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Ramalina timdaliana Krog

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Scientific name
Ramalina timdaliana
Author
Krog
Common names
 
IUCN Specialist Group
Lichens
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Lecanorales
Family
Ramalinaceae
Assessment status
Published
Assessment date
2022-02-11
IUCN Red List Category
VU
IUCN Red List Criteria
D1+2
Assessors
Sparrius, L., Aptroot, A., Sipman, H., Pérez-Vargas, I., Matos, P., Gerlach, A. & Vervoort, M.
Reviewers
Yahr, R.

Assessment Notes

The content on this page is fetched from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/70384543/213347329

Justification

Ramalina timdaliana is a rock-dwelling species that is narrowly endemic to Porto Santo in the Madeira archipelago where it occurs at two locations. Threats from trampling or wildfire could rapidly impact the whole population. There are only 500–1,000 individuals of this species (Sparrius et al. 2017), and it is listed at Vulnerable under criteria D1+2.


Taxonomic notes

A small, shrubby lichen species growing on volcanic rock. The thallus is dark green-grey, pendant, branched, with strap-like branches of 1 mm wide. It becomes up to 2-3 cm long.  The fruiting bodies are located on the ends of the straps. The species belongs to the Ramalina decipiens group (Krog and Osthagen 1980), a group of Macaronesian endemic species. The species is very morphologically very similar to the also endemic R. jamesii. The main differences are anatomical and chemical. Chondroid tissue is discontinous in R. timdaliana and continuous in R. jamesii filling most of the branches.  Further, different terpenoid patterns are found in both species and salazinic acid is only found in R. jamesii.

Geographic range

This species is found only on the small island of Porto Santo in the Madeira archipelago, and known only in two locations, each on a separate rock outcrop, with an area of occupancy of 8 km2.  

Population and Trends

A population size of 500-1,000 was estimated of numbers of individual thalli of a size > 2 cm, representing reproductively mature individuals at each site where they have been observed during fieldwork. The numbers are corrected for suitable habitat that could not be reached or visited during the survey (Sparrius et al. 2017).

Population Trend: unknown


Habitat and Ecology

It is saxicolous, on basalt volcanic rockfaces at higher elevations. It avoids calcareous rocks, which occur mainly at lower elevation and along the coast. Individuals that fall off the rock were found to continue their growth on fallen branches of Pinus halepensis (Sparrius et al. 2017). It is found growing together with other endemic macrolichens, such as Anzia centrifugaRamalina erosaR. confertulaR. nematodes and R. jamesii.

Threats

This species occurs only on one small island. It could be threatened by extinction from wildfire and trampling (rock climbing, tourism) if development of tourism occurred in the vicinity of the locations. The past impact of these threats has not been documented. Most sites are at quiet places at higher elevation and at some distance from paths and roads.

Conservation Actions

The sites are not within a Natura 2000 site. The species grows at higher elevations and sites can only be reached by hiking trails. The geology limits development of infrastructure. The rocky cliffs are sparsely vegetated, making them less susceptible to changes in grazing regime and fires.

Source and Citation

Sparrius, L., Aptroot, A., Sipman, H., Pérez-Vargas, I., Matos, P., Gerlach, A. & Vervoort, M. 2024. Ramalina timdaliana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T70384543A213347329. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-1.RLTS.T70384543A213347329.en .Accessed on 5 February 2025

Country occurrence