WYNDD Adds Lichens to Online List of Wyoming Flora and Fauna
A recent “census” of Wyoming’s lichens is now online and accessible through the species list tool of the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database (WYNDD) at the University of Wyoming.
The species list tool can be found by following the link here.
This list is based on the 2013 “Preliminary Checklist of Lichens Reported from Wyoming,” which was written by UW Biodiversity Institute Associate Director Dorothy Tuthill.
Lichens are pervasive across Wyoming, and they play significant roles in biogeochemical cycling, weathering, and soil stabilization, as well as contributing to above-ground productive biomass and biodiversity.
They also serve as forage for several Wyoming game animals, including pronghorn, moose, elk, and bighorn sheep, as well as nongame mammals and birds, and a variety of invertebrates.
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