Updates to the list of Estonian lichenized, lichenicolous and allied fungi

Herewith, we continue to upgrade the Estonian checklist of lichenized, lichenicolous and allied fungi, and report 14 fungal species new for Estonia, nine of them lichenized (Absconditella pauxilla, Aquacidia trachona, Arthonia helvola, A. reniformis, Lecidea fuliginosa, Lempholemma chalazanum, Lepraria membranacea, Phaeophyscia hirsuta and Trapelia elacista), and four lichenicolous (Bryostigma phaeophyciae, Endococcus verrucosus, Everniicola flexispora and Tetramelas pulverulentus), while Melaspilea bagliettoana is doubtfully lichenized. In addition, four species (Fuscidea cyathoides, Ophioparma ventosa, Rhizocarpon oederi and Sphaerophorus globosus) have been rediscovered, and the presence of one species, Physcia dimidiata, previously known from the literature (Mereschkowski,1913) has been confirmed based on herbarium material. Physcia magnussonii is excluded from the checklist of Estonian lichens.

The results of a large-scale biodiversity inventory of lichens (including lichenicolous and allied fungi) in the Dare Regional Biodiversity Hotspot (DRBH) are presented. The DRBH is a region within the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain (MACP) of eastern North America that was recently delineated based on its unique and diverse lichen communities relative to other areas of the Atlantic Coast. Drawing on 4,952 newly generated voucher specimens from 49 sites, patterns of biodiversity and biogeography are presented and discussed within the context of both the DRBH and the broader MACP. Relationships between natural communities, vegetation, and lichen communities are discussed, as are threats to the lichen biota. A series of conservation actions are presented together with avenues for future study. In addition, supplementary resources are provided in the form of: (a) a checklist of DRBH lichens, lichenicolous fungi, and allied fungi; (b) keys to DRBH lichens and lichenicolous and allied fungi; and (c) formal descriptions of the following species new to science that were discovered during the inventory: Albemarlea pamlicoensis gen. et. sp. nov., Arthonia agelastica sp. nov. (on Lecanora louisianae B. de Lesd.), Arthonia hodgesii sp. nov. (on Graphis lineola), Arthonia stevensoniana sp. nov. (on Haematomma accolens), Lichenochora haematommatum sp. nov. (on Haematomma persoonii), Megalaria alligatorensis sp. nov., Minutoexcipula miniatoexcipula sp. nov. (on Pertusaria epixantha), Trichosphaerella buckii sp. nov. (on Punctelia rudecta).


 
 
 Herewith, we continue to upgrade Estonian checklist of lichenized, lichenicolous and allied fungi and report twelve fungal species as new for Estonia, of them eleven are lichenized and one is lichenicolous fungus.
 
 

A new checklist of 755 species of lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi occurring in Lithuania is presented. Of these, 620 species are lichenized, 115 lichenicolous and 20 are saprobic fungi that are usually treated in lichenological literature. Frequency of every species and infraspecific taxon in the country is indicated, except for the 12 species known from literature records only. List of synonyms is also presented.

Abstract. Three checklist tables are presented from collections made during a study of corticolous lichen community response to highway pollution in western Wake County, North Carolina, USA. A total of 103 species of lichens and three species of allied fungi were found, representing 64 genera in 36 families. Two allied fungi, Amphisphaeria bufonia and Rebentischia massalongoi, are recommended to be added to the North American lichen checklist.

A total of 138 species of lichens, lichenicolous and allied fungi are reported from broad-leaved forests with Buxus colchica from the Shakhe River valley in the Caucasus State Nature Reserve (Krasnodar Territory, Western Transcaucasia). The list includes 10 foliicolous lichens, namely Arthonia microsticta, Bacidina apiahica, Byssoloma leucoblepharum, Fellhanera bouteillei, F. viridisorediata, Gyalectidium caucasicum, G. setiferum, Phyllogyalidea phyllophila, Porina oxneri, Strigula buxi. On the thallus of the latter, a lichenicolous fungus Lambinonia strigulae was found. Nine species are recorded for the first time for the Russian Caucasus, five of them being new for the Caucasus. Endococcus ramalinarius, Eopyrenula septemseptata and Pyrenula subelliptica are reported for the first time for Russia. The list includes five species included in the Red Data Book of Russian Fеderation (2008) and ten species included in the Red Data Book of Krasnodar Territory (2007).

