Coastal Desert Research Articles

Indigenous land systems and emerging of Green Infrastructure planning in the Peruvian coastal desert: tensions and opportunities

ABSTRACT For many, Green Infrastructure (GI) is a modern ecological planning concept focusing on stormwater runoff. This paper argues for the importance of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) in GI planning and policy through the case study of the Tumbes Basin. The Basin serves as home to a diverse array of Pre-Hispanic Indigenous networked agro-ecological practices and landscape interventions guided by a worldview marrying humans and landscapes dating back to immemorial times of human habitation in the Americas (∼36,000 BP). By 900 BCE–1100 CE this planned regional network was actively managing landslides, stormwater runoff, and riverine flooding, all challenges are currently being exacerbated by climate change and urban development. Today, this landscape-level network is one of the biggest GI systems in Peru and yet remains unacknowledged in emergent GI policy and planning. By examining existing Peruvian scholarship on landscape practices, and visualizing Pre-Hispanic landscape networks in the Tumbes Basin, this study makes the case for Peruvian GI policy to be guided by Indigenous Knowledge and governance systems. Such a transformation requires a deeper integration of Indigenous conceptualizations of GI with other infrastructure systems and regional urban planning and design.

Bioprospecting of cyanobacterium in Chilean coastal desert, Geitlerinema sp. molecular identification and pressurized liquid extraction of bioactive compounds

This study presents a new cyanobacterium of the genus Geitlerinema sp. isolated from the Chilean coastal desert as a rich source of bioactive compounds. Phylogenetic tree is shown along with a broad biochemical characterization using conventional and pressurized liquid extraction. Variables as extraction yield, phycobiliproteins, lipids and methyl palmitate (C16:0) were studied by means of two experimental designs based on a response surface methodology (RSM) employing two factorial design 32. Factors as temperature (20–200 °C) and percentage of solvents were selected resulting in Factorial Design A with 0–100% (v/v) of ethanol–water and Factorial Design B with 0–100 (v/v) of ethanol–limonene solvents. The main bioactive compounds were total proteins (∼52% wt), phycobiliproteins (especially C-phycocyanin) and methyl palmitate (C16:0). Data obtained showed that water and ethanol:water (1:1, v/v) improved the extraction yield and phycobiliproteins recovery. As for ethanol:limonene extracts, they were better for lipids and methyl palmitate extractions. In general, high temperatures only improved the extraction yield whereas low temperatures favor the extraction of phycobiliproteins. Therefore, results indicated that Geitlerinema sp. could be one of the several cyanobacteria genera that display functional properties for nutritional, pharmaceutical or industrial use as sustainable and cost-effective bioactive compounds in algal biorefinery model.

Potential Assessment of Rumex spp. as a Source of Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activity

Secondary metabolites from the shoots and roots of three Rumex species collected from three different habitats were investigated (Rumex dentatus collected from cultivated land, R. pictus collected from the coastal desert and R. vesicarius collected from the inland desert) and tested for antioxidant activity as well as for anti-microbial activity against some human pathogenic bacteria. The present study indicated that the quantitative analysis of shoot and root extracts of three Rumex spp. were found to be rich in tannins and phenolics composition. The aerial parts of the three plants exhibited the highest significant values compared to the root parts. The MeOH extracts of Rumex species showed adequate antioxidant activity, wherein the IC50 values of the MeOH from the cultivated sample was 41.61 and 31.31 mg mL-1, coastal samples were 34.99 and 23.99 mg mL-1, while the sample of inland showed IC50 value of 41.59 and 31.67 mg mL-1, for root and shoot, respectively. Furthermore, using a filter paper disc assay, the MeOH extracts of the three Rumex species showed a substantial anti-microbial inhibitory effect on the growth of 10 pathogenic bacteria. According to sensitivity, the tested organisms could be sequenced as following: E. coli < K. pneumoniae ˂ S. typhi < P. aeruginosa for Gram-negative bacteria and B. subtilis < S. pneumoniae ˂ L. monocytoyenes < S. epidermis < S. aureus < B. cereus for Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, the antibacterial performance of R. dentatus root and R. vesicarius shoot MeOH extract is 100% broad spectrum against Gram-negative bacteria. A shoot of R. dentatus and R. pictus MeOH extract against Gram-positive bacteria is 83.3% broad spectrum. A further study is recommended for more characterization of the major compounds and assesses their efficiency and biosafety.

