Lichen

Lichens are among the oldest living organisms on Earth.

Some live for 1000s of years and only grow millimetres in a century.

Devon supports 1,500 species of lichen, including some that are very rare.

Teloschistes flavicans, Nicola Bacciu

Fulgensia fulgens, Mary Breeds

1. About

Lichens are unique, complex organisms made up of a fungi and an algae. This partnership allows them to live in harsh environments where neither organism could survive alone. 

The fungus is the largest part of a lichen. It absorbs nutrients and water, anchors the lichen in place and protects the tiny algae. The algae produces sugars through photosynthesis, which is why lichens generally prefer sunny positions.

Lichens come in various forms, including crustose (crust-like), foliose (leaf-like), and fruticose (shrub-like). Each one has adapted to different conditions. There are also different communities of lichens. For example, parmelion lichens typically grow on trees with very acidic bark, terricolous communities grow largely on soil and saxicolous lichens grow on rocks. 

While lichens can survive in harsh conditions they generally all need clean air.  Because they absorb nutrients and water directly from the air, they’re sensitive to pollutants and are an indicator of good air quality. Lichens are also critical in breaking down rocks and forming soils. They provide a microhabitat for small invertebrates and can be a source of food for wildlife, especially in the winter when little else is available.

There are XX species of lichen as Devon Species of Conservation Concern.  The Focus Species which need specific actions or attention are grouped into ten lichen communities and are discussed below. There is also a detailed overview paper for each group in Find out more below. 

Key pressures and opportunities

As most lichens grow on well-lit trees, pressures include:

The uncontrolled spread of ivy on tree trunks and in woodland canopies blocks the light and airy conditions many specialist lichens need. Ivy in the canopy also increases the risk of storm damage. 

Holly is a native species that has important wildlife value, including for lichens as it ages. However, due to a lack of grazing, many woods in Devon have developed dense growths of holly in the understorey, which can shade out lichens, bryophytes and plants, and have knock on effects for invertebrates.

Beech is generally considered to be a non-native species in Devon. Mature beech trees cast deep shade that affects lichens and prevents new growth of trees.

Rhododendron and cherry laurel are invasive non-native species that form dense understories in woodlands.

Areas are often fenced to prevent grazing and allow trees to develop new growth. However, this also allows scrub to grow which shades tree trunks and limits the niches available for lichen species.

Lichens need light to survive. As they’re small and slow growing they are easily overgrown by flowering plants and even by mosses which create shade. Specific issues include gorse scrub and conifer woodland colonising rocky habitats on Dartmoor, particularly where boulders are next to plantations such as at Leather Tor north of Burrator Reservoir. 

Rabbits once helped to keep coastal areas open. However, their populations have declined through disease which has allowed ivy, bramble, woody scrub and invasives such as hottentot fig to spread.

Removing deadwood, including removing dead wood on stag-headed oaks , is a serious issue for rare lichens. Large fallen trees that are held off the ground on branches are a more valuable habitat for deadwood lichen assemblages than trunks that are in full contact with the ground. Cutting up and moving large fallen trees should be avoided wherever possible.

Important old trees are being lost due to diseases such as Dutch elm disease and ash dieback.

Britain’s rainforests have become a popular topic, particularly since the publication of the bestselling book The Lost Rainforests of Britain. The South West Rainforest Alliance is bringing people together to manage and expand our upland and coastal lichen rich oak woodlands. See Woodlands for more information.

Too much grazing can stop woodland  trees regenerating.  Too little can cause scrub to grow and lead to overshading.  In areas where deer populations are being controlled, stock grazing in abandoned pasture woodlands may need to be reintroduced to maintain some open lit areas for lichens and other light loving species.

Many specialist lichens will only live on a few trees in any one site and so depend on large populations of trees to provide the niches they need and continuity of habitat. It is essential that new young trees are growing up to be the veteran trees of the future.

Climate change disrupts ecosystems by altering temperatures and rainfall patterns. This affects the atmospheric conditions lichens need to survive. More frequent and longer periods of drought can weaken host trees and make them more susceptible to disease. 

High levels of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia and sulphur dioxide can harm lichens or change nutrient levels, reducing species diversity. 

