On 20 October, the Lviv Regional Council approved a decision to add Iceland moss to the List of plant species that require protection within Lviv region but have not yet been included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine.
Iceland moss (Cetraria islandica), also known as Iceland lichen, is a valuable medicinal lichen. It has natural antibacterial, soothing and immunostimulating properties, which are linked to its high content of polysaccharides and usnic acid.
In recent years, intensive harvesting of this species has been recorded in Ukraine. In the highlands of the Carpathians, the lichen is being destroyed on a large scale, including within protected areas, which disrupts the structure of rare natural communities listed in the Green Data Book of Ukraine.
The adopted decision grants Iceland moss special protected status in the territory of Lviv region and is intended to help preserve this species in the region’s natural ecosystems.