Records of different habitats used by the Colo-Colo (Leopardus colocola colocola) Molina 1782, in Central Chile

The Colo-Colo (Leopardus colocola) has a wide geographical distribution in South America. We document different types of habitats like forestal plantations, vineyard, hydrophilic, and deciduous forest, coastal desert, and Andean Steppe that it uses in Central Chile through trail cameras and direct observations. In this study, this cat was registered both in natural and heavily modified environments. More information is needed to understand if this felid’s records in intervened areas are mostly associated with movements between patches of native vegetation or regular use.

Ritual stone‐built architecture and shell midden foundation: A semisubterranean structure in hyperarid Atacama Desert coast, Northern Chile

AbstractHunter‐gatherer architectural practices are one of the main sources of data to understand the complex land use of these societies. In the hyperarid Atacama Desert coast (Northern Chile), hunter‐gatherers‐fishers developed standardized stone‐built architecture during the Late Archaic period (∼5,700–4,000 cal years BP), interpreted so far as sedentary villages or long‐term campsites. Nevertheless, the lack of site formation process studies and systematic chronostratigraphies defy such functional interpretations. To address these issues, we reconstruct the lifecycle of a recently discovered semisubterranean structure at the Zapatero site (~25°S, Taltal). Combining stratigraphy, micromorphology, faunal and lithic analysis, as well as radiocarbon dating, we evidence a broad sequence involving different processes: shell midden formation; a stone‐structure; a prepared burial pit; a burning event; a short‐term occupational episode; and the entombment of the structure. We interpret this sequence as ritualized actions related to commemorative and place‐making activities. Our work stresses the need for new research programs at the Atacama Desert coast, based on geoarchaeological approaches, to understand hunter‐gatherer‐fisher middening and architectural practices from the very materiality involved in stratigraphy‐making processes.

Benthic microbial diversity trends in response to heavy metals in an oxygen-deficient eutrophic bay of the Humboldt current system offshore the Atacama Desert

Mejillones Bay is a coastal ecosystem situated in an oxygen-deficient upwelling area impacted by mining activities in the coastal desert region of northern Chile, where conspicuous microbial life develops in the sediments. Herein, heavy metal (loid)s (HMs) such as Cu, Pb, As, Zn, Al, Fe, Cd, Mo, Ni and V as well as benthic microbial communities were studied using spectrometry and iTag-16 S rRNA sequencing. Samples were taken from two contrasting sedimentary localities in the Bay named Punta Rieles (PR) and Punta Chacaya (PC) within 10–50 m water-depth gradient. PR sediments were organic matter rich (21.1% of TOM at 50 m) and overlaid with low-oxygen waters (<0.06 ml O2/L bottom layer) compared with PC. In general, HMs like Al, Ni, Cd, As and Pb tended to increase in concentration with depth in PR, while the opposite pattern was observed in PC. In addition, PR presented a higher number of unique families (72) compared to PC (35). Among the top ten microbial families, Desulfobulbaceae (4.6% vs. 3.2%), Flavobacteriaceae (2.8% vs. 2.3%) and Anaerolineaceae (3.3% vs. 2.3%) dominated in PR, meanwhile Actinomarinales_Unclassified (8.1% vs. 4.2%) and Sandaracinaceae (4.4% vs. 2.0%) were more abundant in PC. Multivariate analyses confirmed that water depth-related variation was a good proxy for oxygen conditions and metal concentrations, explaining the structure of benthic microbial assemblages. Cd, Ni, As and Pb showed uniformly positive associations with communities that represented the keystone taxa in the co-occurrence network, including Anaerolineaceae, Thiotrichaceae, Desulfobulbaceae, Desulfarculaceae and Bacteroidales_unclassified communities. Collectively, these findings provide new insights for establishing the ecological interconnections of benthic microorganisms in response to metal contamination in a coastal upwelling environment.

Big Fish or Small Fish? Differential Ichthyoarchaeological Representation Revealed by Different Recovery Methods in the Atacama Desert Coast, Northern Chile

ABSTRACT Recovery methods and techniques for archaeological sampling can yield major differences in abundance and anatomo-taxonomical representation of animals, affecting past social and ecological reconstruction. Despite being a common organic material in archaeological sites, faunal remains typically exhibit differential preservation of species and skeletal elements due to pre- and post-depositional processes. This is particularly true for small-sized animals such as certain species of fish, whose often small and fragile fragments are difficult to recover and identify. Here, we present the results of a comparative analysis between two ichthyoarchaeological assemblages from Caleta Vitor 3 in northern Chile (CV3, 18°45′09″ S), an Early to Middle Holocene (9.2–7.6 ka cal BP) Chinchorro shell midden site. We compare samples obtained and processed, both in the field and the lab, using different recovery techniques. We developed a data standardisation procedure to compare and evaluate skeletal representation, taxa distribution and variations throughout the stratigraphic sequence. Our results show that mesh screen size affects not only the abundance and density of fish but also species representation. Moreover, the identification of small pelagic fish at CV3 sheds further light upon prehistoric fishing strategies and social organisation during the site’s early occupation.

