Ecology and Environmental Protection

Two hepaticolous fungi, Mniaecia jungermanniae and Puttea margaritella rarely recorded in Europe have recently been found in Polish Western Carpathians. Both species are also reported here for the first time from Poland. Notes on their taxonomy, ecology and distribution are provided. This is an Open Access digital version of the article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, provided that the article is properly cited.

The recently described, terricolous and corticolous, sorediate lichen Lecanora flavoleprosa (belonging to the L. symmicta group) is for the first time recorded from the Carpathians. So far, this rare European species has only been reported from a few localities in the Austrian and Swiss Alps, and Fennoscandia (Norway and Sweden). In this paper several records from the Polish and Slovak Tatra Mts are presented, most of them found recently, but a few also discovered during revision of old material collected by Z. Tobolewski. The ecology and chemistry of the taxon, and differences from related sorediate Lecanora species are briefly discussed.

Formerly reported as maritime Antarctic Bacidia sp. A has been re−named here as B. chrysocolla Olech, Czarnota et Llop. Another new species, B. subcoprodes Olech et Czarnota, found in the continental and maritime Antarctic has also been described here. A placement of both taxa within Bacidia De Not. is probably tentative because they are not congeneric with the type of this genus, B. rosella (Pers.) De Not. Similarities to other Bacidia with Laurocerasi−brown hypothecium and mostly 3−septate ascospores are discussed.

The phylogeny of the Micarea prasina group was investigated using mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences from 14 taxa representing this group, four other members of the genus Micarea, and Psilolechia lucida as an outgroup. A total of 31 new mtSSU rDNA sequences were generated, including 10 from the M. micrococca complex. Bayesian, maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods were used to analyse the data. The results show that M. micrococca is not monophyletic and forms three strongly supported lineages: 1) M. micrococca s. str., 2) M. byssacea (Th. Fr.) Czarnota, Guzow-Krzemiń ska & Coppins comb. nov., and 3) a putative taxon that requires further studies. Micarea viridileprosa is a sister species to M. micrococca s. str. and the recently described M. nowakii is a sister species to M. prasina s. str. The placement of M. tomentosa within the M. prasina group is confirmed. Micarea hedlundii appears to be more closely related to the M. micrococca complex than M. prasina s. str. Descriptions, illustrations, taxonomic remarks, distribution and habitat data for M. micrococca s. str. and M. byssacea are provided. A lectotype for Biatora byssacea Hampe non Zwackh and a neotype for Catillaria prasina [var.] byssacea are selected. The Lichenologist 42(1): 7-21 (

Bacidina flavoleprosa is described as a new species from the Czech Republic. Its position within the genus is supported by phylogenetic inferences of ITS rDNA sequences from its holotype and many other representatives of Bacidia s. lat., including newly sequenced Bacidina sulphurella, B. adastra and B. neosquamulosa, as well as additional sequences of B. arnoldiana. ITS data also support the recent delimitation of B. arnoldiana and B. sulphurella based on the shape of conidia and ecological preferences.

Bacidina mendax, described here as a new lichen species, appears to be common and widespread, at least in Central Europe. Analyses of the ITS rDNA region and the morphology of specimens showed an intraspecific variation in the new taxon. It differs from B. neosquamulosa in the lack of a subsquamulose thallus, and from B. caligans in its longer and only slightly curved to apically hooked conidia and lack of a granular (sorediate) thallus. Since ITS rDNA data support the inclusion of Bacidia pycnidiata Czarnota & Coppins in the genus Bacidina, a new combination is proposed.

Ten microlichens growing on more or less moribund thalli of several terricolous Peltigera spp. are reported from WyżynaŚląsko-Krakowska upland in southern Poland. The list includes: Absconditella delutula, Agonimia vouauxii, Bacidia pycnidiata (for the first time as a lichenicolous lichen), Bacidina chloroticula, Placynthiella dasea, Scutula sp., Steinia geophana, Thelocarpon epibolum, Vezdaea aestivalis and V. retigera. Notes on the taxonomy, ecology and distribution of each species are briefly provided and Polish samples discussed.

Taxonomic remarks, known distribution, ecological notes and new records in Central Europe for two species of <em>Epigloea</em> are provided. Many specimens recognized here under <em>E. soleiformis</em> characterize slightly wider and more ellipsoid ascospores than those described in the protologue but they are regarded as some kind of a phenetic variability of this species. <em>E. soleiformis</em> seems to be not only algicolous fungus but also facultatively lichenicolous on <em>Placynthiella</em> spp. and terricolous <em>Peltigera</em> spp. while <em>E. urosperma</em> is found to be exclusively lichenicolous on <em>Placynthiella dasaea</em>. <em>E. soleiformis</em> is new for the Western Carpathians and the Harz Mts, and <em>E. urosperma</em> is new for whole Carpathians.