Because of its southern location, lichens on Dartmoor are likely to show an early response to climate change. Species such as Pseudephebe pubescens and Umbilicaria cylindrica appear to be locally extinct, possibly due to rising temperatures, ammonia pollution, or both.

Bryoria bicolor, Bryoria fuscescens and Bryoria smithii are potential flagship species in Devon. They’re highly sensitive to increased levels of ammonia and among the first indicators of increased atmospheric pollution. 

Consultation Q: Are they declining in Devon?

Water pollution from sediments, sewage and fertilisers can all harm aquatic lichens.

River flows (level and variability) determine a range of habitat factors that affect lichens, such as water depth, wet area, dissolved oxygen levels and water temperature. Releases from reservoirs and small-scale hydroeletric schemes can impact river flows. 

Dense shade on riverbanks and engineering works can harm lichen habitats.

Beavers are changing water levels and watercourses and their impact on rare lichens needs to be monitored. 

See Water quality and Watercourses for more information.

Walkers, climbers and canoeists can damage rare species growing on rocks, particularly on rivers, the coast and Dartmoor’s tors.

We don’t know enough about the extent or variety of lichens, which reflects a lack of resources and the rarity of skilled lichenologists.

Natural England commissions surveys of SSSIs roughly every 10 years, which  include lichens as a designated interest feature. The only other surveys are occasional visits by lichenologists acting in a voluntary capacity.  

Lichen indices have been devised to qualify sites which are suitable for notification as SSSIs. However these have not yet been applied to most sites, including much of  Dartmoor. The West Dart and the upper Teign both meet the criteria to be designated as SSSIs due to their lichen interest.  However, no SSSIs in Devon include aquatic lichens as a designated interest feature. 

There are huge opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of lichens among community wildlife groups, volunteers and professional ecologists.

2. What we need to do and where

Priority

Increase the abundance and distribution of lichens across Devon, particularly those identified as Focus Species.

Focus species

Dartmoor granite lichens

Dartmoor’s granite tors and clitter fields are one of Devon’s most iconic landscapes. They formed around 280 million years ago and have been shaped by millennia of weathering and freeze-thaw action. They provide a wealth of microhabitats which are perfect for rare lichens. The metamorphic rocks around the edge of Dartmoor, including the slates and sandstones in the Teign Gorge, increase habitat diversity for lichens. Some of the species found in these habitats also occur on sunny, south-facing slate outcrops in coastal areas.    
 
Key pressures include recreational disturbance, changes in vegetation, the potential impacts of ammonia and lack of survey. Vince Giavarini surveyed 29 tors on Dartmoor during the summers of 1987 and 1988. This survey has not been repeated. See Pressures above.
 
Three of this group’s Focus Species have threatened or near threatened status: Lepra melanochlora, Umbilicaria hirsute, and Xanthoparmelia tinctina. Other Devon Species of Conservation Concern include Agonimia opuntiella, which in England has only been recorded on Dartmoor; Buellia leptoclinoides, which in Britain is mostly recorded in the South Hams; Clauzadeana macula, Fuscidea gothoburgensis and Rhizocarpon subgeminatum, which are rarely recorded in England away from Dartmoor.   
 
See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Actions

Maintain open habitats on Dartmoor’s tors, clitter fields and the Teign Gorge for rare lichens

  • Continue light grazing and scrub control to prevent loss of open, well-lit, rocky habitat.

Survey, research and awareness

  • Raise awareness of the value of Dartmoor’s acid rock habitats for rare lichens.
  • Carry out regular surveys and map lichen assemblages using the non-montane acid rock index.

Where to focus action

All Dartmoor tors and clitter fields. Teign Valley Gorge.

Aquatic lichens of upland acid watercourses

Aquatic lichens live on rocks in rivers and streams. Different species live on different types of rock.

Good freshwater lichen habitats are rare. Devon’s upland acidic watercourses, flowing from Dartmoor and Exmoor, provide perfect habitat with exposed riverbed rocks and large rounded boulders. Nutrient-rich lowland rivers with heavy silting have far fewer lichen species.   