Kinematics and dynamics of the stratocumulus average diurnal dissipation process at Atacama Desert

Stratocumulus-type clouds constitute a stable system over the Southeast Pacific Ocean. Their phenomenology is well known particularly over the ocean, but a quantitative analysis of their diurnal cycle over the Pacific continental coastal desert strip of South America remained unaddressed. In this work, the stratocumulus average morning dissipation process at two sites in the Atacama Desert is documented through simple empirical mathematical equations. Based on the change rate analysis of the visible cloud optical depth (COD) inferred from solar irradiance measurements, the kinematics and the dynamics of the stratocumulus dissipation process is established, showing that it develops at an average constant “acceleration of dissipation” (d2COD/dt2) of about −3.3 h−2, equivalent to a cloud geometrical vertical thickness change at an average constant “acceleration of thinning” of about −40 m/h2. Towards the end of the dissipation process when cloudiness vanishes, the average “velocity of dissipation” (dCOD/dt) and “velocity of thinning” round −16 h−1 and −175 m/h, respectively. A simple plane-parallel optical and geometrical model explains the average behavior of the phenomenon in the region on a wholly radiative base, with an absorbed fraction of solar irradiance acting as exclusive driver of the average dissipation process. About 13 kJ/m2 of net irradiation is needed to change the COD of the stratocumulus deck by one unit. The progressive morning cloud dissipation from the land on the east towards the sea on the west is evidenced. The analysis of the cloud effective transmittance and a full set of checks, including test of robustness, support these results and their interpretation.

Alternative Biomass for Bioenergy: Salicornia spp.

Climate change is increasing risks to human health and to the health systems that seek to protect the safety and well-being of populations. The world population is increasing and there is a limited amount of fresh water in the world. Cultivating biofuel crops, trees and grasses for biofuels may compete with agriculture, especially, in developing countries as there can be unfavourable ramifications of the “food versus fuel” use of plant products. Salinity affects almost all aspects of plant development including germination, vegetative growth and reproductive development due to drought and high soil salinity, and harsh environmental conditions. Salicornia brachiata usually grow in coastal marshes and have worldwide distribution. Because of their ability to flourish in saltwater, glasswort plants are the most promising crop to be grown so far using seawater irrigation along coastal deserts. They can be eaten by livestock, and their seeds yield oil. Salicornia has very high economic value, including a 30% of oil. Biocombustibles (biodiesel, ethanol and biogas) occupy an important market in several countries. Salicornia sp. will also have ecological impact, as it absorbs carbon dioxide. Gujarat with its 1600-km-long coastline has a vast potential for saltwater farming. Shrimp farming in sea water, growth of marine algae and Salicornia sp. cultivation in coastal areas can provide alternative to biomass production without using agricultural land or fresh water. Besides biomass, Salicornia provides value-added products: its seeds yield oil which can be used as biofuel. Its succulent tips are used widely in Europe and the USA in green salad dressings; the plant itself can be an excellent fodder. This fodder has increased milk yield by 15% in addition to making it protein rich. The dry biomass is used to prepare particleboard for use in furniture. Salicornia cultivation can provide cheap, locally available energy to catalyse the all-round socioeconomic development process. This can also offer an effective low-cost strategy for reclaiming barren wastelands into productive areas. A review shall be presented.

