World distribution: The species is known from Europe, southwest Asia (Purvis & James 1992a), and South and North America (Thomson 1967, Egan 1987). In Europe, the species has a central to southern, rather continental distribution (Nimis 1993). In northwest Europe, it occurs in southeast England and Fennoscandia. In Fennoscandia, the species is known from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (Alstrup & Søchting 1989, Purvis & James 1992a, Rassi et al. 1992, Santesson 1993)
Ecology: Results. Indicated substrate and habitat (2) included old sanddunes and eroded sanddune pastures. Discussion. The species is in Norway exclusively found on coastal sand or shell deposits. According to Tønsberg & Høiland (1980), Cladonia subrangiformis occurs early in the colonization of a prograding dune system, and is absent or rare in the inner dunes (both prograding and eroding dune systems). It grows in vegetation dominated by Calluna vulgaris or Salix repens, but apparently avoids C. vulgaris litter (Tønsberg & Høiland 1980) which makes the soil more acid (Høiland 1978). Cladonia subrangiformis prefers calciferous soil (D.H. Brown & R.M. Brown 1968, Ahti 1977b, Purvis & James 1992a). In England it is among the most common lichens on chalk grassland (Gilbert 1993)
Threats: Results. None. Discussion. Trampling by man is a general threat to sanddune lichens
Status: No localities were investigated during the project. In one site (3689) which was investigated in 1978, the species was fairly common between 50 and 70 m in a transect made from the backshore to the climax vegetation (Tønsberg & Høiland 1980). The sites are in a nature reserve (3702), a national park (3630), and a flora and fauna preservation with biotope protection (3689). The species is apparently very rare, and may belong in category R or E
Specimens in other herbaria, litterature, etc.