Different species of aquatic lichens live in different zones of the river depending on how they’ve adapted to being submerged in water. Some, such as river jelly lichen, can live largely underwater while others, such as Porina interjungens, prefer damp rocks on the shaded, vertical faces of gorges.

The West Dart and the upper Teign both meet the criteria to be designated as SSSIs due to their lichen interest.  However, no SSSIs in Devon include aquatic lichens as a designated interest feature. 

Key issues include water quality, water quantity, recreational impacts, management of riverbanks and invasive species. See Key pressures and opportunities above. Given the lack of baseline data and surveys, it’s not known whether individual species are declining, stable or increasing. 

There are six Devon Species of Conservation Concern in this group including Porocyphus kenmorensi which  lives largely underwater. Two of these species are threatened and are listed as Focus Species.  

See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Jelly lichen

Lathagrium dichotomum

This endangered species is one of a few highly specialized lichens which live largely under water and is a flagship for this group. It’s found in areas of the river that are only exposed during low flow conditions so is probably submerged for at least three-quarters of the year. River jelly lichen does not occur in heavily shaded sites and a lack of regular streamside coppicing may now confine it to larger rivers.

The most southerly site for river jelly lichen in England is on the River Exe near Cove, north of Tiverton. The largest populations are on the Barle and Exe in Somerset, the only river system where it occurs in the south-west.

Endocarpon adscendens

This threatened species lives in river zones that are regularly submerged after 10mm of rain. These zones have the richest freshwater lichen flora, such as on the mossy granite boulders in the West Dart River.

Actions

Manage the upper reaches of rivers for aquatic lichens

  • The upland reaches of lichen-rich rivers need protection from changes in land management which could cause eutrophication, sediment release or excessive shading. They also need protection from changes to the flow rate caused by water abstraction and the installation of hydroelectric schemes, reservoirs, and weirs. See Watercourses for more information.

Survey, research and awareness

  • Conduct regular surveys to map and monitor freshwater river lichens and detect any immediate threats.
  • Survey the Dart in Holne Woods SSSI for Endocarpon adscendens and the West Dart and Walkham Tavy confluence for Pterygiopsis concordatula.
  • Raise awareness of the importance of rivers for lichens.

Where to focus action

Dartmoor stretches of the rivers Teign, Dart and Tavy.

River jelly lichen is only found on the Exe near Exebridge and Cove, north of Tiverton.

Southern oceanic woodland lichens

Southern oceanic woodland is one of the best developed lichen habitats in Britain and of international importance. The richest areas are found in humid, sheltered sites in southern England, from the New Forest to central Cornwall, and in North Wales. 

The lichens that live here (mainly lobarion lichens) grow on tree bark that is less acidic than in the upland rainforest community. Important trees are oak, hazel and holly.

Like the upland rainforest lichens, this community is found in ancient oak woodlands along Dartmoor and Exmoor’s river valleys (but not the higher altitude woodlands). However, it’s also found in coastal woodlands in the North Devon Protected Landscape and in parklands with veteran trees such as Ugbrooke Park near Newton Abbot and Woodend Deer Park in East Devon.  

Some species can be found on  rocks and on sheltered dry stone walls on Dartmoor, including Leptogium cyanescens and species of Nephroma, Peltigera and Sticta. These lichen communities can be found on some of the same sites as upland rainforest communities. The species that occur will vary, depending on the microclimate and other species in the site.

Most of the lichen species on the SSSI southern oceanic woodland index are found in Devon. 32 of the species found in Devon have threatened or near threatened status.

Two species in England are confined to Devon. *Porina effilata is only known from Clovelly Deer Park in north Devon and is critically endangered. *Nevesia sampaiana is only found in Holne Woods on Dartmoor. Both are listed as Devon Special Species

Consultation Q (for Nicola B) Usnea articulata and Wadeana dendrographa were listed as Devon Special Species – but should change to Porina and Nevesia? (note that Usnea also at Braunton but more of a woodland species)

Upland rainforest lichens

High rainfall in these more exposed areas produces nutrient-poor acidic bark, especially on oak, birch and holly trees. Most lichens in this group are in the parmelion community of lichens.  They’re known for their foliose (leaf-like) structure and can form extensive patches on acidic bark and rocks.

