Noteworthy records of the lichens associated with Juniperus phoenicea L. die-off in El-Jabal El-Akhdar region, NE Libya

El-Jabal El-Akhdar region is the most vegetated area in Libya dominated by a Mediterranean evergreen maquis ; the juniper trees (Juniperus phoenicea L.) consist of about 70-80% of the vegetation cover. These trees suffer a wide die-off phenomenon for a few decades, which put extra pressure on the ecosystems, in addition to climate change and unsustainable management. Notably, this phenomenon in El-Jabal El-Akhdar region is associated with a dense growth of lichens. This study aimed to identify the lichens on the juniper trees and record some ecological notes. According to our results, a total of 15 taxa belonging to six families and eight genera were recognized on the J. phoenicea trees. The main lichen life-forms were crustose, fruticose, and foliose. However, the densest growth was recorded for Ramalina maciformis (Delile) Bory and Tornabea scutellifera (With.) J. R. Laundon., which appear in most of the infected areas. However, Lecanora gr. subfusca (L.) Ach. has dense growth in only a few areas south El-Jabal El-Akhdar region. This needs further investigation to understand why they grow in such a way on the juniper in the study area. The present study provides baseline information for further progressions in understanding Libyan lichens’ species richness and community composition at local and regional scales.