SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 10th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
Researchers from the Royal Botanical Garden (RJB) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), with support from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU), have collaborated with scientists from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), the University of La Laguna, the University of Alcalá, and the University of Barcelona to identify six new species of lichens in the ‘Ramalina’ genus in the Canary Islands and Madeira.
The genus ‘Ramalina’ comprises approximately 250 species globally. While present on all continents, its highest diversity and abundance are in coastal subtropical subdesert regions where fogs and moisture-laden winds from the ocean provide the necessary daily humidity for these organisms.
These species grow in small yellowish ‘bushes’ on distinct trees and stones.
Macaronesia, in particular, holds a significant diversity of the ‘Ramalina’ genus. Prior to this study published in the journal ‘Persoonia’, a total of 43 species were known in this region, many of which are unique to the area.
In Macaronesia, there is a subset of endemic ‘Ramalina’ species that thrive on volcanic rock, known as the R. decipiens group. These species are notably striking and are found abundantly in various ecosystems across the islands, as highlighted by a statement from the Royal Botanical Garden.
“Prior to this study, which was published in the journal ‘Persoonia’, five species were recognised within this group. By utilising a combination of morphological, chemical, and molecular data alongside advanced phylogenetic and unsupervised grouping approaches utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI), we identified a total of fifteen distinct species. Seven of them were previously known, with two believed to be unrelated to the group, and six are newly identified species described in this study, along with two for which there was insufficient data or material for descriptive purposes,” noted researcher Miguel Blázquez from RJB-CSIC.
Some of these species exhibit extremely limited distribution ranges, being discovered in very specific areas within a singular island. For instance, the new species ‘Ramalina sabinosana’ is exclusively found in the Sabinar of El Hierro, while ‘Ramalina gomerana’ is known from only three locations in La Gomera.
“The presence of these highly localised distributions contradicts the common belief that lichens have extensive ranges. In this scenario, the behaviour of the Ramalina genus aligns with other organism groups that have evolved on oceanic islands, resulting in species with restricted distributions and distinct ecological behaviours,” concluded researcher Sergio Pérez-Ortega from the Royal Botanical Garden-CSIC.
