Rethinking Boreal Rainforest Biogeography: Cryptogam Evidence from Western Scandinavia
Event
REGULAR SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
Raul Vicente is an environmental consultant at the Pro Natura Foundation, working on nature conservation projects and applied ecological research. His work focuses on biodiversity assessment, ecological surveys, and the evaluation of nature values to support environmental planning and conservation management. His research interests center on faunistics and floristics, with particular emphasis on arachnology, lichenology, and lichenicolous fungi, contributing to studies of species distributions and biodiversity patterns. He is a member of specialist committees on arachnids, as well as lichens and associated fungi, contributing to the Swedish Red List assessments coordinated by the Swedish Species Information Centre (Artdatabanken). He is also affiliated as a guest researcher and volunteer at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm and Lund’s Biological Museum.
April 24th, 2026
Raúl Vicente, Pro Natura Foundation | 15h30 | Hybrid Seminar
REGULAR SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION
How do evolving species knowledge and ecological concepts shape our understanding of species distributions? Boreal rainforests, defined by oceanic microclimates and cryptogam-rich communities, provide a powerful model system. In western Sweden, near the border with Norway, recent surveys suggest the presence of a previously unrecognized subtype of boreal rainforest, with assemblages closely matching well-documented Norwegian systems, including extensive populations of specialist and globally rare lichens, lichenicolous fungi and bryophytes. These findings refine boreal rainforest biogeography and raise new questions about range limits, conservation priorities and environmental change.
Raul Vicente is an environmental consultant at the Pro Natura Foundation, working on nature conservation projects and applied ecological research. His work focuses on biodiversity assessment, ecological surveys, and the evaluation of nature values to support environmental planning and conservation management. His research interests center on faunistics and floristics, with particular emphasis on arachnology, lichenology, and lichenicolous fungi, contributing to studies of species distributions and biodiversity patterns. He is a member of specialist committees on arachnids, as well as lichens and associated fungi, contributing to the Swedish Red List assessments coordinated by the Swedish Species Information Centre (Artdatabanken). He is also affiliated as a guest researcher and volunteer at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm and Lund’s Biological Museum.
[Hosts: Martina Panisi and Duarte Gonçalves, Biodiversity of Deserts and Arid Regions - BIODESERTS / Carlos Vila-viçosa and Joana Marques, Biogeography and Evolution of Plants and Ecosystems - BEPE]