Abstract Detail

Bryological and Lichenological Section/ABLS

Lendemer, James C. [1], Harris, Richard C. [2], Hodkinson, Brendan P. [3].

Connecting the dots: progress and problems in assessing lichen biodiversity and biogeography in the coastal plain of southeastern North America.

The fact that the coastal plain of the southeastern United States represents one of the most significant gaps in our knowledge of the lichen biota of North America is both perplexing and troubling. It is perplexing due to the region’s proximity to major metropolitan areas where lichenologists have actively worked for over a century, and it is troubling because more than two centuries of nearly continuous anthropogenic change have significantly altered and fragmented the natural landscape, leaving little habitat in its original state. What natural areas do remain now face a myriad of threats from projected large-scale changes in coastal ecosystems due to climate change. Here we present the results of more than two decades of study on the lichen biota of the southeastern coastal plain: documenting the progess, highlighting the problems, and outlining a path toward a full understanding.

Broader Impacts:

1 - The New York Botanical Garden, Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA
2 - New York Botanical Garden, Institute of Systematic Botany, 200Th Street & Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, 10458-5126, USA
3 - Duke University, Department of Biology, 139 Biological Sciences Building, PO Box 90338, Durham, North Carolina, 27708, USA

Keywords:
Biogeography
coastal plain
climate change
lichen conservation.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 40
Location: 554A/Convention Center
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
Time: 2:15 PM
Number: 40004
Abstract ID:30