The ability of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS regions) of ribosomal DNA to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the euascomycetous order Arthoniales, focusing on the family Roccellaceae was investigated. The effect of alignment on phylogenetic hypotheses was evaluated. A data matrix from the ITS regions was constructed from 33 specimens representing 14 genera, including the outgroup Arthothelium spectabile. Six different alignments were analysed cladistically using parsimony jackknifing. Most groups in the six trees were congruent and well supported under the different alignment settings. In a conservative analysis, where only unambiguously alignable regions were included, the resolution was low. These results indicate that the ITS regions contain phylogenetic structure, and all information, including the variable regions, should be utilised. A data matrix from the SSU rDNA sequences was constructed for the same taxa. The SSU rDNA tree was less resolved than the ITS trees. There were only minor conflicts between the two sources of data and an incongruence test confirmed that the ITS and SSU rDNA data matrices were not significantly incongruent. The six differently aligned data matrices generated from the ITS regions were each combined with the SSUrDNA data. Simultaneous analysis of the combined data sets is the best approach as it uses all available evidence. As with the ITS trees, most groups in the combined trees were congruent and well supported. The SSU rDNA provided resolution within one clade, otherwise the ITS sequences provided most of the signal in the combined analysis, both at the basal nodes and at the tips of the tree. Molecular data clearly indicates that the fruticose/crustose habits have evolved multiple times even in comparatively small groups as in the family Roccellaceae and that the characters such as fruticose-crustose may be overemphasized in morphological analyses.

The influence on uptake and water loss of the structural changes experienced by Parmelia acetabulum during thallus development were investigated. Small specimens were characterized by flat lobes and a thin thallus and cortex. Large specimens appeared strongly rugose, imbricate and irregularly folded, and had a significantly thicker cortex and medulla than small thalli. Maximum water storage capacity did not differ between large and small thalli, although water retention was much higher in large thalli, presumably due to the interaction of structural characteristics and a higher boundary layer resistance. This translated into a longer duration of the period of thallus hydration in large thalli compared to small thalli. Incubation of thalli in water-vapour-saturated atmospheres induced full recovery of photosynthetic electron transport to the values before desiccation in small thalli but only induced a partial recovery in large thalli. The close correlation between photosynthetic electron transport and net photosynthesis during desiccation found in this species suggested that carbon-fixation activity could be regained to a larger extent by incubation of thalli in water vapour in small compared to large thalli. The higher ability for water vapour uptake of small thalli might allow them to efficiently use small amounts of intermittently available water or periods of high relative humidity. The significance of this differential ability to utilize water is discussed with regard to the known ecological preferences of the species.

The effect of deposition of different fertilizers and of lime on lichens was investigated under field conditions. Three terricolous lichens were tested: Cladonia floerkeana, C. furcata and C. portentosa. The lichens were exposed to three types of powdered fertilizer (NPK-, N-, P-fertilizer) and lime. The applied nutrients were recorded in lichen thalli and soil. The influence on lichen growth rate and vegetation cover was estimated over 2 years. The response was a clear change in vegetation cover with an exceptional stimulating effect of NPK on the moss Polytrichum formosum. A lethal effect was observed on Cladonia floerkeana following exposure to lime. NPK and P had the most significant stimulatory effect on C. furcata. Only NPK promoted the growth of C. portentosa and P, N or Ca had a negative effect.

The phytosociology of lichens colonizing granitic churches and dolmens in Galicia (N.W. Spain) and Alentejo (central Portugal) was studied so as to identify (a) a group of species whose frequency on these structures would make them potentially useful as test species for the evaluation of biocides used for conservation, (b) environmental factors likely to control species distribution, and (c) species that may be useful as bioindicators of environmental factors in this kind of construction in the region studied. Chief among the factors correlating with species distribution is the class of structure (church or dolmen), which is attributed to the probable influence of this factor on environmental parameters affected by structural complexity, the presence of non-granitic materials and the influence of man in the immediate surroundings. The bioindicator species most sensitive to this complex of parameters appear to be three species found only on churches (Caloplaca citrina, Sarcogyne davits and Verrucaria macrostoma) and the most widespread of the species found only on dolmens (Lasallia pustulata). Other important factors, probably affecting the influence of class of structure, are pH and the availability of nitrogen and moisture.

