Six new species of foliicolous lichenized fungi are described as new to science from Bolivian lowland Amazon forest: Asterothyrium vezdae Flakus & Lücking (Asterothyriaceae), Keratosphaera multiseptata Flakus & Lücking (Pseudoperisporiaceae), Phylloblastia bielczykiae Flakus & Lücking (Verrucariaceae), Porina boliviana Flakus & Lücking (Porinaceae), Tapellaria intermedia Flakus & Lücking (Pilocarpaceae) and Trichothelium subargenteum Flakus & Lücking (Porinaceae). In addition, new records of 70 lichen species in Bolivia are listed. Of these, 52 are new to Bolivia.

The fragmented ecosystems along the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve provide important habitats for biota including lichens. Nonetheless, the Reserve is disturbed by dense human populations and associated air pollution. Here we investigated patterns of lichen diversity within urban and rural sites at three different locations (Niagara, Hamilton, and Owen Sound) along the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, Canada. Our results indicate that both lichen species richness and community composition are negatively correlated with increasing human population density and air pollution. However, our quantitative analysis of community composition using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicates that human population density and air pollution is more independent than might be assumed. The CCA analysis suggests that the strongest environmental gradient (CCA1) associated with lichen community composition includes regional pollution load and climatic variables; the second gradient (CCA2) is associated with local pollution load and human population density factors. These results increase the knowledge of lichen biodiversity for the Niagara Escarpment and urban and rural fragmented ecosystems as well as along gradients of human population density and air pollution; they suggest a differential influence of regional and local pollution loads and population density factors. This study provides baseline knowledge for further research and conservation initiatives along the Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve.

The lichen genus Stirtonia has been revised. Thirteen species are accepted in the genus, including three new to science, viz. S. curvata from Irian Jaya and Java, S. schummii from the Seychelles and S. neotropica from Costa Rica and the Dutch Antilles. The known range of the genus is extended from Asian to pantropical. The genus is most diverse in the palaeotropics.

A taxonomic and biogeographic overview of the genus Myrionora is provided. Two species are recognized, M. albidula (Willey) R. C. Harris and M. pseudocyphellariae (Etayo) S. Ekman & Palice comb. nov. The genus is characterized by polysporous asci, the presence of crystals in the hymenium and proper exciple that partly consist of lobaric acid, and a photobiont with large cells (mostly in the range 12–20 µm). Myrionora albidula is currently known from Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Russian Federation (Altayskiy Kray, Chelyabinskaya Oblast', Khabarovskiy Kray and Zabaykal'skiy Kray), and the United States (Alaska, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts). It inhabits bark of deciduous trees and shrubs and conifers over a wide range of latitudes. Myrionora pseudocyphellariae is known from Chile and Ecuador, where it has been encountered on lichens and decaying bark. Based on morphological characteristics, we conclude that Myrionora belongs in the Ramalinaceae.

The lichen species Cladonia angustiloba is characterized by a well-developed primary thallus and narrow squamules which show deep incisions, and the presence of usnic and fumarprotocetraric acids. Morphologically it is similar to C. foliacea and C. convoluta, from which it can be distiguished by the squamule size and morphology. Since similar characters were used to distinguish C. foliacea from C. convoluta which do not represent different lineages, it is necessary to examine the taxonomic status of C. angustiloba by means of DNA sequences. In this study, the species delimitation within the C. foliacea complex was studied by sequencing three loci, ITS rDNA, cox1 and RPB2. The data were analyzed by means of phylogenetic and species delimitation methods (GMYC, PTP, ABGD and BPP). Our results show that none of the three species is monophyletic. Most of the species delimitation methods did not support the current species as evolutionary lineages. Only some of the BPP analyses supported C. angustiloba as a species distinct from C. foliacea and C. convoluta. However, the hypothesis that considers the C. foliacea complex as constituted by a unique species obtained the best Bayes Factor value. Therefore, C. angustiloba and C. convoluta are synonymized with C. foliacea. A new, thoroughly checked synonymy with typifications of the whole C. foliacea complex is presented. An updated survey of the world distribution data is compiled.

