New term request : lichen feeder

[nleguillarme]

For new term requests, please provide the following information:

Preferred term label

lichen feeder

Synonyms

lichenivorous, lichenivore

Textual definition

a heterotroph which consumes lichenized fungi

Suggested parent term

heterotroph

Suggested logical definition

heterotroph and eats some lichenized

Attribution

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4559-7579

[nleguillarme]

Is lichen-feeding considered as a specialized form of fungivory?

[KarinHohberg]

In my opinion, lichens are life forms on their own and not special (= lichenized) fungi. And thus lichen feeders not as specialized form of fungivory. Over 20,000 lichen species have been described worldwide. So far I have not used the term "lichen feeder", but to be complete, this term would certainly be good. But then we would also have to specify lichen as heterotroph organism and as food source.

[AntonCollembola]

I don't think it should be a subclass of fungivores. I would have term "microbivores" which includes "fungivores", "bacterivores", "algivores" as subclasses. The term "lichen feeders" in principle represents feeding on lichens = combined feeding on algae AND fungi in one association = combined fungivory and algivory. In soil food webs "lichen feeders" are some springtails, some mites and thysanurans (to my knowledge). These organism feed on certain parts of lichens (poorly studied) = on a mixture of algae and fungi (+other microbes in the lichen association). Lichen should be defined as symbiotic association of algae/cyanobacteria, fungi and other microbes creating macroscopic structures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen

[AntonCollembola]

Here we face again the dilemma if we should define "algae" as "microorganisms" or as "plants". We may do both and algivores would be both herbivores and microbivores. Alternatively, feeding on unicellular microalgae by protists will be "algivory" (a subclass of microbivory) and feeding on lichens (macroscopic) will be "lichen feeding" = algivory+fungivory combined. In both cases algae are not considered as plants, which I find not so good from the ecosystem point of view

[nleguillarme]

Proposal:

• New class lichen ; definition = "an organism resulting from the symbiotic association of algae or cyanobacteria, fungi and other microorganisms creating macroscopic structures" ; parent class = organism
• New class lichen feeder ; definition = "a heterotroph that feeds on lichen" ; parent class = heterotroph
• New class lichen feeding ; definition = "a heterotrophic process during which a living entity acquires food and energy from consuming lichen" ; parent class = heterotroph
• Keep class lichenized (fungi) and change definition to "a fungus involved in a symbiotic association with living green algae or cyanobacteria.". This could be useful to axiomatize lichen

[nleguillarme]

Fixed in v2023-03-09