The post-fire colonization of a Quercus ilex forest by epiphytic lichens has been studied in Catalonia (NE Spain), eleven years after a fire. Specific richness and lichen biomass have been studied separately on Quercus ilex, Erica arborea, Rosmarinus officinalis. and Cistus albidus, to reveal possible differences among phorophytes in facilitating lichen establishment. Shrubs play an important role in colonization by common species whereas the stools of Quercus ilex offer a suitable substratum for rarer species. Cistus albidus, with the highest lichen diversity and 98·2% of the total biomass of macrolichens, is the most suitable phorophyte for lichen establishment.

The lichen family Umbilicariaceae is accepted by most lichenologists as consisting of two genera, Lasallia and Umbilicaria. The monophyly of these two genera was examined by phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences of ITS 1 and ITS2 rDNA. Sequences of these regions from three Lasallia and 17 Umbilicaria species were aligned to those of seven representatives of the outgroup taxa including Eurotiales, Onygenales and Caliciales (Mycocaliciaceae) and subjected to maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and neighbour-joining analyses. The resulting phylogenetic hypotheses supported the monophyly of the representative species of Lasallia. However, the species of Umbilicaria did not form a monophyletic sistergroup to Lasallia due to the basal placement of other Umbilicaria species in some analyses. Based on these analyses, if Lasallia is recognized as a separate genus then Umbilicaria appears to be paraphyletic. Although further taxon sampling is required to resolve the monophyly of Umbilicaria, for the present we recommend retaining the current treatment of Lasallia as separate from Umbilicaria.

The new generic names Codonmyces and Lichenostetta are introduced for two new species of conidial fungi. Lichenostella hypotrachynae gen. et sp. nov. is a commensal of Hypotrachyna species, and is mainly characterized by forming black sporodochia with setae and, particularly, by its star-like conidia. Codonmyces lecanorae gen. et. sp. nov. occurs on Lecanora valesiaca and differs from the genus Xanthoriicola by its 1-septate conidia and campanulate conidiogenous cells with several conspicuous, flared annellations. Comments on the ecology of L. valesiaca, and its associated lichens and lichenicolous fungi are also given.

Dispersal patterns from seven terricolous lichen species, with a high capacity for asexual reproduction by fragmentation (Cetraria muricata, Cladonia species), were studied in differing vegetation types in north-eastern Germany. Marked lichen thalli were fragmented by trampling. After 15 days the spread of thallus fragments was monitored. Whereas most of the fragments that were dispersed by wind remained within a 20-cm radius from the source, the maximal dispersal distance was 57 cm in a dry sand grassland and 68 cm in an open pioneer pine forest. Dispersal was negligible in a closed old-growth pine forest. Several fragmented lichen cushions were disturbed and removed by animals, and led to a maximal dispersal distance of 9·70 m. These results suggest that: (a) thallus fragments provide good short-distance dispersal in open vegetation, but are inefficient for long-distance dispersal, and (b) wind and animals are important factors for the dispersal of thallus fragments. For restoration management of man-made substrata, artificial introduction of lichen thalli is proposed.

It has been suggested that the host specificity exhibited by some lichenicolous fungi depends on their ability to tolerate the secondary chemistry of potential host lichens. For example, the lichen parasite Marchandiomyces corallinus is able to degrade the tissues of the lichen Flavoparmelia baltimorensis irrespective of the presence or absence of endogenous phenolic compounds. In contrast, the degradation of tissues from the lichen Lasallia papulosa is suppressed when endogenous phenolics are not removed. We have investigated the physiological basis of this inhibition in order to understand more about how lichen chemistry infiuences host preference in lichenicolous fungi. Results showed that the secondary compounds from L. papulosa inhibit the overall growth of M. corallimis, but not the catalytic activity of its tissue-degrading polysaccharidases. This effect is different from that shown by another lichen parasite, Nectria parmeliae, where lichen compounds specifically inhibited polysaccharidase activity. Compared with the compounds of L. papulosa, the endogenous phenolics of F. baltimorensis inhibited the growth of M. corallimis substantially less and exhibited little or no inhibition of polysaccharidases. For M. corallimis, host preference appears to be associated with physiological adaptation to the chemistry of F. baltimorensis.

