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. 2022 Jun 3;8(6):600.
doi: 10.3390/jof8060600.

Distribution Types of Lichens in Hungary That Indicate Changing Environmental Conditions

Edit Farkas  1 , Nóra Varga  1 , Katalin Veres  1 , Gábor Matus  2 , Mónika Sinigla  3 , László Lőkös  4
Affiliations

Distribution Types of Lichens in Hungary That Indicate Changing Environmental Conditions

Edit Farkas et al. J Fungi (Basel). .

Abstract

Distribution data originating from earlier herbarium collections and recent biodiversity records form the basis of distribution analyses in lichen species with different ecological requirements, where the records allowed comparisons or showed clear trends. As the occurrences of lichens are strongly correlated to background environmental conditions (e.g., air pollution, global warming), confirmed by Wirth's ecological indicator values, the analysis of distribution types has a great value for bioindication and the establishment of current and future climatic and pollution situations. Five distribution types were introduced-presented by characteristic examples (13)-according to lichen distribution maps prepared in different periods of time (representing changing environmental conditions): (1) species of decreasing occurrences by time (e.g., Lobaria pulmonaria, Menegazzia terebrata, suboceanic, acidic pollution sensitive species), (2) species with no or few former records but with increasing occurrences in recent decades (e.g., Flavoparmelia soredians, Hyperphyscia adglutinata, Solenopsora candicans, sub-Mediterranean species), (3) species with increasing and then (from c. 2000) decreasing occurrences (e.g., Scoliciosporum chlorococcum, Straminella conizaeoides, acidofrequent species), (4) species with widely increasing occurrences in recent decades (e.g., Physcia aipolioides, Piccolia ochrophora, Xanthoria parietina, nitrofrequent species), and (5) species with rapidly increasing occurrences (e.g., Absconditella lignicola, Coenogonium pineti, Evernia divaricata, rapidly spreading species). The proposed distribution types of lichen species may be applied to wider regions (the European or the global level).

Keywords: acidofrequent; air pollution bioindication; biodiversity; climate; environmental changes; land use; nitrofrequent; rapidly spreading; substrate; time scale.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lobaria pulmonaria (a) habit (scale 1 cm); (b) its distribution in Hungary (94 records). Dots represent c. 5 km × 6 km areas. (Photo: L. Lőkös).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hyperphyscia adglutinata (a) habit (scale 0.5 cm); (b) its distribution in Hungary (56 records). Dots represent c. 5 km × 6 km areas. (Photo: L. Lőkös).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scoliciosporum chlorococcum (a) habit (scale 0.5 mm); (b) its distribution in Hungary (322 records altogether). Dots represent c. 5 km × 6 km areas. (Photo: E. Farkas).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Piccolia ochrophora (a) habit (scale 0.5 mm); (b) its distribution in Hungary (16 records). Dots represent c. 5 km × 6 km areas. (Photo: E. Farkas).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Coenogonium pineti (a) habit (scale 0.5 mm); (b) its distribution in Hungary (101 records, 1954–2022). Dots represent c. 5 km × 6 km areas. (Photo: E. Farkas).
Figure 6
Figure 6
The five changing distribution types of lichen species in time (years) according to possible explanations represented by the thickness of the red line.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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