Lichens of the Middle East and Neighbouring Countries 

The Middle East, encompassing arid and semi-arid environments, rugged mountain systems, and ancient cultural landscapes, hosts a unique and underexplored lichen biota. Despite often harsh climatic conditions, this region supports a surprising diversity of lichenized fungi, many of which exhibit remarkable adaptations to extreme heat, desiccation, high UV radiation, and saline substrates.

Lichens in the Middle East are found across a wide range of habitats—from the alpine zones of the Zagros and Taurus mountains to desert crusts, steppe ecosystems, and the weathered stones of ancient archaeological sites. They play important ecological roles in these landscapes, including soil stabilization, nitrogen fixation, and the pioneering colonization of barren rock surfaces.

Research on Middle Eastern lichens remains relatively limited, with many countries—including Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and parts of the Levant—still poorly surveyed. However, recent studies have begun to uncover a rich and often endemic flora, particularly among crustose lichens in genera such as Circinaria, Acarospora, Aspicilia, Caloplaca, and Lecanora. Many of these species are associated with calcareous rocks and historical monuments, presenting a compelling link between biological and cultural heritage.

Moreover, the Middle East is a critical region for understanding lichen biodiversity in the context of climate change. The resilience mechanisms and microhabitat preferences of local lichen taxa offer valuable insights into adaptation strategies under rising temperatures and prolonged droughts.

In recent years, integrative approaches—including molecular phylogenetics, metagenomics, and trait-based ecology—have begun to shed light on the true diversity and ecological function of Middle Eastern lichens. These studies also have implications for conservation biology, especially in the context of threats from urbanization, tourism, and the deterioration of cultural heritage sites.

By expanding our knowledge of the lichens of the Middle East, we not only fill a significant biogeographic gap in global lichenology but also highlight the interconnectedness of biodiversity and cultural preservation in one of the world's oldest and most historically rich regions.