Four lichen species: <em>Hypogymnia physodes</em>, <em>Pseudevernia furfuracea</em>, <em>Parmelia saxatilis</em>, and <em>Platismatia glauca</em> were collected from two sites (S. Poland) with a different air pollution level: "Kamienica valley" (less polluted) and "Kopa" (more polluted). The thalli were compared with respect to their: net photosynthetic rate (PN), fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fm, Fm, Fm/Fo), chlorophyll a+b content, and phaeophytinization quotient (O.D.435/O.D.415). PN intensity, chlorophyll a+b and O.D.435/O.D.415 were reduced only in Pa furfuracea collected from Kopa, which is in agreement with the Hawksworth-Rose scale of sensitivity of lichens to air pollution. Fluorescence parameters were significantly lowered in all lichens coming from the more polluted site (except of Fv/Fm and Fm/F0 in P. saxatilis). Parameters based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements enable to reveal the very early sig...

46 lichenized fungi and 1 lichenicolous fungus new to the Babia Góra Massif, a Polish and Slovak transborder mountain range, the highest in the flysch Western Carpathians, are presented here. Taxonomic and ecological remarks, as well as the distribution of some noteworthy taxa in other Carpathian ranges, are included. Helocarpon crassipes is reported in detail for the first time from the Western Beskidy Mts and Leptogium intermedium is rediscovered in the Polish Carpathians.

Taxonomic and chorological notes on four Lecanora species, misidentified or poorly known in Poland, are presented. L. aitema is reported from Poland for the first time; its status and previous reports in the country are discussed. L. phaeostigma, practically known only from historical publications, appears to be quite frequent in the Polish Carpathians. The current status of poorly known L. ramulicola is presented here based on revised literature and herbarium data. No specimen of L. cadubriae has been confirmed in Polish collections and all reports of this species from Poland, in fact, refer to L. ramulicola. Because of the misidentifications and nomenclatural confusion, L. cadubriae should be excluded from the list of Polish lichens. The taxonomy, nomenclatural remarks, chemistry, habitat requirements, and distribution of all taxa are discussed.

New records of six lichens and one lichenicolous fungus from South America are presented. Lecanora leuckertiana (Peru) and Psilolechia clavulifera (Bolivia) are recorded for the fi rst time from South America. Chrysothrix xanthina, Nectriopsis parmeliae (on Candelariella sp. as a new host), Psilolechia lucida and Trapeliopsis granulosa are new to Bolivia, and Piccolia ochrophora to Argentina. Chrysothrix and Psilolechia are new genera to the lichen biota of Bolivia.

Results of lichenological fi eld investigations carried out in the period 1999-2005 in the northern part of Lubań range in the Gorce Mts are provided as the contribution for the knowledge of lichen biota of the whole mountain range. 253 species (237 of lichenized and 16 lichenicolous fungi) have been found in which 23 are completely new to the Gorce Mts, 42 were previously reported from only Turbacz range (belonging to another geobotanical region) and 180 taxa have been re-found in a comparison to the historical list of species collected in the period 1959-1969 in the Lubań range. 202 further lichen species have not been re-found recently, but most of them are probably still existing there, however next, fi eld explorations especially in woodlands are necessary. A list of those recently found species including some distributional and taxonomical remarks for several noteworthy taxa is presented. Lecania sambucina seems to be new to the Carpathians and re-found in Poland aft er 140 years, Bacidina chloroticula and Scoliciosporum sarothamni are new to the Polish Carpathians, Epicladonia sandstedei is new to the Polish Western Carpathians and Rinodina oxydata, Stigmidium fuscatae, Piccolia ochrophora are found on their second localities in the Polish Carpathians.

Bacidia pycnidiata sp. nov. (Ramalinaceae) is described from Poland and the Czech Republic. It is the first species within Bacidia s. lat., referable to the Bacidina group, known to have sessile, long-necked, lageniform pycnidia bearing straight macroconidia. It has been found growing on saxicolous as well as on corticolous bryophytes and directly on bark of deciduous trees within young, hardly changed woodlands or in the vicinity of human settlements.

Bacidina flavoleprosa is described as a new species from the Czech Republic. Its position within the genus is supported by phylogenetic inferences of ITS rDNA sequences from its holotype and many other representatives of Bacidia s. lat., including newly sequenced Bacidina sulphurella, B. adastra and B. neosquamulosa, as well as additional sequences of B. arnoldiana. ITS data also support the recent delimitation of B. arnoldiana and B. sulphurella based on the shape of conidia and ecological preferences.

Endoxylic Micarea contexta Hedl. and epilithic M. lynceola (Th. Fr.) Palice are presented as lichenized fungi new for Poland and the Carpathians. Their phenotypic characters and affi nities to other Micarea species, their world distribution and ecological preferences are given, with an updated key for all members of Micarea s.l. found in Poland.