Beard Lichen vs Brook Alder

Usnea subgracilis compared with Alnus maritima

Key Differences

• Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Brook Alder is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beard Lichen	Brook Alder
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Fagales (Beeches & Oaks)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Betulaceae
Genus	Usnea	Alnus
Species	Usnea subgracilis	Alnus maritima

Conservation Status

Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Brook Alder

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beard Lichen	Brook Alder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beard Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

Brook Alder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Beard Lichen

The Beard Lichen (Usnea subgracilis) is a species in the genus Usnea. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Brook Alder

The Brook Alder (Alnus maritima) is a species in the genus Alnus. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.