The habitat this lichen community needs is very restricted and mainly found in Devon with other areas in Cornwall, Somerset and Cumbria. In Devon, species in this group are found in Dartmoor’s higher altitude oakwoods at Black Tor Copse and Wistman’s Wood, and in ancient oak woodlands along Dartmoor and Exmoor’s river valleys. 

The majority of the species on the SSSI Upland Rainforest index are found in Devon (at least 33). Four of these are currently threatened or near threatened: Parmelinopsis horrescens, Arthonia invadens, Graphina pauciloculata and *Bryoria smithii, which is a horsehair lichen.    

Horsehair lichen

Bryoria smithii

The only known locations for this species in the UK are two ancient oak woodlands high on Dartmoor, Blackator Copse where it was last recorded in 2016, and Wistman’s Wood where it was re-found in 2017. The species grows on oak trees alongside Lepra ophthalmiza and Stenocybe nitida. Lepra ophthalmiza is only known from one other site in England.

Deadwood lichen communities

Another community of lichen species, the lignicolous community, live largely on deadwood without bark, especially where it doesn’t receive direct rainfall or is in exposed situations where it can quickly dry out.

Species such as Buellia hyperbolica need a lot of light and this assemblage largely grows on standing deadwood in sheltered but well-lit situations. However, deadwood in living trees is also important.

There are six threatened or near threatened species in this group and two that are endangered, Buellia hyperbolica and Lecanora strobilina.    

Actions for all temperate rainforest and deadwood lichens

Management

  • Lichens in both Devon’s temperate rainforest communities need successive generations of well-lit trees. They therefore prefer open woodlands with well-spaced trees. In Devon, these woodlands are thought to have evolved from being grazed and are now kept open by grazing deer and livestock, mainly sheep and ponies. Pressures include shading, lack of natural regeneration, climate change and air pollution.  See Key pressures and opportunities above.

SSSIs

  • SSSIs with lichens as a designated interest feature: Arlington Court, the Barle Valley (both Exmoor or edge of Exmoor), Dendles Wood and Holne Woodlands (Dartmoor), Clovelly Deer Park, Dunsland Park, Hobby to Peppercombe, Marsland to Clovelly Coast, Ugbrooke Park and Whiddon Deer Park.
  • The Dartmoor SAC includes Black Tor Copse, Dendles Wood and Wistman’s Wood.   
  • See the detailed overviews for these groups in Find out more below.

Actions

Manage and expand Devon’s temperate rainforests for their lichen communities with an open, well- lit structure, dead wood and mature trees

  • Lightly graze woodlands to maintain open light woodlands with natural regeneration. Where necessary clear dense holly, ivy, beech and invasives such as rhodedendron and cherry laurel.
  • Protect Veteran trees and leave dead wood.
  • Address ammonia pollution at a national level.  what’s happening? 

Survey, research and awareness

Conduct regular surveys to map and monitor lichen populations and detect threats like excessive ivy growth.

Where to focus action

Plymouth University has used lichens to map the SW Temperate Rainforest Restoration Zones, These are included as High Opportunity Areas in the LNRS and show where action is most needed to protect and restore temperate rainforest, including for lichens.  See Mapping

Key temperate rainforest sites for lichens are listed in Find out more.

Consultation Q – why isn’t  Woodend Deer Park nr Shute on the Plymouth Uni map?

Veteran tree lichens

These lichens are found across Devon on old, well-lit trees in areas such as parklands, farmland, hedgerows, churchyards and gardens. Parklands are the best areas as they have the largest number of veteran trees. See Parkland and wood pasture and Veteran trees.

Key issues include shading, loss of veteran trees, lack of protection and management of veteran trees and lack of natural regeneration of new trees. See Pressures above.

There are 14 threatened or near threatened species in this group. Seven are endangered and Devon Species of Conservation Concern.

Other species that use this habitat include members of the Lobarion lichen community which are generally not under threat. No species in this group are confined to Devon although the county’s  populations of Parmelina carporrhizans, and Cryptolechia carneolutea are nationally significant.

Devon is a national stronghold for Wadeana dendrographa  which grows on the bark of veteran or ancient trees, favouring ash.    Is this right and should this be a Devon Special Species?

