Lichens, Lichenicolous Fungi, Mycology, Licheology

Diversity of lichens along altitudinal and land use gradients in the Trans Himalayan cold desert of Ladak

by Himanshu Rai

Authors:
Jatinder Kumar, Roshni Khare, Himanshu Rai, D. K. Upreti, A. Tayade, S. Hota, O. P. Chaurasia, R. B. Srivastava
Citation:
Jatinder Kumar, Roshni Khare, Himanshu Rai, D. K. Upreti, A. Tayade, S. Hota, O. P. Chaurasia, R. B. Srivastava. Diversity of lichens along altitudinal and land use gradients in the Trans Himalayan cold desert of Ladakh. Nature and Science 2012;10(4):1-9. (ISSN: 1545-0740

Abstract:

Lichen communities growing on rocks and soil forms a major constituent of biodiversity in high... more Abstract:

Lichen communities growing on rocks and soil forms a major constituent of biodiversity in high altitude Himalayan habitats. An intensive survey in different localities in three major sites in and around Leh in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir state, India, revealed the occurrence of 38 species of lichens. The crustose growth form of lichens belonging to the family Physciaceae exhibited their dominance in the area. Apart from temperature and altitude, land use pattern also influenced the species composition up to a greater extant

Two species of corticolous Opegrapha Ach. (lichenized Ascomycota) new to India

by Siljo Joseph

Siljo Joseph & G. P. Sinha. 2011. Two species of corticolous Opegrapha Ach. (lichenized Ascomycota) new to India. Geophytology 40 (1-2): 83 - 86

The Most Ancient Terrestrial Lichen Winfrenatia reticulata : A New Find and New Interpretation

by SERGEY VIKULIN

Winfrenatia is the oldest known terrestrial lichen,[1] known from the lower Devonian Rhynie Chert.
It comprises comprises a thallus, made of layered, aseptate hyphae, with a number of depressions on its top surface. Each depression contains a net of hyphae holding a sheathed cyanobacterium. The fungus appears to be related to the Zygomycetes, and the photobiont resembles the coccoid Gloeocapsa and Chroococcidiopsis.[2] There may be two separate algae, making the lichen a symbiosis of three organisms.[1]
=

[1] Karatygin, I. V.; Snigirevskaya, N. S.; Vikulin, S. V. (2009). "The most ancient terrestrial lichen Winfrenatia reticulata: A new find and new interpretation". Paleontological Journal 43: 107. doi:10.1134/S0031030109010110.
[2]Taylor, T. N.; Hass, H.; Kerp, H. (1 July 1997). "A Cyanolichen from the Lower Devonian Rhynie Chert". American Journal of Botany 84 (7): 992. doi:10.2307/2446290. ISSN 00029122. edit
Karatygin, I. V.; Snigirevskaya, N. S.; Vikulin, S. V. (2009). "The most ancient terrestrial lichen Winfrenatia reticulata: A new find and new interpretation". Paleontological Journal 43: 107.
Taylor, T. N.; Hass, H.; Kerp, H. (1 July 1997). "A Cyanolichen from the Lower Devonian Rhynie Chert". American Journal of

(english)
I. V. Karatygin, N. S. Snigirevskaya, and S. V. Vikulin
Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian... more (english)
I. V. Karatygin, N. S. Snigirevskaya, and S. V. Vikulin
Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Professora Popova 2, St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia

Silicified fossils from Rhynie cherts in Scotland are studied. A lichen belonging to the genus Winfrenatia is detected and studied. This oldest terrestrial lichen is dated to the Pragian (=Siegenian) of the Early Devonian. New characters of the lichen are described, and their new interpretation is given. The main component of the lichen thallus is a filamentous cyanobacterium (Nostocales). Structures which were interpreted as fungal hyphae are probably hollow sheaths of this cyanobacterium. Mycobiont hyphae develop at the base of the thallus and symbiose with a coccoid cyanobacterium. Thus, Winfrenatia reticulata is a three-parted organism, constituted of a mycobiont and filamentous and coccoid cyanobacteria.

Diversity and distribution of terricolous lichens as indicator of habitat heterogeneity and grazing induced trampling in a temperate-alpine shrub and meadow

by Himanshu Rai

Himanshu Rai, D. K. Upreti and Rajan K. Gupta

Lichens are among the most sensitive biomonitors of ecosystem health and human induced disturbances. Terricolous... more Lichens are among the most sensitive biomonitors of ecosystem health and human induced disturbances. Terricolous lichens of Chopta–Tungnath (Garhwal, western Himalaya, India) were analysed for their ability to indicate habitat variability and disturbances induced by livestock grazing. Terricolous lichens were sampled from 12 sites, distributed across the three macrohabitats between 2,700 and 4,001 m, using 50 × 10 cm narrow frequency grids having five 10 × 10 cm sampling units. The terricolous lichen community of the area constituted, 20 species belonging to 10 genera, five families and four growth forms. Altitude and relative humidity were the major habitat factors found influencing the terricolous lichen community of the landscape. Fruticose and compound soil lichen growth forms were found indicative of habitat disturbance largely caused by grazing induced trampling. Terricolous lichen diversity of the area was delimited by grazing pressure at mid-altitudes (3,000–3,400 m) and by decreasing soil cover at higher altitudes (>3,400 m).

Distribution Pattern of Terricolous Lichens in Garhwal Himalayas (Chopta-Tungnath Tract) with Reference to Morphological and Environmental Variables

by Himanshu Rai

Co-authored with RAJAN K. GUPTA, D.K. UPRETI & PRAMOD NAG

India is a rich centre of lichen biodiversity. Soil inhabiting lichens (Terricolous lichens), are potential group of... more India is a rich centre of lichen biodiversity. Soil inhabiting lichens (Terricolous lichens), are potential group of lichen species which can be calibrated for ecological indicator studies, as their direct growth on the soil make them very sensitive to any change in the topographic and climatic environment.
In the present study soil-inhabiting lichens of Chopta-Tungnath tract in Garhwal Himalayas, are defined on the basis of ecological and morphological characters using Hierarchical bootstrap-clustering, and the various habitat and climatic variables are analyzed for their effect on the determination of structure and distribution pattern of terricolous lichen community, using Correlation-Regression analysis.
Of the three macrohabitats identified along the elevation gradient maximum soil lichen diversity was observed at middle elevation (3000-3400 mt.) A total of nine lichen species belonging to four families, seven genera and five morphological groups/thallus type (Squamulose, Squamulose-Fruticose, Leprose, Fruticose and Foliose) were identified. Squamulose was dominating morphological group, followed by fruticose, dimorphic, foliose and leprose forms. Soil lichen exhibit maximum associations with mosses followed by angiosperms, only few soil lichens were found growing on ground. Among the environmental variables soil pH and minimum and maximum temperature were positively related to lichen diversity whereas relative humidity and elevation negatively influenced soil lichen community.
Cluster analyses revealed six lichen groups on the basis of their maximum distribution at middle elevations, dominance of moisture absorbing lichen groups (fruticose and foliose) and
maximized associative growth with mosses