Abstract
A list of lichens from areas of zinc-lead ores in Southern Poland and a review of the characteristic lichen biota of these sites is provided. In spite of the devastated and heavy metal contaminated environment, a highly diverse epigeic and epilithic lichen biota was found, including species characteristic of various anthropogenic habitats, particularly zinc and lead enriched substrates (<em>Diploschistes muscorum, Steinia geophana, Sarcosagium campestre, Vezdaea aestivalis</em> and <em>V. leprosa</em>). Also, the high-mountain species <em>Leucocarpia biatorella</em>, as well as very rare in Europe <em>Thelocarpon imperceptum</em>, and several species categorized as very rare, endangered and protected in Poland were recorded. Crustose lichens are the most abundant; among fruticose forms <em>Cladonia</em> spp. predominate and <em>Stereocaulon incrustatum</em> is common.
Highlights
The largest resources of zinc and lead ores in Poland occur in Silesian-Krakow monocline, where they have been mined and processed since the Middle-Ages
Due to the mining and metallurgy in southern Poland, numerous scars to the landscape have been developed such as excavations, shafts, mining adits and mine waste heaps (Molenda 1963). Such activities have significantly influenced the status of surface and ground water, soils, and the flora and fauna; in addition, the presence of heavy metals considerably influenced organisms, such species as colonize such habitats have various
The current status of the environment in the vicinity of mines and heavy metal processing works does not favour epiphytic lichens, especially the toxic effect of sulfur dioxide (Kiszka 1993) which is exacerbated by high concentrations of heavy metals in the air (Godzik 1993)
Summary
The largest resources of zinc and lead ores in Poland occur in Silesian-Krakow monocline, where they have been mined and processed since the Middle-Ages. Those deposits are often bound to the Triassic carbonate rocks – ore-bearing dolomites (Żabiński 1960). Due to the mining and metallurgy in southern Poland, numerous scars to the landscape have been developed such as excavations (voids), shafts, mining adits and mine waste heaps (Molenda 1963) Such activities have significantly influenced the status of surface and ground water, soils, and the flora and fauna; in addition, the presence of heavy metals (zinc, lead, cadmium) considerably influenced organisms, such species as colonize such habitats have various
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