L’assemblage lithique du site Acheuléen de Namib IV (Namib central, Namibie)

Despite a rich archaeological record, the old prehistory of Namibia, particularly from the Earlier Stone Age, is poorly documented, due to the surface context of the findings, exposed by erosional processes. In this context, human behaviors and responses to environment changes in this region during the Middle Pleistocene remain unclear. In the late 1970's, Myra Shackley surveyed the Central Namib dune desert and discovered lithic artefacts associated to fragmented fossilized bones of antelopes, elephants, zebras and buffalos at Namib IV. She interpreted this locality as an Acheulean butchery site on the shores of a paleolake. The radiometric dating suggested an age of ~347ka whereas biochronology broadly pointed the human occupation to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1–0.5 Ma). Thanks to these ages, Namib IV is currently the earliest dated evidence of human presence in the current Namib coastal desert. Contextualized by the existing chronological and paleoenvironmental data, we analyzed the unstudied lithic material recovered at Namib IV. To do so, we applied a qualitative morpho-structural approach to the stone tools and tried to reconstruct the productional schemes (chaînes opératoires). Our results argue for an important economy of the raw material, a spatial fragmentation of stone tool production and an important technical homogeneity of the lithic assemblage despite few possible intrusive elements. In the light of these analyses, we finally discussed the advanced site function of Namib IV as butchery site.

Plants in the Tapestry (Literally)

Among our studies of ancient Peruvian textiles created in tapestry technique, we have come across some surprising elements, both in the warp and the weft. Andean textiles created over the past 10,000 years have been preserved in certain locations along the Pacific desert coast. They are usually preserved in the cloth bundles that protect and adorn the dead, and composed of fibers from native cotton varieties of Amazonian ancestry, the hair of highland ancestors of today’s llama and alpaca, maguey leaves from the mid-valley canyons, and reeds from coastal marshes. Garment forms, techniques and imagery can indicate textiles produced in different regions of the coast, or produced in the highlands and later deposited in lowland contexts.

Distribución y caracterización de las comunidades de Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) en el sur de Perú y su relación con la altitud, pendiente y orientación

Las comunidades vegetales xerofíticas donde predomina Tillandsia, en los desiertos costeros de Perú y Chile, son dependientes de la neblina proveniente del océano pacífico, por lo que presentan, a su vez, características únicas que le permiten sobrevivir al singular ecosistema. La distribución de los tillandsiales en el sur de Perú fue evaluada mediante técnicas de teledetección, revisión de herbarios, textos especializados y exhaustivas salidas de campo, así mismo, se relacionó su presencia respecto a la altitud, pendiente y orientación. Se registra seis especies de Tillandsia, siendo las más comunes T. purpurea y T. capillaris, mientras que, T. latifolia, T. paleacea, T. landbeckii y T. werdermannii están restringidas a determinadas localidades. Los resultados muestran 94 parches de Tillandsia, repartidos en 10 localidades del sur de Perú, abarcando desde 15° 5' S hasta 18° 0' S, con una extensión aproximada de 467 km2. Las poblaciones se encuentran desde 450 hasta 1400 msnm y en cuanto a la pendiente y orientación, estos se localizan preferentemente a &lt;8.5° y SO respectivamente. En cuanto a su conservación, actualmente estas comunidades se encuentran amenazadas principalmente por la presión antrópica, modificación de hábitat y el cambio climático.

Sustainable Development for The North Plain Desert Coast of Dakahlia Province.(Dept.A)

Sustainable Development for The North Plain Desert Coast of Dakahlia Province.(Dept.A)

Ecological and essential oils characteristics of Deverra tortuosai (Desf.) DC. in Egyptian deserts

The present study aims to assess the relationship between soil chemical characteristics and associated species and the essential oils of Deverra tortuosa (Desf.) DC. in two Egyptian deserts. Plant samples were collected for chemical analysis from two desert habitats differing in climatic and edaphic conditions: coastal (West of Alexandria) and inland (Wadi Hagul) in the eastern desert. D. tortuosa is recoded as a common associate in most of plant communities. Higher associated plant species were recorded in the coastal desert (32 species) compared with 15 species in inland desert. Soil chemical properties were generally higher in the coastal desert except pH and sulphates showed higher values in inland desert. Forty essential oils from D. tortuosa were recorded in both inland and coastal desert habitats, of which 21were restricted to inland desert, 10 were found in coastal desert and nine are represented in both habitats. The obtained results will optimized the application of Deverra tortuosaas a source of essential oils.

