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Description

Lichens are a symbiotic organism consisting of two components: a mycobiont (fungus) and a photobiont (algae and/or cyanobacteria). These organisms play a significant role within the environment such as food resources, in practical uses such as dyes or medicine, and as environmental indicators. Current understandings of the lichens in Kentucky remain broad and incomplete. The purpose of this study is to catalog the diversity of the lichen genus Cladonia within Carter Caves State Resort Park (CCSRP), a park known for its high biological diversity. Cladonia has the highest macrolichen species richness in Kentucky. This genus of fruticose lichens can grow on various substrates including soil, wood, bark, or rock. Given these conditions, it would be expected that there would be a large number of species within Cladonia present in CCSRP. Currently, 19 species have been documented out of the 78 Cladonia species recognized in Kentucky. The most common Cladonia species for the park include C. coniocraea, C. furcata, C. peziziformis, and C. ochrochlora; less common species are C. verticillata, C. caespiticia, and C. parasitica. Species that may be present, but have not yet been documented, include C. apodocarpa, C. pleurota, and C. macilenta. Future collecting efforts will focus on sandstone-dominated habitats near Smoky Valley Lake, the abandoned golf course, and Horn Hollow.

Publication Date

4-16-2025

Disciplines

Higher Education | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

A catalog of diversity of the lichen genus Cladonia within Carter Caves State Resort Park, Carter County, Kentucky

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