Rusty Firedot Lichen
CR

Rusty Firedot Lichen

Blastenia ferruginea

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blastenia_ferruginea

Overview

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

Rusty Firedot 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 urbanization and industrial development has eliminated many suitable rock surfaces and old-growth forest sites where this species historically occurred. Climate change is creating increasingly unsuitable conditions through altered precipitation patterns and temperature extremes that disrupt the delicate moisture balance required for lichen survival.

Threat summary

Habitat

Inhabits exposed siliceous rocks, stone walls, and occasionally bark of old trees in coastal and montane environments. Typically found on acidic substrates in areas with clean air and specific moisture conditions, often in association with other crustose lichen communities.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Teloschistaceae

CR

Caloplaca conjungens

Unknown
steppesvovellavCR

steppesvovellav

Gyalolechia desertorum

Unknown
Xanthomendoza oreganaVU

Xanthomendoza oregana

Unknown
Solitaria chrysophthalmaCR

Solitaria chrysophthalma

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Rusty Firedot Lichen classified as Critically Endangered?
Rusty Firedot 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. Rusty Firedot 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 urbanization and industrial development has eliminated many suitable rock surfaces and old-growth forest sites where this species historically occurred. Climate change is creating increasingly unsuitable conditions through altered precipitation patterns and temperature extremes that disrupt the delicate moisture balance required for lichen survival.
Where does Rusty Firedot Lichen live?
Rusty Firedot 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 Rusty Firedot Lichen?
The main threats to Rusty Firedot 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.