Usnea florida – threatened species of rich biotopes in the Polish Eastern Carpathians

Robert Kościelak

doi:10.5586/am.2007.031

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the research on Usnea florida in the Polish Eastern Carpathians. Three new sites of this species have been found in the Bieszczady National Park at an altitude of 800-880 m. U. florida grows on the bark of Fagus sylvatica, Populus tremula and Betula sp. The historical sites of this species in the Western Bieszczady Mts. have not been confirmed. In Poland U. florida has also been recorded in the Białowieża Forest and Gdańskie Pomerania.

Highlights

Apart from the Białowieża Forest, the Western Bieszczady Mts, especially the Bieszczady National Park, are an important centre of lichen biodiversity in Poland (Czyżewska 2003; Kościelniak 2006, in print)
Usnea florida is a new component of the epiphytic biota of forest lichens in the Bieszczady National Park and it was recorded on the following sites (Fig. 1): Site I
U. florida was associated with Buellia griseowirens (Turner & Borrer ex Sm.) Almb., Graphis scripta (L.) Ach., Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl., Lecanora argentata (Ach.) Malme, L. carpinea (L.) Vain., L. leptyrodes (Nyl.) Degel., L. pulicaris (Pers.) Ach, Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm, Melanelia subaurifera (Nyl.) Essl., Menegazzia terebrata (Hoffm.) Körb, Parmelia saxatilis (L.) Ach. (c. apoth.), P. sulcata Taylor, Pertusaria amara (Ach.) Nyl, Phlyctis argena (Spreng.) Flot., Platismatia glauca (L.) W.L.Culb. & C.F.Culb, Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf, Pyrenula nitida (Weigel) Ach., Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (Graeve ex Stenh.) Vězda as well as some species from the Lepraria genus, nonidentified so far

Summary

Introduction

Apart from the Białowieża Forest, the Western Bieszczady Mts, especially the Bieszczady National Park, are an important centre of lichen biodiversity in Poland (Czyżewska 2003; Kościelniak 2006, in print). From the Polish Eastern Carpathians over 610 lichen species have been reported and about 540 of them have been recorded in the recent years (Kościelniak , Kiszka 2003). The intensive lichenological research in the area of the Bieszczady National Park carried out since 1999 has shown that a lot of sensitive species are still present there, e.g. Melaspilea granitophila (Th.Fr.) Coppins, so far believed to be extinct in Poland (Kościelniak , Kiszka 2006), as well as other valuable species such as Alectoria ochroleuca (Hoffm.) A.Massal , Bryoria bicolor (Ehrh.) Brodo & D.Hawksw., Evernia divaricata (L.) Ach., Fuscopannaria praetermissa (Nyl.) P.M.Jørg., Hypogymnia vittata (Ach.) Parrique, Icmadophila ericetorum (L.) Zahlbr , Parmotrema chinense (Osbeck) Hale & Ahti and Usnea florida (L.) Weber ex F.H. Wigg.

Methods

Results

Conclusion