See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Actions

Protect and manage old, well-lit trees for lichens across Devon and ensure that new trees are growing to provide continuity of habitat

  • Manage excessive scrub growth, disease, overgrazing and damage from agriculture or construction.
  • Ensure a continuity of trees by ensuring natural regeneration where possible or planting new trees in sites outside woodlands. For detailed actions see Veteran trees

Survey, research and awareness

  • Raise awareness of the importance of field trees for lichens, the need for continuity in mature and veteran trees and the impact of air quality.
  • Conduct regular surveys to map and monitor lichen populations and detect threats like excessive ivy growth.

Where to focus action

Rural and urban areas across Devon. Parklands are especially important.  Mapped Veteran trees and wood pasture and parkland sites are shown on the LNRS Viewer.  See Mapping.

Key sites for lichens on Veteran trees are listed in Find out more.

Wet woodland lichens

Lichens in this group grow largely on willows, which have less acidic bark than alder and birch. Patches of wet woodland in mires, bogs, culm grasslands and along watercourses are perfect as they have lots of well-lit edges where lichens can thrive. This habitat is especially important for species in the Lobarion community as they grow on less acid bark in humid areas.

There are three species in this group with threatened or near threatened status:  Hypotrachyna horrescens, Phlyctis agelaea and Tylophoron hibernicum.  Species including Lobarina scrobiculata and Ricasolia amplissima are also likely to be categorised as threatened. 

Parmelia submontana occurs in Wales and Scotland but in England is only recorded in Devon, where it grows on willows in Devon Wildlife Trust’s Emsworthy Mire reserve and at the Heatree Activity Centre near Manaton. There is not enough data to determine its threat status.

Consultation Q:  This was a DSS  – should it still be???   

See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Actions

Maintain and expand wet willow woodlands with well-lit edges for rare lichens.

See Wet woodlands for more information.

Where to focus action

All wet woodlands across Devon. Key landscapes where wet woodland forms part of a mosaic of habitats include North Devon culm, Dartmoor rhos pastures, east Devon scarp slopes and watercourses. See Mapping.

Key sites are listed in Find out more.   

Lichens of mines and quarries

Metal mines

A very specialist group of rare lichens was once found on natural outcrops of metal-rich rock but is now mainly restricted to disused metal mines and other contaminated sites. In the past there were extensive copper and tin mines around the edge of Dartmoor (see Geology and soils). Many are now archaeological sites and the spoil heaps and other features form complex habitats that support these rare lichens.

Key mines include Wheal Betsy (copper and lead), Devon Friendship (copper), Ramsley (copper), Devon Great Consols (copper and arsenic), Vitifer (tin) and Gawton (copper and arsenic).  Mines in the Tamar Valley are in the West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

The assemblage in Devon includes three species that are threatened or near threatened: Cladonia rei, Lecanora handelii and Rhizocarpon furfurosum. None are confined to Devon.

Clay quarries

A group of rare lichens thrive in the exposed, low-fertility clay wastes in Devon’s clay quarries at Lee Moor in south-west Dartmoor, the Bovey Basin near Newton Abbot and the Petrockstowe basin in north Devon. They colonise undisturbed ball and china clay spoil, especially around flooded pits, beside tracks and on the steep damp sides of gullies. High rainfall ensures that the clay remains damp, which is likely to be important for these lichens. 

The assemblage in Devon includes two near threatened species, Cladonia rei and Scytinium palmatum, and supports a number of other rare and scarce lichens.

Limestone quarries

The near threatened lichen Pseudoleptogium diffractum has been recorded on inland calcareous cliffs in Devon, near Buckfastleigh and Newton Abbot. 

See the detailed overviews in Find out more below.

Tree Catapyrenium

Catapyrenium psoromoides

A critically endangered lichen. The only known population in the UK is in Devon at Chudleigh Rocks SSSI. This former limestone quarry consists of rocky outcrops and secondary woodland. The lichen occurs on two cliffs. One is near Rock House, where it grows among mosses and other lichens on shaded, damp rock ledges. The other is at Cow Cave, where it lives on calcite-rich recesses.

Actions

Metal mines

  • Remove scrub and manage the impact of recreation to protect rare lichens at old mines, in particular at heritage sites.

