DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz
- Author:
- McMullin R.T., Simon A.D.F., Brodo I.M., Wickham S.B., Bell-Doyon P., Kuzmina M. & Starzomski B.M.
- Year:
- 2024
- Journal:
- Biodiversity Data Journal
- Pages:
- 12: e120292 [77 p.]
- Url:
- https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e120292
Background: Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in
remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an
often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and
having many important ecological functions.
New information: We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz
conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We
identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total
number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed
Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoria furcellata,
Chaenothecopsis lecanactidis and C. nigripunctata were collected for the first time in
British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis, which is listed as Special
Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British
Columbia including Opegrapha sphaerophoricola, Protomicarea limosa, Raesaenenia
huuskonenii and Sarea difformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope
and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and
allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa.
Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of
intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity,
education and conservation.
Keywords: biogeography, Calicioids, Central Coast Regional District, Great Bear Rainforest, ITS, Pacific Northwest.
- Id:
- 36320
- Submitter:
- zpalice
- Post_time:
- Wednesday, 28 February 2024 12:32