The new species Pyrenula reginae and P. rubromamillana are described from NE Brazil. Both have a conspicuous red or orange thallus, an inspersed hamathecium and relatively small ascospores, but they differ clearly in colour and ascoma organization.

A technique for transplanting epiphytic lichens is described by reference to a rescue operation involving Lobaria amplissima at Lowther Park, Cumbria. Fourteen transplantswere monitored for 10 years after which period 70% survived. All failures occurred during the first 12 months.

To identify representative quantitative criteria for the creation of a future Red List of epiphytic lichens, 849 trees in 132 long-term ecological observation plots in the Swiss Central Plateau and the Pre-Alps were surveyed by standard sampling. Based on the trees, frequency data of the lichen taxa observed are described by the log series model, indicating the controlling effect of few ecological factors. Based on the plots, four classes of scarcity, each comprising 25% of the species, were established. As a contribution to the development of a national, representative survey of lichens, α-diversity (species richness, species density) and β-diversity (dissimilarity) were calculated in terms of region, vegetation formation, vegetation belt and for their combinations. Differences in lichen diversity between the Central Plateau and the Pre-Alps were caused by the bigger elevational range in the Pre-Alps, which resulted in a higher species richness. α-Diversity of forest and non-forest were similar, whereas each vegetation formation showed one third of its species restricted to it. The contributions to the total lichen diversity of crustose, foliose and fruticose as well as of generative and vegetative species was calculated. Specific features along the altitudinal gradient of vegetation belts emerged: the percentage of crustose and generative lichens declined with every altitudinal step, increased in fruticose and vegetative lichens, and was the same in foliose species.

The value of terricolous lichens as bioindicators of industrial metal fallout patterns is investigated; the widely-known inverse relationship between the metal content of lichens, as well as their associated soils, and the distance from the pollution source was found to be affected by microclimatic factors dependent upon soil surface topography and the local vegetation. Samples of lichen vegetation and their associated soils from Risby Warren, North Lincolnshire, were analysed for Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Enhanced concentrations of Fe and Mn in the lichen, soil and air samples were indicative of their emission from the nearby Scunthorpe steelworks. The highest concentrations of all metals analysed were found to be in the top layer (0-5 cm) of the soils.

Two new corticolous lichen species are described, Lepraria nothofagi Elix & Kukwa (atranorin, strepsilin, porphyrilic acid) from Argentina and L. stephaniana Elix, Flakus & Kukwa (4-O-methylleprolomin, zeorin, salazinic acid, unknown terpenoid) from pre-Andean Amazon forest of Bolivia. In addition, the paper presents new records of 16 species of Lepraria from South America. Lepraria adhaerens, and L. diffusa are new to the Southern Hemisphere; L. borealis is new to South America; L. alpina is new to Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela; L. caesioalba (chemotype I) is new to Venezuela, L. lobificans new to Argentina, L. pallida new to Peru, and L. sipmaniana new to Bolivia and Chile. The Chilean records of L. membranacea appeared to belong to L. sipmaniana. Therefore, the number of Lepraria spp. known at present from South America is enlarged to 27 species. 4-O-methylleprolomin is reported for the second time from lichens.

Lichens as sessile and slow-growing symbiotic associations have evolved various carbon-based secondary compounds (CBSCs) to mitigate the effects of some stressors in the extreme environments in which they often grow. The mat-forming lichen Cladonia stellaris, an important fodder for reindeer, produces usnic acid in the outermost layer and perlatolic acid in the medulla. Here, we studied effects of simulated global warming on these CBSCs in C. stellaris cultivated in climate chambers with: 1) ambient conditions as control or 2) ambient conditions +4°C. The chambers simulated, at an hourly resolution, an averaged 10-year growing season dynamic from a long-term monitored boreal mire in northern Sweden. After two months of acclimation, +4°C warming in one simulated growing season increased the concentration of usnic acid by 31% compared with ambient conditions, whereas the warming decreased the concentration of perlatolic acid by 14%. Since lichen CBSCs play important roles in ecosystem processes such as lichenivory and decomposition, these changes may profoundly affect lichen-dominated ecosystems.