Ecology and diagnosis of Enallodiplosis discordis (Diptera:Cecidomyiidae)

The coastal desert of Peru and Chile is home to Prosopis (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) tree species that are exceptionally well-adapted to the hyperarid conditions and keystone in dry-forest ecosystems. From 2001 to 2018, Prosopis in Peru have suffered widespread defoliation and die-back, with consequent deforestation and collapse in pod production. This paper reports a new insect plague species of Prosopis forest in Peru: Enallodiplosis discordis Gagné 1994 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) as a fiercely defoliating agent contributing to widespread Prosopis mortality. An analysis of E. discordis larval taxonomy, life cycle and plague infestation, following El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) 1998/99 is provided. Using distinct lines of evidence, its spread, distribution, and ecology are examined. Over two decades of fieldwork, Prosopis forest die-back and loss was observed devastating rural livelihoods and ecosystem services across lowland regions of southern (Ica), central and northern coastal Peru (Lambayeque, La Libertad, Piura). The collapse in production of Prosopis pods (algarroba, huaranga) and honey was recorded. Supplementary notes provide observations of: (i) plague development, changing land-use and climate, (ii) biological and physical control of E. discordis, (iii) the moth Melipotis aff. indomita (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as a concurrent defoliator of Prosopis.

Nearshore paleoceanogaphic conditions through the Holocene: Shell carbonate from archaeological sites of the Atacama Desert coast

From the southern coast of Peru to the central-north coast of Chile (18°-31°S) previous evidence suggests that wide variations in sea surface temperature (SST) over the Holocene may be associated with changes in coastal upwelling regimes along the region. Support for spatial contrasts and similarities in oceanographic dynamics comes from earlier work at both extremes of the region. Using a 12 kyr record derived from shell midden archaeological sites around Taltal Chile (25°S), we show that changes in the region are not necessarily consistent with a simple latitudinal gradient. Using δ13C and δ18O isotopic records from archaeological carbonate shells of the keyhole limpet Fissurella maxima we find that cold SST during the Early Holocene was associated with more negative δ13C values in agreement with observations from southern Peru. Warmer waters during the beginning of the Middle Holocene, had positive δ13C values, differentiating them from southern Peru and central-north Chile records. The rest of the Middle Holocene showed a decreasing SST accompanied by negative δ13C values, and after 4000 cal yr BP, the Late Holocene showed a progressive increase in SST and positive δ13C values. Finally, modern carbonate shells of F. maxima indicate a situation not observed throughout the Holocene period: warm SST is associated with negative δ13C values, in line with results on modern shells from southern Peru and modern oceanographic patterns that indicate an intensification of coastal upwelling with events of warm water intrusion. Our results show that the southern coast of the Atacama Desert experienced important fluctuations in SST and upwelling conditions during the Holocene, which may have affected the distribution of nearshore fisheries along the Northern Coast of Chile.

Historical assembly of Zygophyllaceae in the Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert harbors a unique arid-adapted flora with a high degree of endemism, the origin of which is poorly understood. In the Atacama Desert, Zygophyllaceae is represented by five endemic species: one member of Zygophylloideae: Fagonia chilensis; and four members of Larreoideae: Bulnesia chilensis and Porlieria chilensis, the only representatives in the Atacama Desert of genera with disjunct distributions between Argentina, Peru and Chile; and monotypic endemic genera Metharme lanata and Pintoa chilensis. Zygophyllaceae are thus a particularly suitable group for studying the historical assembly of the Atacama Desert flora as each of these species may represent independent biogeographical events. We made use of published as well as original plastid DNA sequences (rbcL, trnL-trnF & trnS-trnG) to reevaluate the phylogenetic relationships of the Atacama Zygophyllaceae. Bayesian divergence time estimates as implemented in BEAST2 and ancestral area reconstruction with the Dispersal Extinction Cladogenesis approach using BioGeoBEARS were applied to infer ancestral ranges. We compiled the most complete data set of Larreoideae to date with 25 of 28 species. Bulnesia rivas-martinezii from Bolivia forms a clade with Pintoa chilensis from the Atacama Desert, rendering the genus Bulnesia paraphyletic. Most representatives of Zygophyllaceae colonized the Atacama Desert during the Miocene, and only Fagonia dispersed more recently. The colonization history of the Atacama Desert in South America is reflected by three individual distribution patterns or floristic elements. The presence of Bulnesia, Pintoa, and Metharme is best explained by Andean vicariance, while the southern Atacama Desert representative, Porlieria chilensis, has a continuous distribution into central Chile from where it probably dispersed further north. The only South American Fagonia species (F. chilensis) likely colonized the Chilean-Peruvian Coastal Desert via long distance dispersal from North America.

