Tasmania's Threatened Lichens: Species and Habitats

Knowledge of Tasmania's lichen flora has increased rapidly in the past two decades as a result of systematics research, ecological studies, floristic surveys of particular areas and habitats, and targeted species-based mapping studies. This has enabled lichens to be included in conservation as- sessments. Currently 28 lichen species are listed under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 but many additional species are likely to be listed in the future. Criteria for listing, the list- ing process, and problems of applying these to lichens are discussed briefly. Major lichen habitats in Tasmania are described. Although more than 40% of Tasmania's land area is in formal reserves, these do not capture all significant lichen habitats or the rarest lichen species. Some of the rarest Tasmanian lichens, and those in greatest need of protection are found in fragmented, relict, often degraded vege- tation types of low aesthetic appeal, occur in poorly reserved vegetation types targeted for economic development, or represent genuinely isolated and very unusual records.