Abstract
Sandbanks Provincial Park contains one of the world’s largest freshwater bay mouth sandbar and dune systems. To better understand the lichen biota of this provincially rare ecosystem, we inventoried the species at Sandbanks and its surrounding area. We found 128 species of lichens and allied fungi in 58 genera. Two species are new to Canada, Hyperphyscia syncolla (Tuck. ex Nyl.) Kalb and Minutoexcipula mariana V. Atienza. One additional species is new to Ontario, Physcia biziana (A. Massal.) Zahlbr. Sixteen species are provincially ranked as S1 (critically imperiled), S2 (imperiled), or S3 (vulnerable) by the Natural Heritage Information Centre: Acrocordia cavata (Ach.) R.C. Harris, Anaptychia crinalis (Schaer.) Vězda, Arthrosporum populorum A. Massal., Bacidia rubella (Hoffm.) A. Massal., Cresponea chloroconia (Tuck.) Egea & Torrente, Diploschistes muscorum (Scop.) R. Sant. ssp. muscorum, Flavopunctelia soredica (Nyl.) Hale, Heterodermia obscurata (Nyl.) Trevis., Lecanora carlottiana Lewis & Śliwa, Leptogium tenuissimum (Dicks.) Körb., Phaeophyscia hirsuta (Mereschk.) Essl., Physconia enteroxantha (Nyl.) Poelt, Ramalina pollinaria (Westr.) Ach., Staurothele drummondii (Tuck.) Tuck., Teloschistes chrysophthalmus (L.) Th. Fr., and Trypethelium virens Tuck. ex Michener. Unranked species collected for the second time in Ontario are Arthonia diffusa Nyl., Cladonia norvegica Tønsberg & Holien, and Lecanora juniperina Śliwa. Other provincially rare and unranked species are Caloplaca pollinii (A. Massal.) Jatta and Xanthomendoza weberi (S. Kondr. & Kärnefelt) L. Lindblom. Of these rare and unranked species, the following are reported (published) for the first time in the province: A. diffusa, C. pollinii, and L. juniperina. Some lichens require specific ecological conditions for colonization, and the rare ecosystem at Sandbanks appears to be the reason for the large number of rare species. We recommend a lichen education program for park visitors to make them more aware of these unusually rare and sensitive lichens in the park.
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