| Abstract Detail
Conservation Biology Lendemer, James [1], Allen, Jessica [1]. Lichens in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain: patterns and trends from four years of intensive biodiversity inventory. The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain of eastern North America is a vast region of low-lying ecosystems that extends from New Jersey to Florida that hosts remarkably ecological and biological diversity, including iconic endemic species such as the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). Despite its close proximity to major American cities with museums and universities that have long employed lichen specialists, the region was virtually unexplored for lichens until we began an intensive inventory four years ago. Now, having completed an inventory of the entire region, spanning >300 sites and collecting >17,000 vouchers, we present the results of our work. In addition to new species discoveries reminiscent of the golden age of natural history exploration, the results are a sobering picture for the future of American biodiversity. While the inventory revealed a previously overlooked biodiversity hotspot, and shed considerable new light on lichen biogeography, these results must be placed in the context of the drastic changes projected to occur in the future due to sea-level rise, global climate change, and continued trends of habitat degradation and destruction.
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1 - The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
Keywords:
biodiversity
fungus
southeastern
biogeography.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 63
Location: Salon 19/20/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 9:15 AM
Number: 63005
Abstract ID:1114
Candidate for Awards:None |