In total 124 species of lichens, lichenicolous and allied fungi are reported from the Achipse River Valley (Kavkazsky Reserve, Krasnodarsky Kray, SW Caucasus). Among them 44 species are recorded for the first time for Krasnodarsky Kray, including 16 species which are new for the Russian Caucasus. Agonimia repleta Czarnota et Coppins, Opegrapha anomea Nyl. and Usnea flavocardia Räsänen are reported for the first time for Russia and Caucasus. Biatora mendax Anzi, Biatoropsis usnearum Räsänen, Bryoria americana (Motyka) Holien, Cryptodiscus pallidus (Pers.) Corda, Fuscidea stiriaca (A. Massal.) Hafellner, Ochrolechia trochophora (Vain.) Oshio and Stictis radiata Pers. are new for Caucasus. Updated distribution of Usnea flavocardia is presented.

The article contains a list of all lichen and allied fungus (lichenicolous and some saprotrophic) species recorded so far in Lithuania, which includes 775 species belonging to 262 genera. One species, namely Scytinium gelatinosum, is reported here for the first time in Lithuania. All species are provided with Lithuanian names. The history of lichen research and the development of Lithuanian names for lichens is briefly discussed.

Seaward, M. R. D., Sipman, H. J. M., Schultz, M., Maassoumi, A. A., Haji Moniri Anbaran, M. & Sohrabi, M.: A preliminary lichen checklist for Iran. – Willdenowia 34: 543-576. – ISSN 0511-9618; © 2004 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. An evaluation of literature and recent collections made by Iranian researchers resulted in a list of 396 species of lichenized fungi and eight species of lichenicolous or allied fungi for Iran. Of these, 97 species are new for Iran while some species not confirmed by recent collections are doubtful. Pertinent literature references and, for the newly reported species, locality and collection data are presented.

Seaward, M. R. D., Sipman, H. J. M., Schultz, M., Maassoumi, A. A., Haji Moniri Anbaran, M. & Sohrabi, M.: A preliminary lichen checklist for Iran. — Willdenowia 34: 543–576. — ISSN 0511-9618; © 2004 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem.An evaluation of literature and recent collections made by Iranian researchers resulted in a list of 396 species of lichenized fungi and eight species of lichenicolous or allied fungi for Iran. Of these, 97 species are new for Iran while some species not confirmed by recent collections are doubtful. Pertinent literature references and, for the newly reported species, locality and collection data are presented.

From 242 collections 120 determined species representing 68 genera of lichens are reported from a two-day survey of privately owned and protected bluff and bottomland forests in Darlington and Florence Counties of South Carolina in May 2008. We also report a handful of specimens representing apparently undescribed species in the genera Arthonia, Melaspilea and Phaeographis. Two species of lichenicolous fungi, Sphinctrina tubiformis and Minutoexcipula tuckerae, are also reported (both from Pertusaria thalli). Species richness and composition suggests a healthy forest environment.

The similarity of lichenized fungal species composition among the 35 floristic regions recognized by Takhtajan was calculated, based on checklists of 132 geographical units and a first draft of a global checklist of lichens and allied fungi (which lists 18,882 species) to assess biogeographic and biodiversity patters of lichenized fungi. A nearest-neighbour cluster analysis of pair-wise comparisons of species composition data (Jaccard index of similarity) from these geographical units is presented. Four main geographical regions were identified: holarctic, subantarctic/Australian, oceanian, and pantropical. Possible changes of the global species number caused by increasing availability of molecular data are discussed. A prospect on future developments of lichen biodiversity research is provided.