Soil lichens are taxonomically diverse in subtropical eastern Australia. A total of 61 species in 25 genera is reported from a transect 1500 km long, running from the humid sub-tropical coast to the arid interior of the continent. The distribution of the lichen species and genera is associated with climatic pattern and with the growth form of the species. The total number of species found in bands of one degree of longitude along the transect decreases from the wet coastal region to the arid interior. Fruticose and foliose species dominated the flora in wetter regions and squamulose species in the dry interior.

The new genus Brianaria S. Ekman & M. Svensson is introduced for the Micarea sylvicola group, with the new combinations Brianaria bauschiana (Körb.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson, B. lutulata (Nyl.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson, B.sylvicola (Flot. ex Körb.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson and B. tuberculata (Sommerf.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson. The new genus is characterized by a chlorococcoid, non-micareoid photobiont, small, convex apothecia without an excipulum, an ascus of the ‘Psora-type’, 0–1-septate ascospores, dimorphic paraphyses, and immersed pycnidia containing bacilliform conidia. Brianaria is shown to form a monophyletic group in the Psoraceae, where it is probably the sister group to Psora and Protoblastenia.

Eleven species are recognized of which C. bogilana and C. subflavorubescens are described here as new to science while nine species (C. cinnabarina, C. decipiens, C. ferruginea, C. inconspecta, C. pellodella, C. scopularis, C. stantonii, C. squamosa and C. subsoluta) are reported for the first time for South Korea. Both new species are peculiar due to their secondary chemistry; anthraquinones along with atranorin, gyrophoric acid and lecanoric acid in C. bogilana, and gyrophoric acid together with anthraquinones in C. subflavorubescens.

Three species, Lobothallia brachyloba Paukov & I. V. Frolov, L. epiadelpha Paukov & A. Nordin and L. zogtii Paukov & Davydov, from arid regions of Eurasia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Mongolia) are described as new to science. Lobothallia brachyloba has flat, firmly attached lobes, immersed apothecia lacking a distinct thalline margin, and contains norstictic acid. Both Lobothallia epiadelpha and L. zogtii contain stictic acid and have a brown thallus and sessile apothecia. Lobothallia epiadelpha initially develops on crustose Circinaria spp, has thick lobes loosely attached to the substratum, and brown apothecial discs with constant thalline margins. Lobothallia zogtii is a free-living species with brownish black to jet black apothecial discs surrounded by a receding thalline margin. Lecanora bogdoënsis is synonymized with Lobothallia praeradiosa and Lobothallia helanensis is synonymized with L. subdiffracta. Three new combinations, Lobothallia hedinii (H. Magn.) Paukov, A. Nordin & Sohrabi, L. lacteola (Oxner) Şenkardeşler, Paukov, Davydov & Sohrabi, and L. subdiffracta (H. Magn.) Paukov, are proposed. Phylogenetic analyses of Lobothallia brachyloba, L. epiadelpha and L. subdiffracta (ITS, mtSSU) are presented, showing their relationships within Lobothallia. The lectotype of the name Aspicilia lacteola Oxner is designated. A key to 18 species of Lobothallia is provided.

Examination of specimens of Peltigera didactyla, from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America revealed that this sorediate species includes three entities that can be separated on morphological characters. A new species, P. lambinonii, is described from East Africa, and a new combination P. didactyla var. extenuata, is proposed to accommodate morphs from mesic forest habitats in Asia, Europe and North America. Despite this taxonomic reduction, P. didactyla var. didactyla remains a ubiquitous taxon. The former two taxa often produce methyl gyrophorate, which can co-occur with traces of gyrophoric acid. These tridepsides were only rarely detected in var. didactyla; their occasional presence seems to be best explained by hybridization. The taxonomic and ecological significance of these substances is discussed.