Twenty species of lichenicolous fungi are reported on Thamnolia species and discussed. Epithamnolia karatyginii gen. et sp. nov., Capronia thamnoliae sp. nov., Cercidospora epithamnolia sp. nov., C. thamnogalloides sp. nov., C. thamnoliae sp. nov., and Sphaerellothecium thamnoliae sp. nov. (var. thamnoliae, var. taimyricum) are described from Thamnolia. Dacampia thamnoliicola and Phoma thamnoliae are introduced ad interim. Cercidospora lecidomae is reduced to synonymy with C. punctillata. Polycoccum vermicularium is new to Asia, Odontotrema santessonii and O. thamnoliae are new to North America, Cladosporium licheniphilum is new to the Arctic, Thamnogalla crombiei is new to Greenland and Svalbard, Stigmidium frigidum is new to Mongolia and confirmed in the USA, Lichenopeltella thamnoliae is new to Bolivia. Cladosporium licheniphilum and Phaeospora arctica are newly documented on Thamnolia and Lichenopeltella thamnoliae on Thamnolia papelillo var. subsolida. Thamnolia vermicularis, supporting 23 species of lichenicolous fungi, is shown to be the 15th most hospitable lichen species in the world. A worldwide key to 23 species of fungi known to occur on Thamnolia is provided.

The Coccotremataceae is a small family including two genera: Coccotrema with a crustose, granulate to verrucose thallus and Lepolichen with terete lobes and rhizines. The generic concept based on this morphological difference was re-evaluated using three molecular markers, mt SSU rDNA, nu LSU rDNA, and the nu ITS region. The analysis of the ITS region does not provide sufficient resolution within the Coccotremataceae, while the other two data sets contradict the current generic concept. The mt SSU and nu LSU data sets and the combined analysis of the two data sets all place Lepolichen within Coccotrema. However, an alternative topology with monophyletic Coccotrema cannot be rejected when the ITS data set is included in the combined analyses. This shortcoming of the ITS data set can be overcome by the combined analysis of all three data sets, where monophyletic Coccotrema can be rejected using parametric bootstrapping, as in the mt SSU and nu LSU data sets and combination thereof. It is proposed to reduce Lepolichen into synonymy with Coccotrema. The correct name for the only species previously placed in Lepolichen is Coccotrema coccophontm (Mont.) I. Schmitt, Messuti & Lumbsch.

Additions and corrections to the checklist published in 2008 are presented. Ten additional species are recognized: Allantoparmelia almquistii, Asahinea chrysantha, Hypogymnia bryophila, Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta, Melanelixia glabratula, Parmelia encryptata, Parmelina atricha, P. cryptotiliacea, Parmotrema cinereopruinata, and Punctelia rudecta. Myelochroa subaurulenta is deleted, and Xanthoparmelia perezdepazii is also noted as newly described from the Canary Islands. In addition, Cavernularia hultenii is now placed in Hypogymnia, the Canoparmelia crozalsiana group is included within Parmotrema, and Parmelinopsis is treated as a synonym of Hypotrachyna. The typification of the name Lichen quercinus is also corrected with the designation of the original figure as lectotype, and the new combination Hypotrachyna cryptochlora comb. nov. (syn. Parmelia cryptochlora) is made.

Twelve species of Sticta are recorded from southern South America,(Argentina and Chile including Juan Fernandez) south of latitude 30°S, viz., S ainoae, S. caulescens, S. fuliginosa, S. gaudichaldia, S. hypochra, S. hypopsila, S lineariloba, S. limbata, S. longipes, S. sublimbata and S. weigelii, and S. santessonii D Galloway is newly described. A key is provided, and details of anatomy, morphology, distribution, ecology and taxonomy are discussed.

The spatial pattern of lichen species richness was analyzed in a forest ecosystem impacted for 50 years by industrial emissions from a steelworks. Geostatistical tools were used to characterize the spatial pattern of the number of lichen species and multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing it. Spatial analysis showed high variation of lichen species richness on a local scale, caused by patchiness of natural habitat factors (species composition of trees, their age, shade, etc.). On a large spatial scale, species richness differentiated the western from the eastern part of the forest. The western part, closer to the sources of pollution, had fewer species (average 6–10 per locality) than the eastern part (10–15 per locality). Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the species richness of lichens and several environmental variables: input of ions with bulk precipitation (SO42−, NO−3, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Zn3+, Pb2+, Cd2+), distance to forest edge, tree stand age, and number of species per locality. Regression analysis was preceded by factor analysis for the input of ions to obtain uncorrelated variables. Regression explained 53% of the variation of lichen species richness. Highly significant predictor variables were the factor connected with the input of pollutants (Fe3+, Zn2+) emitted by the steelworks (negative effect) and the number of trees per locality (positive effect). Species richness was also affected by the age structure of the tree stand; more species were recorded in old forests.