Biatora helvola is a corticolous crustose lichen occurring in boreal and montane spruce and spruce-fir-beech forests. After the last glaciation, spruce reinvaded Europe from three refugia situated in the Carpathians, southeastern parts of the Alps and the Ural Mts., resulting in a slightly disjunct distribution. Our aim was to find out whether the glacial fragmentation of the distributional area of spruce is reflected by genetic differences in a typical spruce-forest lichen. Collections of Biatora helvola from Scandinavia and various parts of Central Europe were investigated using RAPD analysis. Algal free periclinal sections of the apothecia were obtained using a freezing microtome and transferred directly into PCR tubes. Six different RAPD primers were used. The data were analysed using PAUP*. It was shown that genetic differences between samples of B. helvola reflect the glacial disjunction of spruce in Europe.

The passive uptake of ammonium ions to extracellular cation binding sites has been demonstrated for a range of lichen species. The possible competitive effect of other cations on ammonium binding is discussed. Binding of uncharged gaseous ammonia to exchange sites was also shown. The rapid loss of exchangeable ammonium from extracellular sites has been demonstrated and, because the greatest losses occur in living material, intracellular uptake is inferred. The labile nature of bound ammonium means that transfer of material to the laboratory for analysis may result in the underestimation of the amount bound.

In boreal Scandinavia Usnea longissima is a rare epiphytic lichen associated with old spruce (Picea abies) forests. To test whether tree age was an important determinant of the occurrence and abundance of U. longissima at the scale of a forest stand we estimated thallus numbers on 1008 trees within three submontane spruce stands in south-central Norway. The stands were of all ages and multi-layered and had been selectively cut previous to the 1940s. There was no relationship between number of U. longissima thalli and tree age among trees with dbh of ≥ 10 cm. The most consistent pattern was a positive relationship between occurrence and number of thalli and stem diameter. After controlling the covariance of stem diameter, there was a tendency for a negative relationship between number of thalli and tree age. The results suggest that in old-growth resembling stands, with already established U. longissima populations, tree size (here measured as stem Diameter) is a better predictor of thallus number than tree age. This does not contradict the possibility that other environmental characteristics, associated with stands of older age, may be important for the establishment and growth of U. longissima populations.

The sensitivity of Hypogymnia physodes, Lobaria pulmonaria and Peltigera aphthosa to six photosystem II herbicides and to DBMIB was tested in the laboratory by chlorophyll fluorescence and oxygen-exchange measurements. In addition, experiments with freshly isolated photobiont cells from H. physodes and L. pulmonaria were performed. Generally, the lichens were most sensitive to the urea herbicides diuron and isoproturon, whereas the triazines atrazine, terbuthylazine, and simazine and the triazinone metamitron were less inhibitory. Among the three lichen species investigated, H. physodes was the most sensitive to the urea herbicides. For the other agents, no significant differences between lichen species could be found. The highest pI50 values obtained from dose response curves were around 6.5 for isolated photobionts, but most values for lichen thalli were in the range 5–6. Thus, there is no particular sensitivity of green algal lichen photobionts to photosystem II herbicides as compared to other algae, higher plant chloroplasts or protoplasts. In nature, we observed recovery from (damaging) treatment with 10−5 mol diuron 1−1 for H. physodes within weeks. Therefore, damage to lichens from the use of photosystem-II herbicides in agriculture is probably only of very local occurrence.

The photobiont inventory of a stand of the Acarosporetum sinopicae, lichen community comprising saxicolous, chalcophilous lichens, has been analysed. Investigated lichen species were Acarospora rugulosa, A. sinopica, Bellemerea diamartha, Lecanora polytropa, L. subaurea, Lecidea silacea, L. lapicida, Rhizocarpon geographicum, and Umbilicaria cylindrical. For all these lichen species this is the record of the photobionts, except for L. lapicida. The photobionts were cultured axenically and investigated using light microscopical and molecular methods (ITS-sequence analyses). Every lichen species contained only one photobiont species. All photobionts belong to Trebouxia jamesii, but two different subspecies were found with the morphological differences corresponding to molecular differences. The new subspecies T. jamesii subsp. angustilobata is described, differing from the typical T. jamesii by a crenulate chloroplast but identical to the latter taxon in respect to the pyrenoid structure in the light microscope. These results are discussed with respect to the photobiont inventory of the Physcietum adscendentis, analysed in an earlier study.