The Lichenologist

The Lichenologist is a peer-reviewed scientific journal specializing in lichenology. It is published bimonthly by the British Lichen Society. According to the Journal Citation Reports, the 2020 impact factor of The Lichenologist is 1.514, ranking it 149 out of 235 in plant sciences and 26 of 29 in mycology.

More than 51,000 lichen-related articles were published up to 2019, about 4.7% (over 2400) of which were published in The Lichenologist; about half of these were published under the senior editorship of Peter Crittenden, who had a 20-year tenure at the journal, from 2000 to 2020.

History
The first issue of The Lichenologist was published in November 1958. It followed the establishment of the British Lichen Society on 1 February 1958. In its first editorial, the primary objectives of the journal were outlined, which focussed on both the enhancement of lichenological study and the importance of nature conservation. The journal sought to address the scarcity of contemporary literature on British lichen taxonomy by providing detailed articles to assist botanists in identifying local species. Additionally, it aimed to foster contributions on the distribution and ecology of lichens in Britain, areas that were then underexplored. Emphasising the delicate balance between research and the ecological impact of specimen collection, The Lichenologist advocated for careful, responsible study practices to avoid harming these slow-growing organisms.