Clay quarries

  • Consider rare lichens in the restoration and management of operational clay quarries in the Bovey Basin and Lee Moor and the restored sites at Teigngrace Meadows and Meeth Quarry, which are managed by Devon Wildlife Trust.  

Limestone rocks

  • Conduct surveys every one to two years at Chudleigh rocks to monitor changes in the lichens’ abundance and prevent vegetation encroaching on rock outcrops.
  • Survey other inland calcareous rocks and quarries (for example at Buckfastleigh) to identify species of interest and address any emerging threats.

Survey, research and awareness

  • Conduct regular surveys to monitor species diversity and abundance.
  • Raise awareness of the ecological importance of mine and clay quarry spoil, in particular with clay companies and Devon County Council, the Minerals Planning Authority.
  • Map lichen locations and threats using tools such as the Metalliferous Habitat Index.

Where to focus action

Metal mines 

  • Mines on the western edges of Dartmoor including the West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

Clay quarries

  • Lee Moor in the south-west Dartmoor downs Focus Area, Bovey Basin and Meeth Quarry in the north Devon culm Focus Area. 

Limestone quarries

  • Chudleigh Rocks SSSI, inland calcareous cliffs around Buckfastleigh and Newton Abbot.

Maritime lichens

This group occurs on a range of coastal habitats from inter-tidal rocks to coastal heathlands. They can be found up to the salt spray limit which can be over 1km on very exposed coasts. The greatest diversity of species are found on hard rocks in south-west England and Wales.

Distinct zones can easily be seen due to the different colour lichens. In the lower inter-tidal zone, lichens form a conspicuous black band on the rocks. The zone above this, which is only submerged at high tide, supports lichens that are typically grey, brown, or yellow. Rock higher up, which gets sea spray but is usually only reached by waves during storms, is characterised by bright orange or white lichens.

Short sunny coastal grasslands provide perfect lichen habitat. Some of the most threatened coastal species in Devon grow on thin soils on cliff edges.   

There are 16 threatened or near threatened species in this group in Devon. Four are threatened and also UK Priority Species: Alyxoria subelevata, found on cliffs around Ilfracombe and on slate outcrops on the southern bank of the Teign Estuary; Fulgensia fulgens (scrambled egg lichen),which is found on limestone cliffs at Saunton Down in north Devon and at Braunton Burrows (see the Braunton Burrows group below); Heterodermia leucomelos,found at Morte Point; and Teloschistes flavicans,found on cliff tops mainly on the western site of Lundy but also at Morte Point, between Bolt Head and Bolt Tail and at Prawle Point.

No species in this group are confined to Devon although we have a significant proportion of the UK populations of *Alyxoria subelevata, *scrambled egg lichen and Teloschistes flavicans

Consultation Q for Nicola – Should these still be Devon Special Species?

See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Actions

Maintain open areas on coastal cliffs and slopes for rare lichens

  • Lightly graze where possible and clear scrub to maintain short turf and open areas.
  • Control invasive species such as hottentot fig and holm oak that outcompete lichens in critical sites such as Saunton to Baggy Point and Axmouth to Lyme Regis.

Survey, research and awareness

  • Carry out regular surveys to map lichen locations, monitor changes and identify threats such as excessive growth.
  • Raise awareness of the importance of coastal cliffs and slopes for lichens.  

Where to focus action

Coastal Wildbelt: Sidmouth to Dorset (Axmouth to Lyne Regis undercliffs), Torbay limestone, Start Point to Bolt Tail, Cornwall to Ilfracombe (Morte Point), Ilfracombe to Somerset (Hele, Samson’s and Combe Martin Bays and the Valley of the Rocks), Lundy.

Braunton Burrows lichens

Braunton Burrows in north Devon supports a rare and unique community of terricolous lichens, including several species of national importance.

These lichens thrive in small areas of flat and open land, generally with the moss Trichostomum crispulum. The lichens seem to need ground that has very limited disturbance from grazing rabbits or vehicles, which break up the sward. Key areas are Pebble Slack and a disused car park at Broad Sands. This habitat is very different to the burrows’ sand ridges that are dominated by marram grass and grassland communities that have species such as red fescue, wild thyme and common restharrow.