Specimens of Xanthoria parietina were collected from worldwide locations and ascospore discharge used to establish axenic cultures of the mycobiont. DNA was extracted and RAPD-PCR fingerprinting of 59 isolates was successfully achieved, resulting in 58 unique fingerprints. 110 multilocus RAPD markers were generated and used to construct a dendrogram. Two main groups were distinguished (75% bootstrap support): the first comprising samples from the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic and Canary Islands; the second comprising all other worldwide samples including isolates from throughout Europe and North America. Samples from Australia and New Zealand clustered with the second group except one additional, phenotypically distinct specimen, not belonging to X. parietina, which formed an outgroup. However, comparative DNA sequence analyses are required to verify this interpretation.

Epiphytic lichens (and some non-lichenizedfungi) on 34 coppices (204 stems) of Corylus avellana were investigated in a 140 ha study area in south-western Norway. A total of 65 species were recorded on a total bark area of 63 m⊃2. Corylus in broad-leaved deciduous forest supported more species of macrolichens, and fewer species of microlichens, than Corylus in pine forest. The macrolichen flora of the deciduous forest differed from that of the pine forest by having a rich flora of species belonging to the Lobarion alliance. Old Corylus coppices with tall stems (>8 m), large girth (>8cm diameter at breast height) and a noticeable cover of macrolichens (>10% of bark area) supported the highest number of rare species, and overall, species of macrolichens. More than 50% cover of microlichens indicated richness and rarity of microlichens on Corylus. 11 2001 The British Lichen Society

The recently described genus Vahliella (Peltigerales, Ascomycetes) has repeatedly appeared outside the Pannariaceae in molecular phylogenies. Here we include data from additional species of the genus and utilize mtSSU rDNA and RPB1 sequences to confirm its placement as the sister to a group consisting of Lobariaceae, Massalongiaceae, Nephromataceae and Peltigeraceae, in the Peltigerales. The new family Vahliellaceae Wedin, P. M. Jørg. & S. Ekman is described for the genus, and its morphological characteristics are briefly discussed.

Species richness is not evenly distributed across the tree of life and a limited number of lineages comprise an extraordinarily large number of species. In lichen-forming fungi, only two genera are known to be ‘ultradiverse’ (>500 species), with the most diverse genus, Xanthoparmelia, consisting of c. 820 species. While Australia and South Africa are known as current centres of diversity for Xanthoparmelia, it is not well known when and where this massive diversity arose. To better understand the geographical and temporal context of diversification in this diverse genus, we sampled 191 Xanthoparmelia specimens representing c. 124 species/species-level lineages from populations worldwide. From these specimens, we generated a multi-locus sequence data set using Sanger and high-throughput sequencing to reconstruct evolutionary relationships in Xanthoparmelia, estimate divergence times and reconstruct biogeographical histories in a maximum likelihood and Bayesian framework. This study corroborated the phylogenetic placement of several morphologically or chemically diverse taxa within Xanthoparmelia, such as Almbornia, Chondropsis, Karoowia, Namakwa, Neofuscelia, Omphalodiella, Paraparmelia, Placoparmelia and Xanthomaculina, in addition to improved phylogenetic resolution and reconstruction of previously unsampled lineages within Xanthoparmelia. Our data indicate that Xanthoparmelia most likely originated in Africa during the early Miocene, coinciding with global aridification and development of open habitats. Reconstructed biogeographical histories of Xanthoparmelia reveal diversification restricted to continents with infrequent intercontinental exchange by long-distance dispersal. While likely mechanisms by which Xanthoparmelia obtained strikingly high levels of species richness in Australia and South Africa remain uncertain, this study provides a framework for ongoing research into diverse lineages of lichen-forming fungi. Finally, our study highlights a novel approach for generating locus-specific molecular sequence data sets from high throughput metagenomic reads.

Saxicolous, lecideoid lichenized fungi have a cosmopolitan distribution but, being mostly cold adapted, are especially abundant in polar and high-mountain regions. To date, little is known of their origin or the extent of their trans-equatorial dispersal. Several mycobiont genera and species are thought to be restricted to either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, whereas others are thought to be widely distributed and occur in both hemispheres. However, these assumptions often rely on morphological analyses and lack supporting molecular genetic data. Also unknown is the extent of regional differentiation in the southern polar regions. An extensive set of lecideoid lichens (185 samples) was collected along a latitudinal gradient at the southern end of South America. Subantarctic climate conditions were maintained by increasing the elevation of the collecting sites with decreasing latitude. The investigated specimens were placed in a global context by including Antarctic and cosmopolitan sequences from other studies. For each symbiont three markers were used to identify intraspecific variation (mycobiont: ITS, mtSSU, RPB1; photobiont: ITS, psbJ-L, COX2). For the mycobiont, the saxicolous genera Lecidea, Porpidia, Poeltidea and Lecidella were phylogenetically re-evaluated, along with their photobionts Asterochloris and Trebouxia. For several globally distributed species groups, the results show geographically highly differentiated subclades, classified as operational taxonomical units (OTUs), which were assigned to the different regions of southern South America (sSA). Furthermore, several small endemic and well-supported clades apparently restricted to sSA were detected at the species level for both symbionts.

