Taxonomic Notes: This species was questioned by Tuovila et al. (2011) due to the type specimen being a mixed collection. They elected to discard the original epithet (oregana) and instead described two new species from the holotype material (Chaenothecopsis diabolica and C. zebrina). Later, it was found that this was nomenclaturally inaccurate, and Tuovila et al. (2012) reinstated C. oregana, with C. zebrina as asynonym. C. diabolica remains a distinct species (Tuovila et al. 2012).
Globally, there are estimated to be c. 500 mature individuals of Chaenothecopsis oregana (extrapolating from 38 recorded collections at 12 locations). It occurs in old coniferous forest stands, which are limited and fragmented. Due to its reliance on mature coniferous forests, it is potentially at risk of ongoing decline due to the continued decline and fragmentation of mature coniferous forests occurring globally (Potapov et al. 2008). Lichens and allied fungi are slow growing and for this reason loss and fragmentation of habitat, especially for the proposed species, directly influences the resilience of the existing populations and can result in irreversible declines. This species is currently assessed as Vulnerable, given its small population size, but could potentially be uplisted in future.
Assessor/s: Paquette, H. & Chandler, A.; Reviewer/s: McMullin, T.; Contributor(s): Bishop, G., Lendemer, J., McMullin, T. & Yahr, R.; Facilitators(s) and Compiler(s): Chandler, A. & Allen, J.
Bibliography:
Bachman, S., Moat, J., Hill, A.W., de la Torre, J. & Scott, B. (2011) Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT: geospatial conservation assessment tool. In: V. Smith and L. Penev (eds) e-Infrastructures for data publishing in biodiversity science. Zookeys150: 117–126.
Bradshaw, C.J.A., Warkentin, I.G. & Sodhi, N.S. (2009) Urgent preservation of boreal carbon stocks and biodiversity. Trends in Ecology & Evolution24(10): 541-548.
Gröner, U. (2010) Calicioid lichens and fungi in the Muota Valley, Central Switzerland: high species diversity in a small area. Candollea65(2): 377-391.
Haughland, D.L. & Martel, M. (2016) Chaenothecopsis oregana new to Canada. Evansia33: 34-39.
IUCN (2020) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).
Paquette, H.A. (2019) Macrolichen and Calicioid Flora of Forillon National Park, Quebec, Canada: The Bigand Little Lichens and Their Associates. Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, Carleton University.
Potapov, P., Hansen, M.C., Stehman, S.V., Loveland, T.R. & Pittman, K. (2008) Combining MODIS and Landsat imagery to estimate and map boreal forest cover loss. Remote Sensing of Environment112: 3708-3719.
Rikkinen, J. (2003a) Calicioid lichens and fungi in the forest and woodlands of western Oregon. Acta Botanica Fennica175: 1-41.
Rikkinen, J. (2003b) New resinicolous ascomycetes from beaver scars in western North America. Annales Botanici Fennici40: 443-450.
Selva, S.B. (2003) Using calicioid lichens and fungi to assess ecological continuity in the Acadian Forestecoregion of the Canadian Maritimes. The Forestry Chronicle79(3): 550-558.
Selva, S.B. (2010) New and interesting calicioid lichens and fungi from eastern North America. The Bryologist113(2): 272-276.
Selva, S.B. (2013) The calicioid lichens and fungi of the Acadian Forest ecoregion of northeastern North America, I. New species and range extensions. The Bryologist116(3): 248-256.
Selva, S.B. (2014) The calicioid Lichens and fungi of the Acadian Forest ecoregion of northeastern North America, II. The rest of the story. The Bryologist117(4): 336-367.
Tuovila, H., Larsson, P. & Rikkinen, J. (2011) Three resinicolous North American species of Mycocaliciales in Europe with a re-evaluation of Chaenothecopsisoregana Rikkinen. Karstenia51: 37-49.
Tuovila, H., Rikkinen, J. & Huhtinen, S. (2012) Nomenclatural corrections in calicioid fungi. Karstenia52:73–74.
Find out more about the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteriahere.