Print Report
F055 Benthic Lichen Saltwater Vegetation Formation
Type Concept Sentence: Saltwater tidal areas dominated by submerged or emergent lichens on the surface of the substrate, occurring in two major zones: the intertidal (or Littoral) Lichen Zone, and the Supratidal (or Supralittoral) Lichen Zone.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Benthic Lichen Saltwater Vegetation Formation
Colloquial Name: Benthic Lichen Saltwater Vegetation
Hierarchy Level: Formation
Type Concept: Saltwater tidal areas dominated by submerged or emergent lichens that form patches or visible patterns on the surface of the substrate. Lichens are generally recognized as a symbiotic association with a fungus and an alga (or cyanobacterium) living together and forming patches or a visible pattern on the surface of the substrate. Lichens occur in relatively recognizable zones based on, among other factors, the extent to which they are submerged or flooded. The two major zones are the Intertidal (or Littoral) Lichen Zone, dominated by patches of lichens that are regularly submerged by marine tides, and the Supratidal (or Supralittoral) Lichen Zone, which are rarely submerged, but are regularly wetted by splash and sea spray, often in rocky habitats.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Fletcher (1973) describes Marine Lichen types. Lichen zones are described by Fletcher (1973), Gilbert and Giavarini (1997), and Hawksworth (2000). Although some mosses have been reported in tidal salt marshes, they have not been reported as dominant (Garbary et al. 2008). Thus, at this time, benthic communities dominated by mosses are only recognized in freshwater tidal situations.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Benthic saltwater tidal areas dominated by submerged or emergent lichens may form patches or visible patterns on the surface of the substrate. Lichens are generally recognized as a symbiotic association with a fungus and an alga (or cyanobacterium) living together and forming patches or a visible pattern on the surface of the substrate.
Floristics: No Data Available
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Benthic saltwater lichens occur in relatively recognizable zones based on, among other factors, the extent to which they are submerged or flooded. The two major zones are the Intertidal (or Littoral) Lichen Zone, dominated by patches of lichens that are regularly submerged by marine tides, and the Supratidal (or Supralittoral) Lichen Zone, which are rarely submerged, but are regularly wetted by splash and sea spray, often in rocky habitats.
Geographic Range: This type distribution is not well known.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: No Data Available
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.877237
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 5 Aquatic Vegetation Class | C05 | 5 |
| Subclass | 5.A Saltwater Aquatic Vegetation Subclass | S09 | 5.A |
| Formation | 5.A.4 Benthic Lichen Saltwater Vegetation Formation | F055 | 5.A.4 |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Biotic Subclass: Marine Lichens (FGDC 2012)
- FGDC [Federal Geographic Data Committee]. 2012. Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (Version 4.0). FGDC-STD-018-2012. Federal Geographic Data Committee, FGDC Secretariat, U.S. Geological Survey. Reston, VA. 246 pp. plus appendices.
- Fletcher, A. 1973. The ecology of marine (supra littoral) lichens on some rocky shores of Anglesey. Lichenologist 5:401-422.
- Garbary, A., A. Miller, R. Scrosati, K. Kim, and W. Schofield. 2008. Distribution and salinity tolerance of intertidal mosses from Nova Scotian salt marshes. The Bryologist 111(2):282-291.
- Gilbert, O. L., and V. J. Giavarini. 1997. The lichen vegetation of acid watercourses in England. Lichenologist 29:347-367.
- Hawksworth, D. L. 2000. Freshwater and marine lichen-forming fungi. Pages 1-7 in: K. D. Hyde, W. H. Ho, and S. B. Pointing, editors. Aquatic mycology across the Millennium. Fungal Diversity 5: 1-7.