Assessed as Endangered A2c+3c+4c; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v), ver 3.1; date assessed: July 1, 2020

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Common name(s): English: Coastal Popcorn Lichen; Spanish (Castilian): Palomitas Costeras

Taxonomic Notes: Mobergia is a genus in the family Physciaceae with only two species.

ASSESSMENT JUSTIFICATION [criteria: A2c+3c+4c; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)]

Mobergia calculiformis is a rock dwelling lichen, from the Pacific Coast of Southern California and the Baja Peninsula. There has been an inferred >50% overall population reduction based on all United States subpopulations having been extirpated, which has led to a reduction in Area of Occupancy (AOO), Extent of Occurrence (EOO), and number of locations. The loss of the species is accompanied by a severe reduction in habitat quality throughout its range due to development and recreation. There is an inferred future reduction of at least 50% as the four remaining locations are all threatened. One locationis impacted by tourism, and another one might be affected in the future by the Escalera Náutica (ÁlvarezTorres 2009; also see websites cited) and is threatened by currently ongoing infrastructure projects (https://www.cielomarbaja.com/%E2%80%8Bescalera-nautica-nautical-ladder/), and the other 50% ofextant subpopulations are either minute (Sierra La Giganta) and/or threatened by urbanisation (Sierra LaGiganta and south of San Quintín). Although the EOO is large, the AOO is less than 80 km² and thesubpopulations are severely fragmented, plus there is a continuing decline in EOO, AOO, and a projected decline of the number of locations and subpopulations. Therefore, this species is Endangered under criteria: A2c+3c+4c; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v).

Assessor/s: Herrera-Campos, M., Parrinello, C. & Bungartz, F.; Reviewer/s: Stone, D.; Contributor(s): Dal Forno, M., Vargas, R., Ramos, D. & Knudsen, K.; Facilitator(s) and Compiler(s): Allen, J., Chandler, A. & Yahr, R.

Partner(s) and Institution(s): Arizona State University, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Bibliography:

Aguirre-Muñoz, A., Bedolla-Guzmán, Y., Hernández-Montoya, J., Latofski-Robles, M., Luna-Mendoza, L.,Méndez-Sánchez, F., Ortiz-Alcaraz, A., Rojas-Mayoral, A. & Samaniego-Herrera, A. (2018) The Conservation and Restoration of the Mexican Islands, A Successful Comprehensive and Collaborative Approach Relevant for Global Biodiversity. In: Ortega-Rubio, A. (ed.), Mexican Natural ResourcesManagement and Biodiversity Conservation, pp. 177-192. Springer International Publishing.

Álvarez Torres, E.M. (2009) Escala náutica del Mar de Cortés: Puerto Libertad. Liberty Cove: el desarrolloturístico, la sustentabilidad urbana o la tradición y modernidad en los conglomerados rurales. Revista de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Ciencias Sociales 1(3): 1-28.

Bachman, S., Moat, J., Hill, A.W., de la Torre, J. & Scott, B. (2011) Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT: geospatial conservation assessment tool. In: V. Smith and L. Penev (eds) e-Infrastructures for data publishing in biodiversity science. Zookeys 150: 117–126.

Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (2013) Programa de Manejo Reserva de la Biosfera IslaGuadalupe. Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Distrito Federal de México.

Harper, A.B., Vanderplank, S., Dodero, M., Mata, S. & Ochoa, J. (2011) Plants of the Colonet Region, Baja California, Mexico, and a vegetation map of Colonet Mesa. Aliso: A Journal of Systematic andEvolutionary Botany 29(1): 25-42.

IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).

Lovich, R.E., Grismer, L.L. and Danemann, G. (2009) Conservation status of the herpetofauna of Baja California, México and associated islands in the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 4(3): 358-378.

Mayrhofer, H. & Sheard, J.W. 2004. Mobergia. In: Nash III, T.H., B.D. Ryan, P. Diederich, C. Gries, and F. Bungartz (eds), Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 2, pp. 364-365. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Mayrhofer, H., Sheard, J.W. & Matzer, M. 1992. Mobergia (Physciaceae, lichenized ascomycetes), a new genus endemic to western North America. The Bryologist 95(4): 436-442.

Moran, R. (1996) The Flora of Guadalupe Island, Mexico (Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, Number 19). California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA.

Rodríguez-Estrella, R. (2005) Terrestrial Birds and Conservation Priorities in Baja California Peninsula. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-191. USDA Forest Service, Albany, CA.

Spjut, R.W. (1995) Occurrence of Mobergia calculiformis (Physciaceae, Lecanorales) in the Northern Vizcaino Desert of Baja California, Mexico. In: Daniëls, F.J.A., M. Schulz, and J. Peine (eds), FlechtenFollmann: Contributions to Lichenology in Honour of Gerhard Follmann, pp. 475-482. Geobotanical and Phytotaxonomical Study Group, Botanical Institute, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Vanderplank, S.E. 2011. The flora of greater San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico (2005–2010). Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany 29(2): 65-103.

Find out more about the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria here.

Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.

Thallus: consisting of individual spherical verrucae, becoming inflated and lobed, 10-20 mm wide, attached to substrate by an umbilicus upper surface: light gray Apothecia: frequent, up to 2.5-3.5 mm in diam., at first immersed, becoming stipitate disc: black or slightly pruinose, persistently plane, cracked and sometimes regenerating following erosion margin: thalline, prominent concolorous with thallus epihymenium: red-brown with crystals included ascospores: brown 1-saptate, (12-)14.515.5(-18) x (6-)7.5-8.5(-9.5) µm; narrow torus visible in many spores Pycnidia: completely immersed in thallus, visible only as brown spots on surface, c. 0.35 mm in diam., ostioles brown to black conidia: hyaline, 2.5-3.5 x 1-1.5 µm long Spot tests: K+ yellow to red, C-, P+ yellow to orange Secondary metabolites: norstictic acid in medulla, atranorin in cortex and medulla. Substrate and ecology: on acidic rocks, basalt World distribution: southwestern coastal North America Sonoran distribution: southern California, Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Baja California Sur, above oceanic cliffs to 400 m. Notes: The morphology of the thallus is unique and gives the species a roccellaceous appearance. The massive thalline phenocortex with included dead algal cells and the irregular nature of its hyphae are very characteristic. Mobergia calculiformis is easily distinguished from M. angelica by the significantly smaller ascospores and their more strongly warted walls, thicker phenocortex, narrower conidia and different thalline morphologies. The lack of atranorin in M. angelica is also diagnostic.