Monitoring and predictive mapping of floristic biodiversity along a climatic gradient in ENSO's terrestrial core region, NW Peru

The tropical dry forests of NW Peru are heavily shaped by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), where especially El Niño brings rain to arid to semi‐arid areas. However, the resulting effects on biodiversity patterns remain largely unknown as well as the effect of environmental variables on the floristic composition under varying rainfall patterns. Therefore, we studied the spatio‐temporal effects of different ENSO episodes on floristic biodiversity along a climatic gradient ranging from the coastal desert to the Andean foothills. We sampled 50 vegetation plots in four years representing different ENSO episodes. To highlight the spatio‐temporal changes in floristic composition and beta diversity across ENSO episodes, we predicted ordination scores with a Generalized Additive Model. We applied variation partitioning to test if topographic or edaphic variables gained in importance during more humid ENSO episodes. Additionally, we executed an irrigation–fertilization experiment to quantify the beneficial effects of the water–nutrient interaction under different simulated ENSO rainfall scenarios. Plant species richness increased under humid conditions during the humid La Niña (2012) and the moderate El Niño (2016), and slightly decreased under the very humid conditions during the coastal El Niño (2017). The spatial prediction revealed that specific vegetation formations became more pronounced with increasing water input, but that a large water surplus led to the disruption of the strict order along the climatic gradient. Edaphic and topographic variables gained in importance with increased water availability (2012 and 2016), however, this effect was not further amplified under very wet conditions (2017). The experiment showed that plant cover under Super Niño conditions was three times higher when fertilized. Overall, our spatial predictions concede detailed insights into spatio‐temporal ecosystem dynamics in response to varying rainfall caused by different ENSO episodes while the results of the experiment can support farmers regarding a sustainable agrarian management.

Red-legged cormorant uses plastic as nest material in an artificial breeding colony of Atacama Desert coast

Plastic debris affects the survival of numerous marine species such as seabirds. Several studies have report ingestion and entanglement of seabird species in plastic debris but just few describe plastic presence in nests. Here we report the first evidence of a novel artificial nesting colony of red-legged cormorant (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) using plastic as nesting material in two major seaport structures in Northern Chile. We sampled 18 abandoned nests and determined that overall nests contained plastic: industrial polypropylene bulk bags (35%), plastic bags (33%) and fishing gear (10%). Plastic types differ among seaports, ENAEX (National Company of Explosives) seaport located near the main city contained plastic bags as predominant material while GNL (Liquid Natural Gas Company) seaport located near the industrial area contained bulkbag fibers. Further research should analyze debris in beaches nearby the nesting colony in order to assess whether red-legged cormorants have any plastic preference or if they use the most available in the nature.

The fruticose genera in the Ramalinaceae (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes): their diversity and evolutionary history.

We present phylogenetic analyses of the fruticose Ramalinaceae based on extensive collections from many parts of the world, with a special focus on the Vizcaíno deserts in north-western Mexico and the coastal desert in Namibia. We generate a four-locus DNA sequence dataset for accessions of Ramalina and two additional loci for Niebla and Vermilacinia. Four genera are strongly supported: the subcosmopolitan Ramalina, the new genus Namibialina endemic to SW Africa, and a duo formed by Niebla and Vermilacinia, endemic to the New World except the sorediate V. zebrina that disjunctly occurs in Namibia. The latter three genera are restricted to coastal desert and chaparral where vegetation depends on moisture from ocean fog. Ramalina is subcosmopolitan and much more diverse in its ecology.We show that Ramalina and its sister genus Namibialina diverged from each other at c. 48 Myrs, whereas Vermilacinia and Niebla split at c. 30 Myrs. The phylogeny of the fruticose genera remains unresolved to their ancestral crustose genera.Species delimitation within Namibialina and Ramalina is rather straightforward. The phylogeny and taxonomy of Vermilacinia are fully resolved, except for the two youngest clades of corticolous taxa, and support current taxonomy, including four new taxa described here. Secondary metabolite variation in Niebla generally coincides with major clades which are comprised of species complexes with still unresolved phylogenetic relationships. A micro-endemism pattern of allopatric species is strongly suspected for both genera, except for the corticolous taxa within Vermilacinia. Both Niebla and saxicolous Vermilacinia have chemotypes unique to species clades that are largely endemic to the Vizcaíno deserts.The following new taxa are described: Namibialinagen. nov. with N. melanothrix (comb. nov.) as type species, a single new species of Ramalina (R. krogiae) and four new species of Vermilacinia (V. breviloba, V. lacunosa, V. pustulata and V. reticulata). The new combination V. granulans is introduced. Two epithets are re-introduced for European Ramalina species: R. crispans (= R. peruviana auct. eur.) and R. rosacea (= R. bourgeana auct. p.p). A lectotype is designated for Vermilacinia procera. A key to saxicolous species of Vermilacinia is presented.