Threats include encroaching scrub, too much disturbance from vehicles and scraping to rejuvenate the dunes. Cattle grazing can help to reduce vegetation but can harm the lichens. There have been steady declines in terricolous lichens at other sites nationally, particularly in Breckland, which conservation organisations have been unable to stop. Colonies of Fulgensia fulgens at Braunton Burrows were lost at Pine Slack and Bomber Slack between 2013 and 2023. 

There are at least 18 species in this community including six that are threatened or near threatened and listed as Devon Species of Conservation Concern. *Scrambled egg lichen and *Usnea articulata are UK Priority Species and scrambled egg lichen is also endangered. Both have nationally significant populations in Devon and are Devon Special Species, although Usnea articulata is better known as a species of Dartmoor and Exmoor’s woodlands.  

A few species in this group are recorded at other sites such as Saunton Down, Baggy Point and Berry Head.

See the detailed overview for this group in Find out more below.

Actions

Manage Braunton Burrows for rare lichens

  • Carry out research to learn more about the habitat the terricolous lichen assemblage needs, including how it’s created and can be maintained.
  • Clear scrub to maintain open habitat. Tracking and compaction by heavy vehicles may be a more effective way to do this than scraping.
  • Investigate translocating Fulgensia fulgens to the disused Broad Sands carpark. 

Survey, research and awareness

  • Carry out regular lichen surveys and monitor threats such as encroaching scrub and grazing damage.

Where to focus action

Braunton Burrows. See Mapping.

3. Inspiration

Case studies

To add through Consultation  – any success stories?  Temperate Rainforest / Dynamic Dunescapes?

Where to visit

To add through Consultation  due to potential sensitivities

4. Find out more

To finish through Consultation

The British Lichen Society website has information on some individual lichen species.
 
Plantlife has published a toolkit to help woodland owners and managers understand the key conservation issues affecting temperate rainforest lichens and bryophytes, including a framework for managing temperate rainforest for these important species.
 
Lost Rainforests of Britain has an interactive map that shows temperate rainforests and includes filters for hotspots for moss, lichen and liverworts.
 
Life on the Edge – South Devon National Landscape is working with Buglife on the Life on the Edge project to restore wildlife on the south Devon coast between Berry head and Wembury. They’ve produced an Outline Conservation Management Plan that explains how they’ll do this.
 
Sanderson, N.A., Wilkins, T.C., Bosanquet, S.D.S. and Genney, D.R. 2018. Guidelines for the Selection of Biological SSSIs. Part 2: Detailed Guidelines for Habitats and Species Groups. Chapter 13 Lichens and associated microfungi. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 
 
Fletcher, A. (ed.) 2001. Lichen Habitat Management. British Lichen Society, London 
 
Windle, A. & Bacciu, N. (2021) Site Dossier & Common Standards Monitoring – Holne Woodlands SSSI. A report for Natural England. 

Giavarini, V.J. 1990. Lichens of Dartmoor Rocks. The Lichenologist 22(4): 367-396 

*** Non-montane acid rock lichen assemblage, Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Acid Watercourses lichen assemblage, Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 add a link to the profile

Douglass, J. 2020. West Dart and Dart River lichens. 

Gilbert, O.L. & Giavarini, V.J. 1997. The lichen vegetation of acid watercourses in England. Lichenologist,29, 347-367. 

Giavarini, V.J. 1999. Survey to determine the presence/absence of Collema dichotomum on the River Barle and the River Exe. Report for the Environment Agency. 

Giavarini, V.J. 2002. Further Survey of the Rivers Exe and Barle for the River Jelly Lichen Collema dichotomum. ReportfortheEnvironmentAgencyandExmoorNationalPark. 

Also the publication: Lichen Habitat Management edited by Fletcher, A., British Lichen Society 2001 

Key sites for lichens  are:

Upland Rainforest

Dartmoor: Black Tor Copse and Wistman’s Wood (only known locations of the horsehair lichen) and riparian woodlands such as Dendles Wood, Holne Woods, the Walkham, Meavy and Plym valleys (including Burrator, Cadworthy Wood, and Shaugh Bridge). 

