Taxonomic Notes: This species was described by Bendiksby et al. (2018), and the type specimen was found in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County, CA.
Xylopsora canopeorum appears to be endemic to old-growth coast redwood forests in California where it grows on the trunks of redwood trees. The species has currently only been verified from three localities of which the type locality burned in a high intensity fire in 2020. The extent of known occurrence is 5,893 km2 and the area of occurrence is 24 km2. The subpopulations are severely fragmented by large-scale timber harvesting reducing old-growth redwood forests to ca. 5% of it’s original range. An ongoing decline in quality and extent of habitat is estimated and ongoing decline in extent and area of occurrence due to large, high-intensity wildfires and climate change. Therefore, it is assessed as Endangered, B2ab(i,i,iii,iv,v).
Assessor/s: Reese Næsborg, R.; Reviewer/s: Allen, J.
Bibliography:
Bendiksby, M., Reese Næsborg, R. & Timdal, E. (2018) Xylopsora canopeorum (Umbilicariaceae), a new lichen species from the canopy of Sequoia sempervirens. MykoKeys30(1-15).
Farjon, A. & Schmid, R. (2013) Sequoia sempervirens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T34051A2841558. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T34051A2841558.en. (Accessed: 2021).
IUCN (2022) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-1. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 21 July 2022).
Find out more about the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteriahere.