acid rain, which directly damage its sensitive lichen thallus and alter the chemical composition of its bark substrates. Urban development and forest management practices have eliminated many of its preferred old-growth woodland habitats. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering humidity levels and temperature regimes essential for this epiphytic lichen's survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

This epiphytic lichen grows exclusively on the bark of mature deciduous trees, particularly favoring ancient oak and beech woodlands with stable humidity and minimal air pollution. It requires undisturbed forest environments with consistent microclimate conditions and low levels of atmospheric nitrogen deposition.

TERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Petractis hypoleuca classified as Critically Endangered?
Petractis hypoleuca 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. Petractis hypoleuca faces severe threats from air pollution and acid rain, which directly damage its sensitive lichen thallus and alter the chemical composition of its bark substrates. Urban development and forest management practices have eliminated many of its preferred old-growth woodland habitats. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering humidity levels and temperature regimes essential for this epiphytic lichen's survival.
Where does Petractis hypoleuca live?
Petractis hypoleuca 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 Petractis hypoleuca?
The main threats to Petractis hypoleuca 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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