FUNGI AND LICHENS IN THE BALTICS AND BEYOND XVIII ...

ecorded from the European streams, rivers, and lakes, of them c. 50 species are obligate
freshwater lichens.
In summer 2010, epilithic lichens were collected from 25 streams and rivers in
Estonia. In addition, background data including habitat (e.g. openness, stoniness, current),
water (pH, conductivity, total content of nitrogen and phosphorus) and stone characteristics
(limestone vs granite, size and position in river) were collected.
In total, 35 species were found; of these 14 belong to the group of obligate freshwater
lichens. Three species – Verrucaria aquatilis, V. hydrela, V. praetermissa – have been found
in most of the studied streams and rivers. Dermatocapon luridum, previously reported from
five streams, was not recorded during the search.
DIVERSITY OF EPIPHYTIC LICHENS AND AIR POLLUTION IN THE TOWN OF
KAUNAS (CENTRAL LITHUANIA)
G. SUJETOVIENĖ
Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos Str. 8, LT-44404 Kaunas, Lithuania
E-mail: g.sujetoviene@gmf.vdu.lt
The results of a biomonitoring study carried out in the town of Kaunas (central
Lithuania) using the diversity of epiphytic lichens as bioindicators of air pollution are
reported. The relationship between different features of lichen communities and
environmental variables was investigated. The lowest air quality was found to be in the centre
of the town – in the part of the study area where the traffic was more intense. The lowest
index of lichen diversity (ILD) was found in the urban centre also. NO 2 concentration was the
significant variable; it correlated positively with the proportion of nitrophyte lichen cover and
negatively with the total lichen cover. It was concluded that the main source of air pollution in
the area was from the motorized traffic and lichen diversity was largely determined by
nitrogen dioxide. By calculating the index of atmospheric purity (IAP), three zones were
established with different air pollution levels (a “poor air quality zone”, a “medium air quality
zone”, and a “good air quality zone”). The species Xanthoria parietina, Physcia tenella,
Parmelia sulcata, Lecanora chlarotera, Hypocenomyce scalaris were found to be the most
tolerant.
PRESENTATION OF THE NORDIC LICHEN FLORA IV – PARMELIACEAE
A. THELL 1 , R. MOBERG 2
1 Lund University, Botanical Museum, Östra Vallgatan 18, SE-22361 Lund, Sweden
2 Uppsala University, Museum of Evolution, Norrbyvägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
E-mails: arne.Thell@biol.lu.se, roland.moberg@em.uu.se
Until recently the largest macrolichen family, the Parmeliaceae, was regarded to
contain three larger genera, Parmelia, including foliose species with laminal fruiting bodies,
Cetraria, erect foliose species with marginal fruiting bodies, and Usnea, beard-lichens, the
largest of the fruticose genera. Since the middle of the 20th century, these large genera have
been divided into smaller entities on the basis of thallus morphology, but gradually more
attention was paid to cortex anatomy, secondary chemistry and reproductive structures, and
more recently to phylogeny based on DNA sequences. The Parmeliaceae comprises about
2300 species and 80 genera in the world, i.e., almost one sixth of all the known lichens. The