Exmoor: Arlington Court and Barle Valley.

Southern oceanic woodlands

Riparian woodlands such as Dendles Wood, Arlington Court, Barle Valley, Holne Woods, Bovey Valley woodlands, the Walkham, Meavy and Plym valleys (including Burrator, Cadworthy Wood, and Shaugh Bridge).

Coastal woodlands include the Marsland to Clovelly Coast and Hobby to Peppercombe.

Important parklands include Clovelly Deer Park, Dunsland Park, Filleigh Park, Ugbrooke Park, Whiddon Deer Park, and Woodend Deer Park in Shute. 

Deadwood communities

Arlington Court, Dendles Wood, East Dartmoor NNR (Yarner and Bovey Valley woodlands), Doctor’s Wood (Exmoor coast), Holne Woods, the Teign Valley Woods and Wistman’s Wood.  

Upland rainforest, Southern Oceanic Woodlands and Dead Wood lichen assemblagea, Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 add a link to the profile

1 Fursdon, D. 2023. Independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor. Independent report for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. 

2 Sanderson, N.A., Wilkins, T.C., Bosanquet, S.D.S. and Genney, D.R. 2018. Guidelines for the Selection of Biological SSSIs. Part 2: Detailed Guidelines for Habitats and Species Groups. Chapter 13 Lichens and associated microfungi. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 

3 Plantlife: Rainforest lichens and bryophytes: a toolkit for woodland managers: https://rise.articulate.com/share/bEKjsHBtIRv2D4OQabgfdhfbD4qSriw0#/ 

4 https://duchyofcornwall.org/news/the-duchy-of-cornwall-to-regenerate,-expand-and-increase-resilience-of-temperate-rainforest,-wistmans-wood 

5 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temperate-rainforest-strategy 

6 https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2023/02/aviva-helps-restore-rare-native-british-rainforests/

7 Shrubsole, G. 2023. The Lost Rainforests of Britain. William Collins, Glasgow. 

8 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c32164813c724b4996cbe6599fb2ec4f 

9 Lamacraft, D. 2017. Bryoria smithii and other Bryoria at Black-a-tor Copse. British Lichen Society Bulletin, 121, 2-9. 

10 Benfield, B. 2002. Survey for Graphina pauciloculata – Holne Woods SSSI, the Walkham Valley SSSI & Hawns Wood. VC3 South Devon. Unpublished report for English Nature. 

11 Benfield, B. 2009. A Review of Graphina pauciloculata. A report for Natural England. 

Lichen Habitat Management edited by Fletcher, A., British Lichen Society 2001 

Key sites are:  Arlington Court, Clovelly Deer Park, Dunsland Park, Filleigh Park, Ugbrooke Park, Whiddon Deer Park, Woodend Deer Park in Shute, Hartland Abbey and field systems north of Gay’s Farm, Branscombe.
 
Lichens on old trees in open places, Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile
 
https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/sustainable-farming-incentive-pilot-guidance-maintain-in-field-trees/ 
 
https://www.ancienttreeforum.org.uk 
 
See the Veteran Tree page for more links.

Key sites include:

South Devon

Holne Woods, Bovey Valley Woodlands, Emsworthy, Sampford Spiney and the area around Burrator Reservoir.

North Devon

Arlington, Brownsham, Clovelly Park, Dunsland, Watersmeet, Hobby to Peppercombe and Marsland to Clovelly Coast. 

However, there will be other wet woodlands across Devon that support important lichen communities.

Wet woodland lichens, Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Metalliferous Lichens , Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Clay tip lichen assemblage , Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Maritime lichens , Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Braunton Burrows , Nicola Bacciu profile for the Devon LNRS, 2025 – we need to add a link to the profile

Windle, A. 2023. Braunton Burrows SSSI, North Devon AONB (VC 4 North Devon). Common Standards Monitoring for Lichens. Report for Natural England. 

Douglass, J.R. & Coppins, B.J. 2013. Common Standards Monitoring for Lichens at 

Braunton Burrows SSSI. Report for Natural England. 

Edwards, B. 2007. The current status of Fulgensia fulgens Scrambled-egg Lichen in England. Report for Natural England. 

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