A key is provided to all genera currently included in the cyanobacterial lichen family Lichinaceae as well as some close relatives. Characteristic features of the family are described and illustrated.

Biological soil crusts are communities composed of cryptogamic organisms such as lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria and green algae that form a skin on soils in areas where vascular plants are excluded or limited by water availability or temperature. The lichen Psora decipiens (Hedw.) Hoffm. is a characteristic key organism in these communities in many different biomes. The species has a generalistic ecology and high morphological variation, which contributes to the ability of the species to withstand environmental changes. We investigated whether different populations, based on site and associated morpho-anatomical differences, incorporate functional water relations and how/whether this was driven by changes in abiotic factors. Samples were collected from two climatically distinct sites, one ‘dry’ site in southern Spain and one ‘wet’ site in the Austrian Alps. Our results showed that samples from the dry site had a significantly thicker epinecral layer, higher specific thallus area, a faster water uptake and contained more water per dry mass, all of which contributed to a much slower drying rate. Both populations showed a highly adjusted water gain that incorporates functional water relations and diffusion properties as a result of local water availability. We show eco-physiological and morphological mechanisms that underlie the high variability in P. decipiens and suggest how these might provide ecological benefits for this generalist lichen species.

Coal Nunatak is an ice-free inland nunatak located on southern Alexander Island, adjacent to the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Situated close to the Antarctic continent, it is characterized by harsh environmental conditions. Macroscopic colonization is restricted to micro-niches offering suitable conditions for a small number of lichens and mosses. The extreme environmental conditions place particular pressures on colonizers. Lepraria borealis is the dominant crustose lichen species present on Coal Nunatak, and shows distinctive features in its life history strategy, in particular expressing unusually low selectivity of the mycobiont towards potential photobionts. To assess selectivity, we measured algal DNA sequence polymorphism in a region of 480–660 bp of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA. We identified three different photobiont species, belonging to two different genera. We interpret this strategy as being advantageous in facilitating the colonization and community dominance of L. borealis under the isolation and extreme environmental conditions of Coal Nunatak.

Maintenance of biodiversity in managed forested landscapes requires detailed knowledge of the ecological requirements of specialist organisms linked to key microhabitats. Here we examine the relationship of 37 lichenized and unlichenized epiphytic calicioid species to stand age and substratum type in seven pairs of mid-seral (70–165 y) and old (220–470 y) forest stands in humid east-central British Columbia. Based on our inventory of eight host tree species, total calicioid diversity and mean species richness are highest in old stands, with 12 species not detected and nine additional species much less frequent in mid-seral stands. Thuja plicata supports by far the highest level of total calicioid diversity, with 31 of 37 species; mostly associated with very old trees. Owing primarily to the late recruitment of lignicolous calicioids, stand-level calicioid richness continues to increase into the 5th century after stand initiation. Our study thus has two major findings pertinent to the maintenance of forest biodiversity in managed forests: first, stand-level calicioid richness increases slightly for at least three centuries past the acquisition of old-growth status; second, remnant trees and snags carried forward into mid-seral, regenerating stands enhance overall calicioid species richness. These results suggest that very old old-growth (= ‘antique’) forests might play an important role in the long-term maintenance of calicioid species richness, further suggesting that the standard practice of lumping all forests above a set age into a single old-growth category is not ecologically tenable for all taxonomic groups.

Intrathalline phycobiont diversity was investigated in a rosette-forming lichen, Parmotrema pseudotinctorum, using a combination of Sanger sequencing, 454-pyrosequencing, conventional light and confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. A total of 39 thalli sampled in five Canary Island populations were investigated. Three novel lineages of lichen phycobionts were detected, all being inferred within the Trebouxia clade G. The most abundant phycobiont lineage, occurring in all lichen populations investigated, is described here as Trebouxia crespoana sp. nov. This species produces spherical to pyriform cells possessing a crenulate chloroplast with lobes elongated at their ends, and one corticola-type pyrenoid with very thin, unbranched tubules of curved profile. Trebouxia crespoana is clearly distinguished from all other Trebouxia species by a characteristic cap-like cell wall thickening produced on one side of vegetative cells, and the larger size of vegetative cells that reach 21(–26) µm in diameter.